The newly appointed governor of Egypt’s Luxor province has stepped down amid protests related to his contact with a group that carried out deadly terrorists attacks in 1997.

Adel Khayat, now a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, had denied being a part of the militant wing of Gamaa Islamiya’s that killed almost 60 tourists in the Luxor region. Islamist Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi defended the appointment of Khayat to the governorship.

“We will not accept that one drop of blood be spilt because of a position that I did not personally aspire to at any time,” Khayat told a news conference where he continued to maintain he had nothing to do with the murders.

The economy of the Luxor region has taken a significant hit since the overthrow of the previous Egyptian government and the installation of the Islamic extremist Muslim Brotherhood. The region was a major tourist destination but has seen a significant drop off as people do not feel the region is safe.