No questions allowed

 An official complaint presented to the Minister of Higher Education on 25 May 2010 accused Assiut University’s Philosophy Department of being a stronghold of fundamentalist, extremist thought, and of spreading that thought through its core curriculum. “Assiut University,” the complaint said, “is one of the oldest and most respected State universities of Egypt. Yet it has included during the recent years several professors who throw to the wind all standards of impartial scientific research, and embrace thoughts which trifle with Egypt’s national unity, social peace, and its very being as an Egyptian homeland. “Not only have books and passages on religion been intentionally crammed into the curriculum of every field of study, but Islam has also been depicted as the superior religion. Christianity and Judaism have been viciously ridiculed and disdained in all the material taught to the students whether in written or oral form.  “It is deplorable and calamitous that religious-related material is not introduced as debatable data over which opinion may differ, but is oppressively imposed on students; they are neither allowed to discuss it nor to offer any viewpoint other than the professor’s. In the tests or examinations upon the results of which students are evaluated, Christians get failing marks if they dare introduce opposing notions. “A flagrant example of the entire issue is represented by the book “Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion”, compiled by Professor Mahmoud Mohamed Ali. The book carries the name and motto of Assiut University, the Faculty of Arts, the Philosophy Department. This is not a book the students may merely refer to, it is assigned for first year Philosophy students to study, and has been approved by the Faculty of Arts and by Assiut University.” Instead of teaching comparative religions as in other universities in the world, using a broadminded, impartial approach which tackles the variety of concepts and philosophies of religions, the Assiut University book adopts a mono-dimensional approach that elevates Islam while it disdains and ridicules Christianity and Judaism. It introduces Christian faith as the outcome of what the Christians claim to believe in, implicitly thus casting it in doubt, while Islamic beliefs are introduced as solid facts. The Old Testament which, the Assiut University book insists, Jews and Christians claim has been written by divine inspiration, is mere folk heritage backed by nothing but collective memory. Naturally, the book says, the Old Testament has been misquoted, is contradictory, full of imaginary tales, legends, and superstition. The Pentatuech, the book claims, is a prime example of contradiction; it needs to be investigated to find out whether or not it had indeed come down to Moses from God as claimed by the Jews and Christians. Rather, the book again claims, these five books were written by different writers who changed and elaborated them, leaving behind a plethora of contradictions that could never have been written by Moses. According to the Assiut University book, the Torah says God was tired and exhausted, a liar and a trickster. He regrets His actions, and avenges Himself on Adam. His commandments are immoral and monstrous, which makes Him no god but a wrathful, grieving, tired, fearful, vengeful creature. To say nothing of His prophets, who make a sinful, adulterous lot. Given all this, the book asks, do those who believe in the Bible still insist it is divinely inspired? Rather, it is a blasphemy against God and against His prophets, the Assiut University book says. The flagrant disdain of Christianity, which students are not allowed to question or challenge, not only causes pain to Christians but teaches Muslims an abundance of false thoughts in the form of non-debatable facts. All of which directly violates the very concept of university education which pre-entails objective, impartial investigation of various thoughts without prejudice. Is Assiut University aware of what goes on on its campus? Are human rights organisations in Egypt aware of it? And now that the Ministry of Higher Education has been made aware of it, what will they all do?