Criticism as Cairo University blocks religion disclosure

Cairo University, Egypt’s biggest public higher education institution, has removed the category of 'religion' from its documents to prevent discrimination, becoming the mostly-Muslim country’s first education institution to take the controversial step.

The university announced the decision last Wednesday with immediate effect, sparking criticism.

The university’s president, Gaber Nassar, said the decision complied with the country's constitution and applied to the institution’s students, lecturers and employees.

“We recently noticed several complaints about the possibility of discrimination among students due to the mention of religion,” said Nassar, a law professor.

“When a student is asked to write his religion, he may feel that he will be discriminated against because of it.”

Nassar disclosed that the decision was taken after students from Egypt’s Christian minority had been excluded from a postgraduate programme affiliated to the university allegedly due to their religious background.

“Why should I treat the student on the basis of his religion? The decision [about removing the mention of religion] was taken and we will not revoke it. Those who do not agree with it can go to court to block it,” Nassar told the private Egyptian television station Al A’asma.

Criticism

Some members of parliament slammed the move.

One of them is Atef Makhaleef, who said he would raise the issue in parliament and demand that Nassar be sacked from his position. Presidents of public universities in Egypt are appointed by the state.

“Religion identity exists in all Egyptian documents. So why has Cairo University cancelled it?” Makhaleef asked. “Raising such problems at this time causes trouble.”

In recent months, Egypt has seen several incidents of sectarian violence between Muslims and Christians.

Christians, who make up around 10% of Egypt's 91 million population, have long complained about discrimination and attacks against them by Islamist militants.

Minister of Higher Education Ashraf el-Sheehi criticised Cairo University’s move, calling it “seditious”.

“Basically, there is not a single paper in universities requiring specifying one's religion,” the minister said. “The mention of religion is only limited to official papers such as those related to marriage. The university work has nothing at all to do with religion. Therefore, the decision to cancel the religion category deals with a problem that does not exist.”

Last year, Cairo University sparked a major controversy when it banned its female lecturers from wearing the full-face veil or niqab inside classrooms. Later, the court upheld the ban.