UPDATE From the American University in Cairo

Dear AUC Community,

I write with updates about current events. Three of our American study-abroad students, Gregory Porter, Luke Gates and Derrik Sweeney, were arrested last night. We are in touch with their families and are working with the U.S. Embassy and the Egyptian authorities to ensure that they are safe. We have been able to determine that they are being held at Abdeen’s public prosecutor's office.

The Tahrir Square campus has continued to face attacks from intruders, including a band of armed robbers attempting to loot Hill House. Our security guards and other personnel on campus are doing an exceptional job in the face of very difficult circumstances, and we are continuing to work to provide them with additional support.

The University cabinet and the emergency management team are meeting daily to monitor the situation as it evolves. In the last nine months we have regularly revisited and refreshed our contingency plans, and we are confident that we are well-prepared to reach and secure members of our community as needed.

To keep you updated, an Emergency News Web page has been created at www.aucegypt.edu/newsatauc/Pages/EmergencyNews.aspx. Please check this page, to which you can also link directly from the University homepage, regularly for information.

While the Tahrir Square campus is closed until further notice, we expect to operate normally on the New Cairo campus tomorrow. We will be evaluating the situation later this evening, however, and should we believe that we need to close our New Cairo operations as well, we will inform the community no later than midnight tonight.

Thank you.

 

 

--

Lisa Anderson

President

The American University in Cairo

Protests in Egypt Day 3

I initially thought that the violence would fizzle out in a few days when the elections drew nearer but apparently I was mistaken. Therefore, I've have decided to write on my second round of Egyptian protests this year.

My first semester at the American University in Cairo, I took a class called "The Middle East in Transition". I found this title very interesting since the last thing that came to my mind when I heard the term Middle East was change... I wrote my final paper on how the Muslim brotherhood would come to power if elections in Egypt were ever liberalized, pointing to cases such as the Islamic Salvation Front in Algeria, the AKP in Turkey and HAMAS in Palestine. My teacher gave me a B and told me I was wrong. My classmates told me this would never happen. Well I have news for all of them... look at your country now.

Within the past 3 days buildings have been vandalized, 1500 people have been injured and 20 have been killed. One of my classmates was arrested (and released, thank God). Our downtown campus has been closed until further notice and there are videos of vicious acts being done by BOTH sides. Not just the army...let's get that straight.

It has now come to my attention that the upper-middle class has no idea that, even though they started the revolution, they are in the minority. This means that there is no way they'll have the kind of representation they're expecting or hoping to achieve. I fully expect it to go like this. First foreigners will be harassed/kicked out/forced to flee, then Christians will suffer the same fate of course...then the rich/upper-middle class will suffer from a certain redistribution of wealth, meaning they'll lose everything. One might call me pessimistic, but I'm in the middle of the chaos, watching it all unfold. It is inevitable now. Those who started and fought for and died for the revolution will lose it. It has been hijacked, but they don't realize it's over. They don't know what they're getting in return for removing Hosni Mubarak and trying to remove the army...but I don't understand why they can't see it. Perhaps they know something I don't know... After all, I'm just a foreigner.

American University in Cairo UPDATE/ALERT

Dear AUC Community,

As you are probably aware, there were disturbances and violent confrontations in Tahrir Square over the weekend and they are continuing today. In light of these recent events, I’d like to update you on several situations, as they unfold.

Last night, we received information that one of our students, Ahmed Abdel Rahim was arrested in Tahrir Square yesterday. We now know that he is being detained at the Kasr El Aini police station and are working to ensure that he is safe.

On the Tahrir Square campus, which is closed today and until further notice, we sustained some property damage in the form of broken glass in the science building, Hill House and at the bookstore. In addition, according to reports from our security officers, there were several groups of intruders, some armed, on both the Falaki and the downtown campus. AUC security guards were able to apprehend seven of them. The police forces entered the campus to search for and apprehend additional armed intruders. AUC policy prohibits police on our premises; in extraordinary circumstances AUC security may exercise discretion.

We have also received eyewitness reports from several of our students who saw tear-gas canisters being thrown at protesters from the campus. We are deeply disturbed by these reports and are currently investigating. Any member of the University community with information or evidence should email ouc@aucegypt.edu.

