Egypt’s first female captain says she was falsely blamed for the Suez Canal debacle – which took place while on another ship hundreds of miles away.
Marwa Elselehdar, 29, was at sea as chief mate in command of the Aida IV in Alexandria when the massive Ever Given container ship accidentally got stuck in the waterway, the BBC reported.
But online rumors and fake news headlines spread that she was behind the maritime disaster, which halted the main shipping route for nearly a week before the Ever Given was released.
“I was shocked. I felt like I could be the target, maybe because I’m a successful woman in this field or because I’m Egyptian, but I’m not sure,” she told the outlet.
The captain of the Ever Given has not been disclosed, but Egyptian officials have said the ship may have stalled due to human error last month.
Elselehdar – who doesn’t work for the shipping company – said rumors about her involvement stemmed from a screenshot of a mutilated Arab News headline.
“This bogus article was in English, so it spread to other countries,” Elselehdar told the BBC.
“I tried so hard to deny what the article said because it affected my reputation and all the efforts I made to be where I am today.”
The fake story prompted trolls to go after her too.
“The comments on the article were very negative and harsh, but there were so many other supportive comments from ordinary people and people I work with,” she said.
“My message to women who want to be in the maritime field is to fight for what you love and not let negativity influence you,” she said.