Ref: 24/2008

Date: 01 April 2008

Time: 12:00 GMT   

PCHR Calls for Keeping Universities and Educational Institutions Out of the Ongoing Power Struggle

PCHR is concerned over the incidents that took place in Al-Azhar University yesterday when members of the Islamic Bloc stormed the campus and organized a student activity in violation of an administrative order. The incidents involved violence and attacks on several lecturers and students. The Centre reiterates the call to all parties to keep universities and educational institutions our of the ongoing power struggle between Fatah and Hamas, to protect academic freedom and public freedoms protected by the law.

The Center’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 5:00 on Monday, 31 March 2008, members of the Islamic Bloc, the pro-Hamas student body, forcefully entered the campus accompanied by a vehicle carrying Hamas banners and pictures. They detained the guards of the main gate in a room and confiscated their mobile phones. Then they started to prepare for a commemoration ceremony on the occasion of the 4^th anniversary of the assassination of Hamas founder Ahmad Yassin. This student activity was in violation of an administrative decision to ban all student activities on campus. Verbal exchanges ensued between university lecturers and Islamic Bloc members, who assaulted several teachers and students. University lecturers and administrative staff and some students held a demonstration outside the university; however the police arrived and dispersed them with force, beating several demonstrators.

Dr. Jaber El-Da’our, university vice-president for administrative affairs, informed PCHR’s fieldworker: “At approximately 6:00 I received a call from university security informing me that members of Hamas raided the university and started to prepare a commemoration ceremony for Ahmad Yassin. Two of my colleagues and I immediately went to the university. As soon as we entered, members of the Hamas started pursuing us till we reached the university president’s office. A verbal exchange took place in which they insulted me. The teachers and I decided to stay away from them and their ceremony. However, they pursued us again and started to assault us till we left campus. We demonstrated near the main university entrance; however the police came and beat us and insulted us using gas to disperse us.”

A female university student informed PCHR’s fieldworker: “At approximately 9:45, I arrived at Al-Azhar University. As soon as I entered, I saw Hamas flags and pictures of their leaders hung on the university’s buildings. When I was walking in the campus, a member of the Islamic Bloc on the ceremony podium started directing insults to me. He told his party members to attack me. They circled me and beat me. However, several students managed to take me to a room. One Islamic Bloc member sprayed chloride at me. I was taken to the student affairs building, and from their to the hospital for treatment.”

General Tawfiq Jaber, the commander of the police, informed PCHR that the police dispersed the demonstrators outside the university because they were obstructing traffic in a main street (Jamal Abd El-Naser Street).

The university administration issued a statement condemning the incident, and announced the suspension of study yesterday. In addition, the administration called for organizing a demonstration on campus on Tuesday, 1 April 2008.

In light of these developments, PCHR:

-         Condemns the breaking in of the university by students, and condemns all forms of violence, especially on campus.

-         Calls for respecting academic freedom and public freedoms protected by the law.

-         Calls upon all parties to keep universities and educational institutions out of the ongoing power struggle between Fatah and Hamas.