We are monitoring the situation on both our campus and in the case of our student Ahmed and will keep you updated as soon as any additional information becomes available.  

--

Lisa Anderson

President

The American University in Cairo

أعزائي أعضاء مجتمع الجامعة الأمريكية بالقاهرة،

كما تراءى في الأغلب إلى علمكم جميعا، شهد ميدان التحرير خلال عطلة نهاية الأسبوع اضطرابات ومواجهات عنيفة وهي مستمرة حتى اليوم. وفي ضوء هذه الأحداث الأخيرة، أود أن أطلعكم على مجريات أوضاع عديدة كما تكشفت لنا.

فقد تلقينا معلومات في الليلة الماضية مفادها أن أحد طلاب الجامعة وهو أحمد عبد الرحيم قد تم إلقاء القبض عليه في ميدان التحرير أمس. وقد نما إلى علمنا الآن أنه معتقل في مركز شرطة قصر النيل ونعمل على التأكد من أنه بخير. 

وفي حرم الجامعة بالتحرير، والذي هو مغلق اليوم وحتى إشعار آخر، تكبدت الجامعة بعض الأضرار في ممتلكاتها في شكل تكسير زجاج في مبنى العلوم والهيل هاوس ومنفذ بيع الكتب.  بالإضافة إلى ذلك، وفقاً لتقارير أفراد الأمن لدينا، اقتحم عدد من الدخلاء، بعضهم مسلح، مبنى الفلكي و حرم وسط المدينة على حد سواء. وقد تمكن أفراد أمن الجامعة من إلقاء القبض على سبعة منهم. وقد دخلت قوات الشرطة إلى حرم الجامعة للبحث على أي دخلاء مسلحين آخرين والقبض عليهم. وجدير بالذكر أن سياسة الجامعة تمنع وجود قوات للشرطة بداخل الحرم الجامعي إلا أنه في الحالات غير العادية يرجع تحديد ذلك الأمر إلى ما يتراءى لأفراد أمن الجامعة حسب المستجدات التي يرونها على أرض الواقع.

كما ورد إلينا أيضا تقارير من شهود عيان من طلاب الجامعة تفيد بإلقاء عبوات من الغاز المسيل للدموع على المتظاهرين من حرم الجامعة. وهو الأمر الذي يزعجنا كثيرا و نقوم بالتحقيق فيه. ونهيب بأي فرد من أفراد مجتمع الجامعة لديه أي معلومات أو أدلة تساعد في ذلك التحقيق مراسلتنا على البريد الالكتروني ouc@aucegypt.edu .

نحن نتابع التطورات عن كثب فيما يتعلق بالمستجدات في حرم الجامعة وفيما يتعلق بقضية الطالب أحمد وسنواليكم بأي معلومات جديدة تتوافر لدينا.

ليسا أندرسون

Why Recognizing a Palestinian State would Benefit U.S.

CAUTION: This blog post will likely offend everyone with an opinion on this matter. 

With the upcoming Palestinian bid to the United Nations to become a state there has been much talk over the almost certain NO vote that will be cast by the United States. Now years ago I would have probably agreed with a "no" vote in this issue, but recent events have led me to think otherwise. They are the following:

1. The Floatilla Raid- During an attempted aid delivery from Turkey to Palestine, members of the Israeli military attacked civilians aboard the vessel in international waters. Nine people were killed and the attack was unprovoked (the people were also unarmed.) One of these was a Turkish-American. An AMERICAN! Has Israel gotten so far out of our control that they can get away with murdering Americans now? And that these were unarmed civilians in INTERNATIONAL waters? This was a catastrophic mistake made by the Israeli government which infuriated the Turkish government and strained relations near to a breaking point.

2.  Murder of Egyptian Soldiers-  A few weeks ago, the Israeli mistakenly killed some Egyptian soldiers. During the "Arab Spring" not only could you find Egyptian flags all around, but also Palestinian flags. They were then sold in Tahrir square alongside Libyan rebel flags...Palestine, despite the Egyptian government's relationship with Israel has always been a sensitive issue. But once their own soldiers were killed, Egypt, fresh off of a revolution where emotions and tensions still remain high, was furious. In retaliation, protesters tore down the wall around the Israeli embassy, broke into the building and tossed out several documents. Israel, unfortunately has isolated itself...now it's two strongest allies in the region, Egypt and Turkey, are vocally opposing them.

