CAIRO: A video of a march held by Egyptians walking the streets of Alexandria carrying a model of the holy Kaaba went viral on social media.
Chanting “God is great, no corona,” the crowds roamed the city center at night, breaking the 9 p.m. curfew.
Officers of Moharam Bek police station detained some of the marchers. The incident, in the neighborhood of Ghobrial, was registered in an official report and the prosecution carried out an investigation. Alexandria, on the Mediterranean, is Egypt’s second-biggest city after Cairo.
A group of people reportedly in Alexandria touring the streets with a scale model of Kaaba, singing: “there’s no corona” #egypt pic.twitter.com/AQw0PU4WlP
— Deena Hassan (@deenahsn) April 24, 2020
Ahmed El-Sayed, a resident in Alexandria’s Moharam Bek, said at the beginning, dozens of the neighborhood’s residents got together during curfew hours to put a small model of the Kaaba on a main street in celebration of the beginning of Ramadan.
As the numbers swelled, El-Sayed said, the crowd held aloft the Kaaba model, chanting “God is great.”
El-Sayed added that many residents in and near the vicinity joined the march in several streets in Ghobrial, including Shagaret El-Dor, Samy El-Baroudy and El-Nofous.
لاحول ولاقوه الا بالله مع اني مفهمتش المغزا من جروجهم للشارع ليه وايه علاقه الكعبه بالموضوع طالما هناك زفه وطبول ورقص واستهزاء بالوباء والحزر ..عموما فوضنا امرنا لله واليه المشتكي
— alarby62 (@CGFmqbLiNRxP2oC) April 24, 2020
The model was then laid at the beginning of Samy El-Baroudy Street. “We were surprised to see security forces detain the marchers for violating the curfew. The march takes place at the same time every year,” El-Sayed said, although it did not proceed last year.
He said that the rally started at 11 p.m. on the last day of Shaban and continued until dawn, on the first day of Ramadan on Friday.
دي للأسف حاليا وفي محرم بك نموذج للكعبة الشريفة وفي حد قالهم يطوفوا بيها قبل ما يعلقوعا كفانوس رمضان ... لله الأمر من قبل ومن بعد ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله العلي العظيم
— youssef soliman (@youssef_soliman) April 24, 2020
El-Sayed, who has been living in Ghobrial for 25 years, said that the incident was normal and that residents were celebrating the beginning of Ramadan by making Alexandria’s biggest Kaaba model.
انا صحيت زيي زيكم بالظبط لقيت الناس بتعمل عمره فى #اسكندريه pic.twitter.com/eteG52YpQ8
— حسام الشريف (@Fouly44) April 24, 2020
Sayed Ahmed, another resident, said that young people in the neighborhood did get together to hang the Kaaba model in the heart of a main street while conducting a zaffa (traditional celebration with music and dancing), “to spread joy among the residents after the coronavirus crisis caused sadness and killed the joy of Ramadan celebrations.”
Wrong on so many levels
— Ari (@shithousingfcs) March 24, 2020
Alexandria Gov. Mohamed El-Sherif confirmed in press statements that this was an annual tradition. “What happened in a small street is an annual tradition carried out by simple people in the area. The model has been there for years. The people march out from a side street and hang the model in the square. It is an annual tradition. It was an ordinary event in ordinary circumstances. However, with the coronavirus, it was a huge mistake that went against all precautionary measures.”
The governor said that security forces had detained 20 people responsible for the march, adding that a 4,000 Egyptian pound ($253) fine was imposed on each.
HIGHLIGHTS
• The rally started at 11 p.m. on the last day of Shaban and continued until dawn.
• Security forces detained 20 people responsible for the march. • 4,000 Egyptian pound ($253) fine was imposed on each.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Endowments Sheikh Mohamed Khashaba told Arab News that the incident was deemed haram (forbidden by God in accordance with Islamic law). He said that congregations in the streets for such a purpose were forbidden by God.
He said that the Iftaa House (responsible for issuing religious advisory opinion) had previously stressed that such gatherings in streets or any other site under any slogan or pretext was malicious, and not intended for God.
Cynics on social media were quick to seize on the incident. One user posted a video of the march with the caption: “Alexandrians make a quick pilgrimage.” Another, Ibrahim Mohamed, said: “Just like you, I slept for a couple of hours and woke up to find them making a pilgrimage in Sidi Beshr (a popular beach in Alexandria).”
