Egypt Appoints Tourism Area Official With a Violent Past
- 11 years ago
In a move that has left many scratching their heads, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi officially made Adel Mohammed al-Khayat the new governor of Luxor.
Egypt's tourism industry lost nearly 2 and a half billion dollars in revenue following the 2011 revolution.
In a move that has left many scratching their heads, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi officially made Adel Mohammed al-Khayat the new governor of Luxor.
The issue involves two unshakable realities.
Luxor is a tourism magnet, offering sights including temples, museums, and the tombs of kings, queens and pharaohs.
Khayat has been involved with Gamaa Islamiya, a terrorist group whose targets once included a popular tourist site in Luxor.
In a 1997 attack on a Luxor temple, 62 tourists were slain before members of the militant group took their own lives.
About a decade ago, the group condemned al-Qaeda and pledged no more violence, but eyebrows are still being raised concerning the appointees association.
Gamaa Islamiya retains a reputation for intimidating foreigners as a means of discouraging visitation.
Khayat, however, has made it known that he intends to welcome ‘all kinds of tourism’.
Egypt's tourism industry lost nearly 2 and a half billion dollars in revenue following the 2011 revolution.
In a move that has left many scratching their heads, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi officially made Adel Mohammed al-Khayat the new governor of Luxor.
The issue involves two unshakable realities.
Luxor is a tourism magnet, offering sights including temples, museums, and the tombs of kings, queens and pharaohs.
Khayat has been involved with Gamaa Islamiya, a terrorist group whose targets once included a popular tourist site in Luxor.
In a 1997 attack on a Luxor temple, 62 tourists were slain before members of the militant group took their own lives.
About a decade ago, the group condemned al-Qaeda and pledged no more violence, but eyebrows are still being raised concerning the appointees association.
Gamaa Islamiya retains a reputation for intimidating foreigners as a means of discouraging visitation.
Khayat, however, has made it known that he intends to welcome ‘all kinds of tourism’.