3. Security Improvement- As long as Palestine is not a sovereign nation it proves to be a threat. Here's why...Naturally, all Palestinians are not terrorists, but as we all know HAMAS operates from within the territories. One of the Middle East's and HAMAS' main qualms is that Palestine has been denied statehood. If they reach statehood, sure residents in the region will have to find something else to complain and hate us about, but it'll take them a long time to find something legitimate.

4. Israel is Prepared- Should the Palestinian State start a war or prove ineffective in stymieing its various anti-Israel groups, Israel is ready for them. And this time it will not be a bullying tactic or a slamming shut of the border...it will be a legitimate altercation and legal action recognized by the international community. Israel will no longer be thought of as a bully or aggressor but as a nation protecting its internationally recognized (well some of them) borders. Palestine will never have the ...I understand that the Israelis would rather deal with the Palestinians unilaterally but really they're running out of options and quite frankly intensifying the anger of everyone around them, friend and foe alike.


Does recognizing Palestine really affect U.S.?
My answer is no. Whatever issues would stem from recognizing Palestine as a state would have been their anyway, only worse because there would be no place for international dialogue to resolve those issues. This should not affect the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, because Israel basically has no other powerful allies and cannot afford to turn its back on the U.S. in resentment.

Furthermore, I live overseas and I am an American. There are thousands if not millions of other Americans living abroad teaching English, as Peace Corps volunteers, on military installations throughout the world and in school studying abroad, like me. Tensions are already in the Middle East and a "no" vote will only increase anti-American sentiment and endanger we expatriates. I lived in the Middle East during the Arab Spring and the killing of Osama bin Laden. Those things went without violent consequence and in the case of the revolutions they were even glad to have the Western support against their dictators. A "no" vote will not go without violence. Although the rest of the world and especially the Middle East expect the U.S. to vote no on this issue, the region is sensitive and reactionary at the moment. A "no" vote will simply stir up those emotions again and ake things a little less safer for me and my colleagues living abroad.

Little Known Facts (2): The Arab Slave Trade

As my previous post discusses, I recently did a bit of research on the Barbary Corsairs (North African Pirates). This, plus a conversation with my new classmate Alex who is originally from Eritrea, led me to do further research on the lesser known Arab Slave Trade.


You might be interested to know that the Arab Slave Trade preceded the European and American Slave Trades by about 700 years. It was wider spread and though there are discrepancies int he figures, there may have been three times the African slaves sold during the Arab Slave Trade than the European/American Slave Trade. Slaves were taken, mostly from East Africa, to places as far as Iran, India, the Arabian Gulf and even China. (Note: I was especially shocked to learn that I have been to three of the major North African port cities where slaves were sold and sent as cargo to meet the demands of the Middle East and South Asia, which are Cairo, Marrakech and Aswan. I had no idea that these places where I'd spent so much of my time were actually central hubs to supplying such an abysmal institutional practice)

According to one source, slaves taken over to India eventually revolted against their owners and took power in Bengal in the late 1400's. Instances such as these continued throughout the world...I also came across research about Arab-African perceptions of one another. Most Arab (and European) perceptions of Africans were negative, because most of them believed that Africans were of an inferior race. This is in direct opposition to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad in Islam, but it still exists even today. I saw a variety of reasons for this belief...some biblical, saying that the son of Noah, Ham, was cursed by being black and that the Africans were his descendants. Others claimed that it was because of, oddly enough, the physical features of having a "flat nose and kinky hair". Then a third, was because of the practices of animistic religion and other seemingly foreign concepts that led the outsiders to believe that the Africans were vile, corrupt, barbaric, ignorant, incapable of comprehension, uncultured, and prone to sexual promiscuity etc.

I then came across one of the few Arab travelers who actually visited West and East Africa. Rather than relying on hearsay, Amazigh (Berber) historian Ibn Battuta conducted his own research and the notes of his travels depict a very different pictures of Africans and Sub-Saharan Africa from the 1300's. He stated that the some of the cities in Africa were some of the most beautiful that he'd seen and that their craftmanship and architectural skills were impressive. Below are quotes from his notes.

