Despite a 2010 Supreme Court decision to keep Egypt’s universities free from government security, continued  post-revolution chaos has led to demands for the return of government security apparatuses on campuses.

“Campus security must return to stop students’ physical and verbal violence against professors when they get low marks or due to high prices of material books. It is clear bullying,” said Mona Gaber, an Arabic Language Professor at Alexandria University.

Despite a 2010 Supreme Court decision to keep Egypt’s universities free from government security, continued  post-revolution chaos has led to demands for the return of government security apparatuses on campuses.

“Campus security must return to stop students’ physical and verbal violence against professors when they get low marks or due to high prices of material books. It is clear bullying,” said Mona Gaber, an Arabic Language Professor at Alexandria University.

Gaber added that professors were at the mercy of students who demonstrated against and assaulted three faculty members at engineering, pharmacy, and tourism and hotels colleges after the professors had compelled them to buy their books.

Professor Tarek Faidi at the Faculty of Commerce said the return of campus security was necessary to prevent students’ chaotic and negative protests, which often resulted in assaulting professors. “We are offended by those whom we exert great efforts to teach,” Faidi said.

President of Alexandria University Dr. Osama Ibrahim says the judiciary has the sole authority to bring campus security back, stressing that all talks about their return are mere speculations.

Independent and insecure?

On October 23, 2010, Egypt’s Supreme Court issued a decision endorsing the abolishment of university security forces affiliated with the Ministry of Interior and replacing them with civilian guards employed by the Ministry of Higher Education. The court stated that the presence of security forces inside campuses represented impairment in the independence of the university, professors and students.

The court’s ruling incarnated the efforts of the March 9th Movement calling for the independence of Egypt’s universities. This issue started in 2008 when Dr. Abdul Jalil Mustafa, a member of the movement, filed a lawsuit to end the presence of the Interior Ministry security personnel for their intimidation and intrusion into academic life.

Repression tool

Dr. Abdulal Shawadfi, Criminal Law Professor at the Faculty of Law at Alexandria University says campus security dates back to 1935 when Mohamed Alouba Pasha introduced it to protect universities. According to him, campus security was abolished in 1971 but was reintroduced in 1981 in response to Interior Minister Nabawi Ismail.

Shawadfi adds that campus security was designed to prevent violence and political activities inside universities, but their role shifted prior to the January 25 revolution to intimidating and assaulting students and professors, preventing them from participating in any activity whether political or social and accusing them of disturbing public peace and attempting to oust the regime.

Such practices, says Shawadfi, are over now after the revolution and after the court’s decision, which has brought life back to campus, suggesting that the police grip over universities will not be allowed again.

Adequate civilian guards

Some university professors however object the return of campus security. Dr. Motaz Darwish, Professor at Faculty of Arts, Alexandria University, said after the court’s decision and the introduction of civilian security, the university enjoyed freedom, stressing that adequately trained civilian guards were required to handle the occasional outbursts of students.

Dr. Mohamed Choukri, Professor of Constitutional Law at Faculty of Law, Alexandria University, agreed with his colleague, stressing that they would not allow the return of campus security.

We will not allow return of repression

Head of Alexandria University Students Federation and member of the Constitution Party, Mahmoud Radwan, who is also a student at the Faculty of Agriculture, says students have the right to peaceful protest and respectful objection to the educational system, insisting that it is acceptable for students to organize sit-ins in demand justice. Radwan is against the return of the campus security, which he says represents the return of oppression against students’ demands.

Deputy Head of Engineering College Student Federation Islam Baha said the federation filed a complaint to Vice Dean Dr. Essam Srour against the planning professor in the Production Department because he violated laws and regulations and forced students to buy his material’s book. He said students organized sit-ins and were able to have the professor changed. The professor however deemed it bullying, due to a lack of campus security to control them.

Baha stressed that students would not allow the return of suppression to their campus. “They will only return over our dead bodies,” he said.