Students at the privately owned German University in Cairo (GUC) have accused the university’s administration of “lacking principles” after the administration issued a statement in which it said, indirectly, that students would not take part in civil disobedience planned for next week.
Ahmed Hassan, the vice president of the student union, told Egypt Independent that the administration issued a statement which purported to represent the student union’s position on the matter.
He added that university students agreed to take part in civil disobedience starting 11 February, which marks the first anniversary of Mubarak’s ouster, but that the university opposes the initiative.
On Thursday, GUC, which has around 8,000 students, joined other private and public universities in calling for a day of nationwide strikes and civil disobedience to press Egypt’s military rulers to hold early presidential elections and hasten the transfer of power to civilian rule.
The call for civil disobedience came after Wednesday’s football massacre in which 74 fans were killed in the port city of Port Said. The incident caused wide public uproar against Egypt’s military rulers and the police apparatus, which revolutionary forces accused of being involved in the violence.
Karim Khouzam, a first year management student at GUC, was one of those who lost their lives in Port Said.
“Khouzam represents not only himself but a betrayed revolution; he was killed by the weapons of tyranny,” said Thursday’s statement.
But this strong tone disappeared in the recently released statement from GUC’s administration, which was circulated via email.
The statement only says that the university will stand in mourning on 18 February in addition to collecting money for the victims of the Port Said violence.
Hassan said that this statement doesn’t adequately represent a university that has lost one of its students in the tragedy.
“This is not a political stance. We are calling for a civil disobedience day to press the rights of Karim (Khouzam) and the other martyrs,” he said.
