5/11/2013

Like most Egyptians, I watched with horror the bloody riots at Al-Azhar University, during which protestors – willful in their desire to cause maximum disruption to life in campus – detained the university’s president. It was a scene of utter and determined chaos, during which mad and unrepentant extremists ran amok, climbing the walls of the university, throwing computers from its windows, tearing archival documents, and scattering official papers.

Theirs were acts of mindless hatred, rendered even more hateful as they occurred in a place of learning. Unleashing their anger in a bout of total ignorance, the assailants clearly overlooked the Koran’s first command: “Read!” Their contempt for this venerable place of learning and their disregard for the civilized ways of this nation boggle the mind.

The hands that commit such acts deserve to be severed, for crimes of this sort cannot be forgiven, nor will they be forgotten by the Egyptians who watched them unfold in shock and disbelief. The terror these “forces of darkness” wish to spread is not going to intimidate us.

Theirs is a quest for chaos through brute force that is meant for intimidation and devastation. Theirs is an attempt to undermine the country’s national security and the methods they use are nothing short of heinous. Al-Azhar University is enshrined in history as a beacon of knowledge to millions across the world. How this symbol of reverence became the target of their zealous hate is a puzzle to those who value knowledge and its venues.

The government must act firmly to confront these wanton acts. It should use the full force of the law to punish those who so shamelessly desecrated one of our most enduring seats of learning with their barbaric acts. There should be no more tolerance or mercy toward those who seek to defame everything we hold in esteem.

People who commit such acts are clearly on the pay of foreign entities. And the only answer to such attacks is to restore campus guards to their role of protecting universities. The “administrative guards” that have been given the job are clearly helpless in the face of violent rioters. What we need in our campuses are armed guards who are answerable to the university presidents.

Translated from Al Yom 7