<p><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/605efd9d8f71c3001853aa1d-1332/GettyImages-1231948381.jpg" border="0" alt="ever given suez canal" data-mce-source="Photo by Samuel Mohsen/picture alliance via Getty Images" data-mce-caption="Ever Given, a Panama-flagged cargo ship, that is wedged across the Suez Canal and blocking traffic in the vital waterway is seen Saturday, March 27, 2021."></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>Egypt's first female ship's captain was blamed for the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/suez-canal-shipping-backlog-caused-ever-given-to-end-imminently-2021-4">Suez Canal blockage</a> despite having been hundreds of miles away from the incident, she told <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56615521">BBC News</a>.</p><p>Marwa Elselehdar said that she saw online rumors accusing her of being responsible for the Ever Given container ship becoming beached, the media outlet reported.</p><p>At the time of the jam, Elselehdar was working as a first mate on the <a href="https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:748319/mmsi:622115001/imo:9018775/vessel:AIDA_IV">Aida IV</a>. This vessel was in Alexandriamore than 200 miles away from the site of the collision.</p><p>An <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-ever-given-got-stuck-in-suez-canal-main-theories-2021-3">investigation is underway</a> to explain the Ever Given's grounding, but it is clear that the 29-year-old was <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/suez-canal-captain/">not to blame</a>.</p><p><em><strong>Read more: </strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/4-big-losers-of-the-suez-canal-fiasco-and-4-big-winners-2021-3" data-e2e-name="inline-read-more-link">The 4 biggest losers of the Suez Canal fiascoand 4 surprising winners</a></em></p><p>Rumors circulating online about Elselehdar's supposed culpability were made worse by the sharing of screenshots of fake news headlines, BBC News reported.</p><p>Several social media accounts also impersonated her and spread false claims putting the blame on her, the media outlet said.</p><p>"I felt that I might be targeted maybe because I'm a successful female in this field or because I'm Egyptian, but I'm not sure," Elselehdar told the BBC.</p><p>The young woman described how she was "shocked" when she first saw the baseless accusations on her phone.</p><p>The rumors concerned her. "I tried so hard to negate what was in the article because it was affecting my reputation and all the efforts I exerted to be where I am now," she said in the BBC interview.</p><div><h1></h1> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-version="3" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; width:100%; max-width:100%; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); width:540px"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div> </div> <p style="color:#c9c8cd; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/CMKzI24BU3y/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_top">A post shared by Marwa Elselehdar(@marwa.elselehdar)</a>on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></p> </div> </blockquote> <script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script></div><p></p><p>Elselehdar is one of the few women in the heavily male-dominated shipping industry.</p><p>In 2016, she became the youngest and first female Egyptian captain to cross the Suez Canal. A year later, she was honored by Egypt's president during Egypt's Women's Day celebrations, the BBC said.</p><p>She hopes that her career, despite this unfortunate setback, inspires other women to break into the industry.</p><p>"My message to females who want to be in the maritime field is fight for what you love and not let any negativity affect you," she told the BBC.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/suez-canal-egypts-first-female-ship-captain-unfairly-blamed-jam-2021-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story »</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pikes-peak-hill-climb-colorado-most-dangerous-racetrack-2020-2">Why Pikes Peak is the most dangerous racetrack in America</a></p>
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