Scores of Nubians on Thursday protested before the parliament building in Cairo, demanding that they be allowed to return to their homeland in the area of Aswan, from which they were evacuated in 1960 to make way for the High Dam. Much of the land was flooded during the construction of the dam, forming Lake Nasser.
Although the government promised alternative housing, many were never compensated. They say the housing provided by the state was in areas distant from the Nile, thereby depriving them of their core economic activities, agriculture and fishing.
The protesters accused the former regime of ousted President Hosni Mubarak of violating their right to return to their homeland, despite offers by international organizations to help in the matter.
One protester claimed that Nubians were mostly persecuted under Mubarak and his regime, while another protester demanded that Nubians have the right to political representation in parliament.
Many Nubians feel they have been deliberately marginalized and discriminated against in the media.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
