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| Africa North |
| Egyptian universities ban face-veiled professors |
| 2010-10-01 |
| [Al Arabiya] One year after female university students were banned from sitting for the exam while wearing the face veil, two Egyptian universities issued a decree to ban face-veiled professors from teaching. The Cairo-based Ain Shams University and Fayoum University southwest of Cairo announced that female professors wearing the face veil, also called the 'niqab,' will not be allowed into the classroom unless they show their faces. Dr. Maged el-Deeb, President of Ain Shams University, denied allegations that the ban is a reflection of the persecution from which veiled professors suffer. "Fully veiled professors are not going to be banned from working at the university," he told Al Arabiya. "They will only not be allowed to teach." Deeb added that professors wearing the niqab will be involved in administrative work like proctoring during the exams. "They also have the right to do research and any other academic activities with the support of the university." The new decision, Deeb added, is yet to be authorized by the University Council and the Higher Council of Universities, but it will take effect as of the current academic year. "We want the professors to get used to the new situation from now so it won't be shocking when the decision comes out officially." Fayoum University president Dr. Ahmed al-Gohary agreed with the professors' view regarding the face veil being personal freedom, yet objected to imposing it on the students. "The face veil hinders contact between the professor and the students," he told Al Arabiya. "In this case, it no longer becomes a personal freedom since the professor imposes it in the classroom and violates the rights of her students." Gohary added that students do not feel comfortable when they are taught by a face-veiled professor. "They are just not that outspoken about it." Lawyer Nizar Ghorab, who defended face-veiled students banned from entering the campus, said applying the ban on professors is a similar violation of personal freedoms. "In addition, such bans inflict substantial financial and moral damages on the professors," he told Al Arabiya. "That is why university presidents who imposed these ban have to be prosecuted and dismissed." The controversy about the niqab on campus started last year when face-veiled students were banned from sitting for the exams. Students went to court and the ruling came in their favor, yet not all universities abided by the court's decision. |
| Posted by:Fred |