The Egyptian Tourism Federation called upon member companies to choose ex-prime minister Ahmed Shafiq for president, considering him the best choice for the federation because of his belief in a civil state.

In a speech entitled “The Tourism Sector and Its Role in Choosing the Best for Egypt’s Presidency”, the federation called upon companies to convince their employees of the benefits of a civil state and warn them of the dangers of a religion-based state.

“A state controlled by a hardline religious current will not revive tourism or help it regain its role in developing economy, especially if this current has control over legislative and executive authorities and presidency,” the federation said.

The speech calls for “thwart the unjustified attack on Shafiq for his part in the Camel Battle,” saying that this attack is deliberate to disqualify Shafiq from the race.