Monks at Archangel Michael’s Monastery, Deir el Naga, have sent a plea to President Mobarak asking:What are we to do Mr. President? after a junior State Security officer, refused to implement the Presidential Decree issued by President Hosni Mubarak on 26th October 2008.
The Decree authorized the Monastery to renovate the second floor of the services building, which was completely burnt out last summer. It also authorized an additional floor, and raising the height of the Monastery’s fence to 3 meters.
Abbot Boula said that the fire which broke out on the second floor of the services building, on 5th June 2008, was caused by arson, however, the Police pressurized him, and promised if he said that the fire was caused by an electric fault, he would get permission to rebuild the floor.
After receiving the Decree, Abbot Boula went to the police, which have to oversee the planned work, in order to commence. He continued, "We were sent to the State Security Investigations bureau, where junior officer Mahmoud Salem met with us for more than one hour. He said that he does not accept the Presidential Decree and that he would personally issue us with another one from his office"!!! However, he could not confirm when.
The officer called for a meeting with the Muslim village elders, and all had no objections to the rebuilding.
Father Boula cannot imagine that a Presidential Decree would be disdained in such a way. He believes that his superiors must know about the officer’s decision.
According to a report released by the Monastery regarding the fire, it said that when the fire caught the services building at midnight on5/6th June 2008, the Monks immediately contacted the fire brigade. However, ten minutes later at 00.10, the water and electricity were cut off from the area. Although the Monastery had water hoses,there was no water to use.
Two hours after the fire brigade were contacted; the vehicles arrived to the Monastery without a single drop of water. The only vehicle which had water drained its water in the village of Alkiman, arriving at the Monastery empty of water as well.
Hoses were then supplied with water from the main canal, about 1 km from the fire and after the water came to the area of the fire, the hoses were directed to the ground and not to the fire.
When the central fire brigade in Sohag was contacted to connect water, the officer replied that he has no orders to do so.
The Report continues, fire brigade and security officers did not intervene until the fire has devoured everything. On the contrary officers were preventing people from entering the Monastery to help in extinguishing the fire. The fire was put out after 4 hours from starting.
The services building, which is located within the grounds of the Monastery, was used for storing food supplies, and furniture for ‘brothers of Jesus’ poor charity. The losses were estimated at 1,5 million.
It is worth noting that Archangel Michael’s Monastery was built in the fourth century by Empress Helena, Mother of Constantine the Great.