Dimensions/AUC: "Freedom lost: Egyptians students struggle for simple dreams"

By: PAKINAM AMER
Special to Dimensions - The American University in Cairo

Cairo (AUC) – “Freedom, where are you… Police stands between us and you,” chanted Ein-Shams University student protestors as police encircled them on campus following their attempts to stage “free union” elections.

Islamist and Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated students at Ein Shams, Helwan and Al-Azhar universities are currently staging what they call “independent elections,” running for a parallel student body, after their names were crossed out from the university-controlled student union.

On Monday, Helwan university students headed for ballot boxes as security police –present by university gates- and riot police –on standby in truckloads outside campus- waited for violence to break. However, the procedures ran smoothly, perhaps because of the low turnout as reported by newspapers.

Nevertheless, the students’ move came as a challenge to their respective universities’ administration offices. According to Monday’s Egyptian Gazette, “presidents of the government-run universities have warned against creating independent unions,” adding that they could “dismiss students who would not abide by university regulations.”

In Ein-Shams, students were “interrogated” by members of the security as they headed to vote for the “outlawed” candidates.

On the same campus last week, students appointed to the union had engaged in a hand-fight with Islamist candidate-wannabes.

“This is usually the best period in a person’s life; university years. But me –and my colleagues from the Brotherhood- spend it protesting, shouting and struggling for our simplest rights,” said Salah, a Muslim Brotherhood member and a representative of the “free union.”

Salah had refused to disclose his last name in fear of being arrested by security intelligence agents.

According to Salah, across universities, the “Islamist” students are mistreated. During confrontation, the university officials usually step back and let the security police clamp down upon the Muslim-Brotherhood-affiliated students.

In public universities, Islamic activists –particularly those affiliated with the Brotherhood- are banned from founding or participating in activities, from elections and even trips. The government, which has uncontested control over state universities, usually removes names of Islamist candidates from election lists, in many cases refusing to even accept their applications.

Only last week, hundreds of students from across universities –in Cairo and Helwan- demonstrated against what they deemed as “blatant security interference” in school affairs. The original union elections were marred by violence and allegations of fraud and vote-rigging.

Clashes were bloody in Cairo University; some students ended up in hospital beds with fractured knees, or broken arms after the Special Security Forces had beaten them up with their truncheons.

Osama el-Shaeir, a student who was denied candidacy and an eyewitness, was even arrested during a recent union-related protest.

“I don’t understand why this is happening to me, though. And it makes me sad to see my right taken away as such,” el-Saheir said.

*Dimensions is a private weekly publication produced by the American University in Cairo's(AUC) student union. This story was originally done as part of an AUC graduate class assignment. A different version of the story was sold to International Herald Tribune/Daily Star Egypt.