[Yaakov Abuhatzeira, also known as the Abir Yaakov and Abu Hasira
(1806–1880), was a leading Moroccan-Jewish rabbi of the 19th century. In
1879, Abuhatzeira left his native Morocco and embarked on a pilgrimage to
Eretz HaKodesh Israel via Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. While passing through
the Egyptian Nile Delta city of Damanhour, he grew ill and died. He was
buried in Damanhour, where his tomb has become a site of pilgrimage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaakov_Abuhatzeira]

Alexandria court cancels controversial jewish Abu Hasira moulid
Court says the shrine in the northern Delta is no longer a monument while
antiquities officials say it was never a monument in the first place
Zeinab El-Gundy , Monday 29 Dec 2014
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/119070/Egypt/Politics-/Alexandria-court-cancels-controversial-jewish-Abu-.aspx


An Alexandria administrative court on Monday banned the controversial annual
religious festival moulid of Jewish saint "Abu Hasira" in the Beheira
governorate. The court also ordered the removal of the shrine for the
revered Jewish rabbi from the Egyptian antiquities and monuments list.

The administrative court also ordered the government to publish this in the
state’s official journal and to inform UNESCO of the decision.

The shrine of Abu Hasira and the Jewish cemetery next to it were registered
as a monument according to the culture minister decision in January 2001.

The court also rejected a request by Tel Aviv to transfer the remains of the
Jewish rabbi to Israel as it violates Islamic teachings prohibiting the
exhumation of graves.

The court revealed in its debriefing that Israel requested from UNESCO to
transfer the body of the revered Rabbi to east Jerusalem was another attempt
to “Hebrewise” the city.

An unnamed official in Egypt's antiquities ministry told Reuters' Aswat
Masriya that the ministry has not yet informed of the ruling by the court.

The only authority in Egypt officially authorised to strip a cite of its
classification as a monument is the technical permanent committee within the
antiquities ministry, the official added.



The official added that if the ruling violated Egypt’s antiquities
protection law, the ministry would appeal it.

Dr. Mohamed Fawzy, the head of Islamic and Coptic antiquities sector in the
antiquities ministry told Ahram Online that unlike what the Shrine of Abu
Hasira was not officially registered as an official Jewish monument in Egypt
in the first place.

This is not the first time the administrative court has banned the annual
festival of Abu Hasira. In 2001 the Alexandria administrative court also
cancelled the celebrations. The celebrations were again cancelled in 2012 by
Egyptian authorities who cited political instability.

The pilgrimmage of Jews to the annual celebration of the birth of the
Moroccan rabbi who is believed to have died in the Egyptian village of
Damatiuh during the 1880s has often caused civil unrest in the village
spurred by locals who refuse to normalise relations with Israel.

The local community in Damatiuh also maintains that the Jewish rabbi is not
buried in Egypt and was actually buried in Morocco.

The administrative court added thet the 2001 ministry of culture decision
was invalid, historically inaccurate and negatively affects the Egyptian
heritage.