Khedive Abbas Insisted on Appointing the Copt Butros Ghali as Prime Minister Despite Gorst Persuation Otherwise

To replace the Mustafa Fahmi Cabinet, and in spite of the advice of Gorst, Khedive Abbas the Second’s choice fell on Butros Ghali Pasha to form a new Cabinet. Gorst tried to get the Khedive to desist explaining that a Christian Prime Minister in a predominantly Moslem Country was not advisable. He gave as an example the unpopularity of Nubar Pasha but the Khedive sticked to his choice claiming that while Nubar was an Anatolian Armenian, Ghali Pasha was a genuine Egyptian who has served his country in different capacities. Except for himself and Saad Zaghloul Pasha, Ghali did not keep any Ministers of the previous Cabinet. He kept for himself the portfolio of Foreign Affairs, which he occupied in the Fahmi Pasha Cabinet, and Zaghloul Pasha kept the portfolio of Education. Zaghloul was then very popular amongst the Egyptians for being genuinely Egyptian unlike most of the Ministers in the previous Cabinets, who were either Turks or Circassians (Tcherkess), and for having opposed successfully the unwarranted interference of the British Adviser to the Ministry of Education of which he was the Minister in the Cabinet of Fahmi Pasha, his father in law.
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