“Objections Renewed against Demolition of Tombs of Public Figures in Cairo’s Khalifa Neighborhood”

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – Objections have been renewed again in Egypt against the removal of the tombs of public and historical figures located in the Khalifa neighborhood, south of the capital, Cairo, under the pretext of public interest. At a time when parliamentarians submitted briefing requests to stop the demolition of the cemeteries and their development into a tourist attraction.

The tombs subject to demolition are linked to the names of a number of public figures and celebrities, such as the former Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Muhammad Mustafa Al-Maraghi, the poet and politician Mahmoud Sami Al-Baroudi, and the dean of Arabic literature, the writer Taha Hussein, as well as the tombs of a number of princes and Mamluks.

Al-Khalifa neighborhood includes several cemeteries, known as the tombs of Imam Al-Shafi’i and Al-Laithi. Cairo Governorate had previously issued a decision to remove 2,700 graves and move them to new locations in the cities of May 15th and 10th of Ramadan, and notified families to move the remains of their dead. The area will be used, after its evacuation, for the expansion of Salah Salem Road and the construction of a traffic bridge to facilitate traffic movement, according to official government statements.

Sherine Tahsin, the granddaughter of the late cleric Muhammad Mustafa al-Maraghi, one of the sheikhs of Al-Azhar, said that the family received a decision from the Cairo governorate to expropriate the ownership of her grandfather’s tomb, and transfer it to the Tenth of Ramadan area – east of the capital, Cairo – for use in the public interest, explaining that the family does not object to this. Achieving the public benefit, but her late grandfather is considered one of the symbols of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, and one of those who took over the sheikhdom of Al-Azhar, and he also had many contributions to the development of the religious institution.

Al-Maraghi assumed the sheikhdom of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, twice; The first in the period from 1928 until his resignation in 1930, and the second from 1935 to his death in 1945.

Al-Maraghi’s granddaughter confirmed, in exclusive statements to CNN in Arabic, that the family of the late Sheikh does not accept any alternative solutions to move their grandfather’s tomb, and is calling for the cancellation of the government decision to remove it, in honor of the history and contributions of Al-Maraghi.

Tahsin added that the family is waiting for a response from the government to appeals to stop the decision to remove the cemetery, adding that if the decision is actually implemented, the remains of al-Maraghi will be transferred to his hometown in the Maragha center in Sohag governorate instead of the 10th of Ramadan city, the alternative proposed by the government.

The Egyptian government says it is working to “develop” the historic Cairo area with the aim of restoring the civilized face of the capital. Its plan includes developing historical and heritage areas, improving the road network, providing parking areas to achieve traffic flow, removing slums and moving residents to alternative apartments.

For her part, Maha Abdel Nasser, a member of the House of Representatives and deputy head of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, said that she is preparing to submit a request for a new briefing in Parliament, objecting to the removal of tombs of public and historical figures, the last of whom was Mahmoud Sami Al-Baroudi, the poet, Minister of War and Prime Minister of Egypt in 1882, with the aim of preserving On the heritage and historical cemeteries, and to demand a different vision from the government to achieve the development of the region, and at the same time to preserve the cemeteries without affecting them.

The Cairo Governorate had previously issued official statements denying the removal of the tombs of Sheikh Muhammad Rifaat and the late writer Taha Hussein, despite their families confirming that they had received removal decisions, like other owners of tombs in the Khalifa neighborhood.

And Abdel Nasser added, in exclusive statements to CNN in Arabic, that the remains of public figures and great writers have already been transferred, including the novelist Yahya Haqi, and at the present time the tombs of Taha Hussein, Al-Baroudi and the poet Hafez Ibrahim are facing the same fate, which requires the necessity of rapid intervention to achieve the public benefit by widening the roads. And the re-planning of historic Cairo without removing the tombs, which are considered an architectural and heritage masterpiece that should not be removed, pointing out that the government responded and stopped removing the tomb of Taha Hussein, as well as Hafez Ibrahim, according to her. Alternatives to achieving public benefit, while preserving the cemeteries, and using them as a historical shrine after developing the area, and making it a tourist attraction.