A 15-year-old Egyptian student is causing a dispute in decision-making circles, regarding an essay she wrote which criticized the United States’ policies in the Middle East.
The Egyptian parliament’s human rights committee is asking Culture and Education Minister Yusri Al-Jamal to backtrack on a decision to suspend the young girl’s studies for a year for her critical paper, according to the London-based Al-Hayyat.
The teenage pupil, Ala Mujahid, was being tested in the Arabic language for an end-of-term exam. She was asked to write an essay on the topic of her choice. She chose to write about America’s intervention in Arab affairs, and criticized the policies of U.S. President George W. Bush.
The minister wants to have her studies suspended for a year, and said she should be flunked in Arabic language, even though her answers to other questions were correct.
The committee is siding with the student, rejecting any form of punishment.