EGYPT: Furore over honorary doctorate for First Lady

A decision by Egypt's most prestigious public higher education institution, Cairo University, to confer an honorary doctorate on Suzanne Mubarak, wife of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, has divided the country's academics.

The name of this prestigious university, which represents a symbol of national struggle, should not be used to make personal gains," read a statement signed by around 56 professors from different Egyptian universities.

"We think that the decision to grant Mrs Mubarak an honorary doctorate was taken for certain personal reasons on the part of the university officials," added the academics, who belong to the March 9 Movement, a protest group advocating universities' independence from state control.

Suzanne Mubarak, whose husband has been in power for nearly 30 years, received the honorary doctorate in sociology at a high profile ceremony on campus on 16 September "in recognition of her contribution to social development over the past three decades".

Playing down the political implications of the gesture Ahmed Zayed, a sociology professor at Cairo University and one of the academics who voted in favour of conferring the doctorate, says that the honoree is "an active Egyptian citizen, after all.

"Such a gesture happens everywhere in the world. Egyptian universities have already granted honorary doctorates to several world leaders and their wives without causing such a stir. So why not do the same with dynamic citizens?" he argued.

He added that Mubarak had met all academic criteria to qualify for the honour. "She obtained a master's degree in sociology from the American University in Cairo in 1982. She has made distinguished contributions in the field of social development," Zayed said.

Mubarak, who heads the National Council for Women, has been an active figure in bringing development to Egypt's shanty towns, empowering local women, combating illiteracy and sponsoring a 20-year-old programme to promote reading among Egyptians.

"The decision to honour Mrs Mubarak was made in accordance with the academic regulations and was unanimously approved from the board of the Sociology Department up to the board of Cairo University," asserted Zayed, an ex-dean of the university's arts faculty.

"The statement issued by the March 9 Movement does not assail Egypt's First Lady, whose social role is well known. It lashes out at some academics who exploit such a step to secure personal incentives and promotions," said Mohamed Abul Ghar, a professor of medicine and a co-founder of the protest group.

"The problem lies in political hypocrisy. Those who are in power or related to persons in power should not be honoured at universities until they leave power."

While praising Mubarak's role in Egypt's social development, university lecturer Samir Mahmoud believes that the honorary gesture should have been made by a non-Egyptian university to "avoid the suspicion of political hypocrisy.

"Cairo University is affiliated to the ministry of higher education, which is a state agency controlled by the head of the state. So honouring the wife of the president gives the impression that the state is honouring itself," he said.

In addition, Mahmoud argued, this move was made at a bad time as state authorities - of which Mubarak is a symbol - "are slow in responding to the Egyptians' demand for genuine democratic transformation".