"[The people of Mombasa in Kenya] are a religious people, trustworthy and righteous. Their mosques are made of wood, expertly built."

"Ibn Battuta was also impressed with aspects of the Mali Empire of West Africa, which he visited in 1352, writing that the people there:

'...possess some admirable qualities. They are seldom unjust, and have a greater abhorrence of injustice than any other people. There is complete security in their country. Neither traveler nor inhabitant in it has anything to fear from robbers or men of violence.'

—Ibn Battuta, Travels in Asia and Africa 1325-1354

"In addition, he wrote many other positive comments on the people of the Mali Empire, including the following"^:

'I met the qadi of Malli... he is a black, has been on a pilgrimage, and is a noble person with good qualities of character... I met the interpreter Dugha, a noble black and a leader of theirs... They performed their duty towards me [as a guest] most perfectly; may God bless and reward them for their good deeds!'

'Another of [the Malli blacks'] good qualities is their concern for learning the sublime Qur'an by heart...One day I passed a handsome youth from them dressed in fine clothes and on his feet was a heavy chain. I said to the man who was with me, 'What has this youth done -- has he killed someone?' The youth heard my remark and laughed. It was told me, 'He has been chained so that he will learn the Qu'ran by heart.'

'[the people of Iwalatan in West Africa] were generous to me and entertained me...and as for their women -- they are extremely beautiful and are more important than the men...'

So, in summary, Ibn Battuta found the Africans in both West and East Africa to be noble people, religious people whom hated violence, inequality and unfairness. They were well dressed people who took pride in themselves and were committed to their religions. They had cities, states and empires instead of huts,as is depicted in today's cinema and history. They had governments, not anarchy. The sexes were egalitarian, especially in comparison to Europe and the Middle East at the time and the people's hospitality deeply moved Ibn Battuta.

This is what Africa was really like. This is what the African people were like before Colonization. Researchers say that the difference between Ibn Battuta's experience and the hearsay of those who had never been was that the Africans may have spread negative rumors in order to keep out potential invaders. Perhaps this is where many of the negative stereotypes and assumptions originated. Maybe they just stuck over time.

Nevertheless, I am greatly appreciative of Ibn Battuta for providing a more accurate historical depiction of what Africa was like back when my ancestors were still on the continent. It makes me feel like I am a little closer to home.

Little Known Facts: Pirate History and European Slavery

Years ago the hit song "Take Me Out" by the Scottish group Franz Ferdinand became intensely popular. Though some of the lyrics were incomprehensible, the songs military-esque rhythm and repetitive chorus made the song an instant sensation. A particular sentence in the first verse is what I always wondered about but never understood. It seems that the singer says "I'm just a cross-path" or "I'm just a cross-hair", so I looked up the lyrics and indeed they said "I'm just a cross-hair" whatever that means. But then, while scanning for books to use for my comprehensive examination I found one titled "A Nest of Corsairs". Aha! I thought. That must be what the true lyric says. I didn't know what a Corsair was so I visited my popular internet encyclopedia source and looked up Corsairs and the Barbary Coast came up on the screen.

Now I have studied piracy on the Barbary coast for some time now, but I never felt the need to read the specifics such as names and what not. Here's a brief recap on the history...


The Barbary Coast pirates (North Africans) interrupted trade routes in the Mediterranean in order to kidnap merchants and sailors from Western Europe and enslave them or request huge ransoms from the European governments for their release. This occurred for hundreds of years and men and women of European origin were captured and held at the will and whim of their Arab and Berber captors.

Later, upon the United States of America's new-found independence, Americans continued their supply routes through the Mediterranean in order to get supplies from Europe and beyond. Several hundred of these Americans were also taken captive and forced to work as servants and concubines until the American government could pay for their release. These captives would be released and return to the U.S. as the primary endorsers of the emancipation of black slaves in America. (the Abolitionists)

The American government suspected that the British (still bitter about the recent loss of their colony) were secretly funding the Barbary pirates in order to interrupt American trade and shipping. The result was the start of the U.S. Navy, which would, of course, later become the most powerful navy in the world. A treaty was made with the Kingdom of Morocco in order to assert that they would no longer take part in the activity against the U.S., thus Morocco became the first nation to officially recognize the United States as a sovereign nation. This created a lasting friendship that continues to this day. On the other hand, the Algerian government made no such agreement. The piracy continued for decades until the French invaded Algeria in the early 1800's.


