A muddle of policy puddles : AUCs Anti-Niqab Policy

by Mona Amer

Upon visiting Cairo this winter, I was shocked to learn of The American University in Cairo’s decision to dismiss munaqabat (women wearing niqab or face-covering, which is considered mandatory by some Islamic scholars) …….

I am studying in the United States, where munaqabat study freely in both private and state universities. This is also the case in Egyptian universities, where in some faculties a woman with her face unveiled looks conspicuous. In fact, the 1994 Ministry of Education’s decree banning niqab in grade-schools was subsequently repealed, and several lawsuits have been successfully won against institutions in Egypt which initially banned the niqab. So what makes AUC so special?

I was amazed by the strange arguments given for such a decision….

What about security issues? I thought that with the advent of education and modern informational exchange we had dissolved the ignorant notion of the past that a practicing Muslim woman was to be feared. Because she chose to place a thin cloth on her face, does this mean that suddenly we have to be worried about guns or bombs? There is no precedent from other universities to support such an outrageous assumption. Having so-called Islamic terrorist groups which include munaqabat is no reason to ban other women practicing Islam. With that line of thought, perhaps since these terrorists groups use certain colors and slogans, we should prohibit people from wearing similar colors and using particular words in class essays. Also, lets ban students of certain nationalities since there are terrorist groups in their countries, who knows, maybe they are connected. Come to think of it, since these groups consist mostly of men, lets ban all males from campus! You do want to be safe, don’t you?!

How will we be sure that she is really who she says to be? Everyone knows that in terms of entrance on campus and sitting for tests, it is permitted for the munaqaba to show her face to authority figures (security, exam proctors, etc.), although preferably a female. This is a very minor issue, and has not caused problems for thousands of munaqabat around the world in universities, banks, airports, etc. Why should it then cause a problem at AUC?! If this means a little more work for our security and faculty in order to respect the religion of the country, so be it. Are we that lazy, embarrassed, or financially impoverished to have this become a major obstacle? Furthermore, it really isn’t that hard to tell people apart, even with the niqab. Have we forgotten things like height, weight, voice, and style of dress? Munaqabat are not clones! I really doubt that AUC will end up having more than a handful of students wearing niqab, but even if, anyone who knows lots of munaqabat doesn’t have a problem telling them apart. This whole argument reminds me of the Egyptian joke that you can’t tell two Chinese people apart.

But come to think of it, that’s actually a good idea! Let’s ban all Asian students since to non-Asians they look so alike. And also, one time the Academic Honesty committee (1996) had a case of a student sitting for his identical twin in an exam (they were expelled). As this is an actual precedent, don’t you think we should ban all twins and siblings who look alike as well? I mean, if faculty aren’t going to want to verify a munaqaba by asking her to momentarily remove the veil, they most certainly aren’t going to want to do finger-print testing before exams!

How will she study? This is a strange question- does wearing a face veil make one suddenly deaf, dumb, or blind? Or unable to participate in class exercises and discussions? There is nothing that the student was doing prior to wearing niqab that she won’t be able to do now- including think and speak!

What about distraction- and isn’t it creepy or insulting? Let’s face it- a munaqaba in class is definitely not going to distract students as, say, a woman wearing a microskirt and halter top! And that’s not a rare event on campus. What I consider “creepy” are students who sit next to you and you have to stare at them for a few moments to figure out if it’s a male or female (and we’ve had this experience in restrooms too…). Insulting are all those T-shirts which display foul language and violent pictures. If AUC wants to devise a dress code (as most schools and universities both in Egypt and the U.S. have had the common sense to do!) there are a lot more things to think about than a 5×5 inch piece of cloth hanging on a woman’s face!

What about religious tensions? A woman wearing a niqab is no more visibly a Muslim as a woman wearing hijab (head-scarf) or visibly Christian as someone wearing a cross pendant. As an institution of higher learning students should learn to civilly discuss and debate religious differences and respect one-another. The outright discrimination of banning munaqabat is what will raise the tensions! A more mature and respectful idea for the administration would be to organize a forum with Islamic scholars to discus niqab and the views of whether it is obligatory or not.

What about AUC’s image? I was always under the impression that AUC promoted liberal arts, which is freedom of thought and discussion, not western-imperialist Orientalist brainwashing. Liberal arts education does not mean “American philosophy” education, it means education for peoples of different philosophies. In fact, isn’t this just the kind of student we want- someone with a differing viewpoint and the courage and personal strength to act upon it? After the books that were banned, and the professor who was taken by authorities… is this the kind of anti-Islamic act we want to take? What kind of image are we really presenting with this policy?

Can AUC do this in the first place (policy/ law)? No. AUC already has an Affirmative Action non-discrimination regulation which states that students will not be discriminated against for religious reasons. To maintain accreditation by the Middle States Association, AUC should not apply a ruling that goes against its own mission-statement and policies. Also, current female students were admitted before this new policy, so it should not be applied retro-actively. They can’t be dismissed because of a policy that came out after they entered. Furthermore, the policy did not go through official decision-making committees of the university including the faculty Senate, so in effect it is obsolete. It therefore can not be printed in the AUC catalogue, which is the official contract between a student and the university, so it also can’t apply to future students as well! What a mess! In both American and Egyptian court of law, this new “policy” can easily be fought and won.

Do I personally believe woman should wear niqab? That’s besides the point- my personal opinions don’t really count in this case. What counts is that I refuse to hear about an incident of outright religious discrimination and be silent about it. All of us have our personal beliefs- for those of you who oppose the niqab, would you like someone to deny you of basic educational rights simply because you chose to act upon your religion in a way that doesn’t infringe on the rights of others? We’ve had students who wear swastikas and witchcraft stars on their T-shirts and printed on their hands, and even though that’s frighteningly racist and insulting, the administration did nothing. We’ve had students who started a fad of walking barefoot on campus, which is unhygienic and risky, and the administration did nothing. And here we have a silent woman who is practicing a personal religious act which does not insult or hurt anyone, and the administration reacts? There is something not right here.

My dear AUC! Ever since I graduated it has been one impulsive action and scandal after another. Is this the university I have come to love and respect so much?

Mona Amer, B.A. Psychology 1998

Recipient of Parent’s Association Cup, Commencement 1998

Recipient of Ahmed Mehallawy Award, Commencement 1998

Chairperson of Student Union Academic Committee 1996-1997

University Senate 1996-1997

Senate Academic Affairs & Curriculum Review Committee 1996-1997

Self-Study Accreditation Committee on Administration 1996-1997

Commission for Liberal Arts Subcommittee on Student Experience 1995-1996

References:

“The mission of the American University in Cairo (AUC) is to provide high quality educational opportunities to students from all segments of Egyptian society as well as from other countries, and to contribute to Egypt’s cultural and intellectual life.” – AUC’s Statement of Mission

“It is the policy of the University to provide equal opportunity to its employees and students, regardless of race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or other factors specified by American or Egyptian laws…. To this end, to the maximum extent consistent with the laws of the Arab Republic of Egypt - including the 1975 Protocol between the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the University, the University will recruit, hire, train and promote employees, and will admit students without regard to any of these personal characteristics. Also, to the maximum extent consistent with the Egyptian laws, the University will ensure that all other actions with respect to its employees and students are based only on valid requirements. – President John Gerhart; Office of Affirmative Action, AUC Catalogue

“Institutions whose charters and policies require adherence to specific beliefs or codes of conduct for faculty, staff, or students should provide prior notice of these requirements. The institution should state clearly the conditions of employment or study.”

- The Middle States Association Commission on Higher Education’s statement of standards, “Characteristics of Excellence”