More than two thousand students at Al-Azahar University in Cairo protested the arrest of eleven students who are member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Students complained of interference in their rights by security guards and urged the end of students being searched when they entered university grounds.Ahmed Abdel-Rahman, a student complained; “This escalation in the crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood has worrying implications for anyone who peacefully campaigns for change.” University authorities insisted the government was merely trying to protect students from those who preach violence.
There are several issues entailed in the efforts by students to ensure their rights against government actions. The Muslim Brotherhood has been condemned as a violent organization without due process proceedings. Egyptian university students wish to be accorded their rights to belong to organizations in order to fight for democracy in Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood in the past has engaged in violence, but these students are attempting to create a sense of freedom on college campuses which allows students to engage in intellectual discussions. If any student commits an act of violence there are sufficient laws which would result in punishment. The Western world condemns actions by the Iranian government to suppress free speech on university campuses, certainly the same principle should be protected in Egypt.