Students accuse a university professor in Alexandria of contempt of religion

Alexandria – Mohamed Amer:

Activists on the social networking site “Facebook” shared a video clip of a verbal altercation between students and Dr. Mohamed Mahdaly, professor of sociology at the Higher Institute of Social Service in Alexandria, because of what they described as disdain for the Islamic religion.

The video shows a discussion between students and a professor of sociology at the institute while talking about incest and customary marriage, as some of them said that the verses of the Noble Qur’an are clear and what the doctor says is contrary to them, which made the latter respond to them in terms that they considered offensive to the Islamic religion.

The video, which was taken during a lecture on “the crisis of incest and common-law marriage” inside the Higher Institute, was widely spread on social media, amid calls for Dr. Mahdaly to be referred for investigation and dismissed from teaching.

The incident caused controversy between students and social media users, as some of them launched the hashtag “Separating Dr. Muhammad Al-Mahdali .. Muhammad Al-Mahdali offends the Islamic religion.”

The sociology professor published several posts following the incident, including:

“Personally, I will not retreat from the truth and adhere to the rules and methods of science … in the study of phenomena and problems … as a belief.”

He said, “My personal position … is based on a cognitive cultural analysis … and not superficiality that is based on the emotions of the majority of friends … who carry a culture … burying an ostrich for its head in the sand … Dr. Muhammad Mahdali.”

In his first response, Dr. Mohamed Mahdaly, professor of sociology at the Higher Institute of Social Service in Alexandria, told “Masrawy” that the spreading video was deliberately fragmented from its context, in order to create a crisis – according to him.

He pointed out that his work as a professor of sociology makes him discuss all social issues, explaining that he was discussing the issue of incest and common-law marriage, and he was surprised by some students who argued strongly with him and insulted him, which prompted him to expel them from the lecture.

Al-Mahdali described the incident as orchestrated, saying: “There are hidden hands moving things against me,” stressing that he informed the legal affairs of the institute to investigate the incident – which was confirmed by a source at the institute.

For his part, Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, spokesperson for the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, said that in light of the ministry’s follow-up to what was circulated on social media platforms and the complaint submitted by students of the second year at the Higher Institute of Social Service in Alexandria, about what was issued by a faculty member at the institute. It was circulated through a video clip on social media, and Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, directed a professor of the Faculty of Law at Alexandria University to urgently investigate the matter, and the Minister of Higher Education decided to suspend the faculty member from work until the results of the investigation appeared and presented to him. .