Another primary item that I found especially riveting was that the Corsairs were pirates with names startlingly similar to cinematic pirates that we all have come to know and love. One is Barbarossa, (there were actually 4 Barbarossa brothers) also known as Red Beard. His name is also extraordinarily similar to Captain Barbossa in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series. The next was a pirate named Captain Jack Ward, who never traveled to the Caribbean apparently, but held quite a similar resume to that of Captain Jack Sparrow, the main "prantagonist" from the "Pirates" series.

Not all of the Corsairs were Arab or Amazigh (Berber)..many were European. On the other hand, many of the slaves and servants taken into captivity were Europeans. It truly captivates and amazes me how our fiction becomes our history, our history becomes our fiction, and we remember only what we wish to and forget what is necessary to remember...

AUC Protesters tear down American Flag on Campus

AUC protesters tear down American flag on campus

The excitement and idiocy continues. Now, as the following article from Al Masry al Youm states, the protests on campus have gotten out of control. Apparently in addition to the ripped down American flag at the AMERICAN University in Cairo, rumor has it that our university President Dr. Lisa Anderson had water bottles thrown at her as she exited talks. Personally, I think this says a lot about the so-called elite of Egypt. 

First, I think it shows plainly that this revolution is in trouble. If these rich sons and daughters of businessmen and politicians cannot contain themselves, how can a country of 80 million with a 40% illiteracy rate? Second, it has occurred to me that when we had a male as President of the University things didn't get so out of hand during strikes and sit-ins...personally I find this to be blatant discrimination and the way the protesters have been treating, speaking to and refusing to negotiate with Dr. Anderson is totally disrespectful. Thirdly, tearing down an American flag at an American institution? Why? Not only have they alienated the international students now, but they have also fragmented their own movement with this move. 

Again, I find this incredibly disrespectful as an American. I don't go around tearing down Egyptian flags every time something happens to me in Egypt that I don't like. If I did, they wouldn't have any flags left, believe me! They say that the administration cannot treat Egyptians like dogs...tres dramatique...I guess they forgot that the school isn't just for them.

AUC protesters tear down American flag on campus

Basant Zain-eddine

Fri, 16/09/2011 - 16:53

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Photographed by Nada Badawy

 

Student and worker protesters at the American University in Cairo (AUC) further escalated their demonstration on Thursday by taking down the American flag on campus, as they continue protesting the policies of the university administration and university President Lisa Anderson.

The protesters issued a statement on Friday that harshly criticized the way the university has negotiated, and denied rumors that a protesting student had assaulted the university president.

The protesters have decided to continue their open-ended sit-in before they discuss further steps for escalation.

The students and workers tore down the American flag, which had been raised beside the Egyptian one, in protest against a campus security officer who allegedly assaulted Ahmed Ezzat, vice president of the university student union, following a protester meeting with Anderson.

The demonstrators demanded Anderson apologize for ignoring their demands or else leave the university, claiming that Anderson did not respect them. They said she described their meeting as "ridiculous," and told them she did not have time to listen to "such absurdities."

Student Khaled Zekry said protesters did not burn or rip the flag after taking it down, adding that Ahmed Alaa, president of student union, handed over the flag intact to the director of the services and facilities department.

The Guardian newspaper described the protest as an extension of the education protest movements which started in Egypt this week. 

The newspaper also mentioned that the AUC students pay tuition fees eight times the average Egyptian annual income, adding that they belong to the country's elite and are raised to be its future economic and political leaders.

This reputation has begun to collapse since last Sunday, though, after the students began protesting the increased cost of university parking and directing criticism at the university administration, the newspaper added.

The Guardian quoted teacher Moataz Shawky as saying, "We cannot let [the administration] treat the Egyptians like dogs." 

Shawky demanded that the university administration respond to the students, also accusing it of allowing snipers to shoot at Tahrir demonstrators from university buildings during the revolution.