CAIRO: A survey about university student concerns became the object of state security investigations Monday when two students at the University of Sharqeya were held and questioned for distributing it on campus.
Aly Ahmed and Karim Mostafa, also members of the Democratic Front Party, were released after a few hours of questioning by the university administration and state security, reported the local media.
The surveys were being distributed as part of the “Momken” (It is Possible) campaign, organized by a youth group to improve university life across Egypt. According to their campaign website, Momken is founded on the belief that “the Egyptian students have the right to choose the educational policies that suit them.”
The survey itself asks students to choose among four issues which the campaign should focus on. The issues are graduate studies and scientific research, the provision of skills workshops and training, the creation of a summer session for students who need to repeat classes, and the replacement of university security affiliated with the interior ministry, with private security.
“It is the security issue that may have angered them,” said Abdel Moneim Imam, chairman of the party’s youth division. The survey says that private security is preferable because it will not interfere with student freedoms.
According to Ahmed, university security had apprehended the students for distributing the surveys without permission. Questions about the purpose and motives behind the survey and threats to refer the students to a disciplinary committee led to a brief verbal altercation between Ahmed and the security officials, who then called state security.
State security officials engaged in a similar line of questioning, asking the students who they work for and who “on the outside” might want to “inject” such thoughts among the students, said Ahmed.
“There was absolutely nothing inflammatory in the surveys,” said Mostafa. “The problem is that we just didn’t get permission from the big guys.”
Although Momken is a nation-wide campaign, Ahmed said his colleagues in Cairo had gotten permission to conduct the survey, but similar procedures had not been taken in other governorates. There were no reports that their colleagues had run into similar problems.
Ahmed and Mostafa do not believe their party affiliation was connected to the incident. “The security guard who took me in knew I was a member of the Student Union, but he didn’t know I was a [political] party member,” said Ahmed.
Mostafa added that membership of the Momken campaign was not restricted to party members, but composed of a group of students who met online and decided to act to enhance the university experience.
Nevertheless, upon hearing of the students’ brush with the authorities, Democratic Front Party Chairwoman Margaret Azir contacted state security and was notified that Ahmed and Mostafa were not being detained and that they would be released shortly.
“At the end of the day, [Ahmed and Mostafa] have party loyalty, and we don’t leave our members behind,” said Imam.
Azir also conceded the party’s youth were the primary leaders of the Momken campaign, but that the party’s involvement in this educational campaign was indirect.
“People don’t trust parties anymore,” she said.
