Al Azhar English Training Center is funded through a partnership agreement between Al Azhar University, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Global Opportunities Fund and the British Council. The Center was supposed to provide English Language courses in its first semester to 125 students from various disciplines until Ali Laban, a Muslim Brotherhood deputy, decided otherwise. Fatma Sabit – a graduate of Al Azhar university and an instructor there – wrote on Facebook:
سمعتوا اخر نكتة الإخوان شايفين اني وزمايلي ف الجامعة متبرجين وبنحض علي الفسق والفجور.Have you heard the last joke? The Muslim Brothers think that my colleagues and I are over-made under-dressed dolls who are pro debauchery and immorality.?
Fatma continues her post in English saying:
The English Training Center was established by the British Council in Egypt with the cooperation of Al Azhar university. The center was established to help top students in Al Azhar university to graduate from the university mastering the language. The students get the opportunity to have enough space in the class, high standard curricula, taught in the British Council in Egypt- Face to Face series, and more over well qualified native highly professional instructors. I am now working in the center with other five of my English department colleagues and we are all collaborating to get our aim achieved. What actually happened few days ago is that our "friends" from the Muslim brotherhood did not like our work! They think we are brainwashing the students, corrupting them and leading them astray!!!
The enraged instructor links her post to Mr. Ali Laban's attack on the program (here in Arabic and here) then says:
Mr. Ali Laban, thinks we are the devil and instead of thanking us for helping the students learn and open their eyes up to the world, he accuses us, and says that we have bad manners, and we teach our students the art of dancing and promote drinking and dating!! What is the hell are you thinking mister!!!!!! I've always been a top student in my university, and ever since I started teaching in my university I never ceased offering my help and support to all my students.
Fatma ends her post asking:
Finally I have one question for those who bite their nails of fear for our students from what they call the British invasion, we have three British professionals among us on campus, why doesn't the British Embassy worry that they might be influenced by us and join the Ikhwan like Mr. Laban!!
Switching back to Arabic, Fatma Sabit pleaded:
نفسي أفهم هنبطل سذاجة امتي
يا ريت لو فعلا شايفين انكم مسلمين واخوان علي حق، ماتفوتوش الفرصة دي علي اخواتكم، فوقوا من السكرة اللي انتوا فيها!! الغرب عمره ماكان عدو اللا بسبب فزعكوا وجهلكم اللي بيخليكم تتصرفو غلط! فوقوا بدل ماييجي اللي يفوقكو وساعتها بقة ماتبقوش تعيطوا زي النسوان
عموما لو عليا، ف انا مش خسرانة حاجة، الناس كلها جوة الجامعة وبراها عارفين وشايفين كويس قوي مين اللي مبتذل وبيحرض عالفسق والفجور من اللي عاوز يعلم ويفيد بجد، والطلبة صحيح مراهقين زي مابتقول بس صدقني واعيين كفاية انهم يفرقو مابين المصلحين، والمفسدين يا سيد لبن.
I wonder when will we ever outgrow this naivety. If you really think of yourselves as Muslims and true Brothers then do not dodge such a great learning opportunity. Wake up! The West was never an enemy but for your ignorance and unjustified fear. When your ignorance takes over, you make mistakes. Wake up before it's too late. As for me, I have nothing to lose. Everyone inside and outside the university knows who is cheap and immoral and who really wants to teach those students. yes they are teenagers as you said (Mr. Laban) but they are old enough to know who wants to push them forward and who wants to hold them behind.
