A wave of anger and condemnation has topped the digital platforms in Egypt for the issuance of a decision to remove the tomb of the famous Egyptian reader Mohamed Refaat in favor of establishing a traffic axis.

On Monday, the sheikh's family received a letter from the Cairo governorate regarding the decision to remove the cemetery, which is located within the tombs of Sayeda Nafisa in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, in order to establish the Salah Salem axis, according to local newspapers.

Those interested in Egyptian antiquities and culture denounced the decision to remove it, through their social media accounts, in light of continuous demands to preserve the identity and status of Islamic and historical symbols instead of obliterating them.

Coinciding with the anniversary of his death. Great anger on social media over the issuance of a decision to remove the cemetery of Sheikh #محمد_رفعت, nicknamed "the harp of heaven" to establish the Salah Salem axis, according to local newspapers pic.twitter.com/vcjKwnhbBw

— Al Jazeera Egypt (@AJA_Egypt) May 8, 2023

Decision and shock

According to a statement circulated by local websites and activists, the Central Administration for the Protection of State Property and the Cemetery Department of the Cairo Governorate directed the transfer of the remains of the dead in the area subject to removal "at the expense of their families without referring to the cemetery administration.

"Hana", the granddaughter of Sheikh Refaat, expressed her shock at the matter and said that it is not worthy of his status, while she added in a statement to the local newspaper "Masrawy" "A number of cemeteries were removed previously, and I thought that the authorities excluded the Sheikh's cemetery from removal as historical."

Granddaughter of Sheikh Mohammed Rifaat crying on air over notification of removal of his grave: Please deliver my voice to the President #Last_Word pic.twitter.com/c5LNhtvQ07

— ON (@ONTVEgy) May 8, 2023

The granddaughter of the sheikh – described by Khair al-Din al-Zarkali, the author of the book of flags as "informing the readers of Egypt of the places of endowment of the verses" – appeared crying and moved by the writing of the end of the history of the famous Sheikh in this way, and appealed to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi demanding that the cemetery not be removed.

Sheikh #محمد_رفعت's granddaughter tearfully says that the Cairo governorate issued a decision to demolish his cemetery and addressed them to transfer the remains at their own expense pic.twitter.com/K4uWSgjwH4

— Al Jazeera Egypt (@AJA_Egypt) May 8, 2023

Walid Youssef, director of the cemetery department in Cairo governorate, said that "Sheikh Mohamed Rifaat's cemetery is outside the scope of the removal that is currently taking place in cemeteries," noting that they notify the people to transfer the remains of their relatives before the removal, according to statements to the site "Veto".

Denunciations and resolutions

Hussein Daqil, a researcher and academic specializing in archeology, denounced the removal decision, which coincided with the anniversary of the birth and death of the sheikh, which falls on May 9, and said in a tweet, "His angelic voice was opening the broadcast of the Egyptian radio, and today our (rational) government is heading to demolish the tomb of the harp of heaven."

May 9 .. May 9 .. May 9, !!!
Sheikh Mohamed Refaat, may God have mercy on him, was born on May 9, 1882. He died on May 9, 1950. Also in May 1934, his angelic voice was opening the broadcast of the Egyptian radio. Today, on the night of May 9, 2023, our (rational) government is heading to demolish the tomb of the harp of heaven!! pic.twitter.com/BMtcLBarXM

— Dr. Hussein Doqil (@HusseinDoqil) May 8, 2023

In recent years, the Egyptian authorities have moved forward with decisions to remove tombs of writers, intellectuals, and historical symbols "under the pretext of public benefit," often met with condemnation and indignation by archaeologists and those interested in Egyptian civilization.

Egyptian activists and writers participated in an online campaign bearing the hashtag Sheikh #محمد_رفعت to demand that the authorities reverse the decision to remove them, and talked about the place of the famous Sheikh "the harp of heaven" in their hearts.

Mohamed Magdy Farid, a member of the Youth Coordination of Parties and Politicians, commented on the removal decision, saying, "That's why there was a proposal I made to the Senate regarding the establishment of tombs for greats."

The blogger Ahmed Mohammed recalled the status of the Sheikh, through a tweet in which he stated: "Enough testimony Shaarawy Imam preachers, when asked about Sheikh Mohammed Rifaat said that we want the provisions of recitation Valhosary and if we want the sweetness of the voice Abdul Basit Abdul Samad, and if we want the long breath with sweetness Mustafa Ismail, and if we want all of these is Mohammed Rifaat. "

Mohamed Attia, a teacher at Al-Azhar, commented, "Is this the commemoration of their memory to come on the anniversary of their birth and death and demolish their graves and scenes? Shouldn't we have made the tomb of Sheikh Mohammed Rifaat a shrine for lovers? Is this an honor to the people of the Qur'an?"

To Rayes@AlsisiOfficial the
granddaughter of Sheikh Mohamed Rifaat herself delivers her voice oppressed from crying.the voice of Sheikh Rifaat is working in most homes, especially Westerners like this.Behsensna Egypt and his voice returns us to Egypt.
Muslims and non-Muslims, Egyptians, and not Egyptians love him and Biego visit him. The anniversary of his death now I hope we leave him comfortable in his place💁🏻 ♀️ https://t.co/AfWz0QC1Ej

— Sarah Omar ������𓄿𓄿𓉔 𓂝𓅱���𓄿𓂋 (@Sarah__Omar) May 8, 2023

The Arabic section of the British Broadcasting Corporation "BBC" (BBC) had been sent to Sheikh Mohammed Rifaat when they heard his voice and asked him to record the Qur'an, he refused, thinking that it was forbidden, so Imam Muhammad Al-Maraghi, Sheikh of Al-Azhar at the time, explained to him the matter and told him that it is not forbidden, so he recorded them Surat Maryam.

Sheikh Mohamed Refaat was born on May 9, 1882, and is known as "the master of the readers of this time", and was the first to open the Egyptian radio in 1934, and was distinguished by the strength of influence and reverence accompanied by grief when reading the Qur'an, and died in 1950 on the same day he was born.