Student’s Arrest Stirs Heated Debate on Social Media

Rumors that a student was arrested for carrying a copy of George Orwell’s “1984” stir debate on social media 

 

By Ahmed Mansour 

A student was arrested by Giza police near Cairo University on November 9 for allegedly speaking critically of the military, although it was originally believed that the arrest was made because the student was carrying a copy of George Orwell’s famous novel “1984.” The Arabic newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm first reported the story, which prompted an outcry of rumors on Facebook and other social media accounts as it was first believed that the student had been arrested for possessing a copy of Orwell’s novel, which describes a world of dictatorship in which “big brother” is always watching. The whirlpool of debate about 21-year-old Mohamed’s arrest, however, has led to a lack of clarity regarding why he was arrested. Police reports later claimed that Mohamed was arrested for allegedly talking negatively about the military and the government while filming outside of Cairo University. Other reports also state that Mohamed was trying to ignite a protest outside of the university’s front gates. An investigation into the matter, led by Major General Mohamed Farouq, claims that the student lives in the Al-Warraq and was caught in possession of a cell phone without a battery, three flash drives, two flash memory readers, a portable hard drive and a copy of “1984.”  The police forces also found a notebook on Mohamed that reportedly contains notes about how to apply Islamic Caliphate rulings in a non-Islamic country. Mada Masr quoted Farouk as saying that confiscating the belongings of someone under arrest is routine procedure as the items may be used as evidence later. Whether or not the book played a role in Mohamed’s arrest remains largely unclear, but it can be used as evidence against him during the investigation. Because the book is well known for its eerie depiction of government surveillance, the story quickly became a flashpoint for concern and debate. “This is certainly a joke,” human rights lawyer Amr Anas tells Egypt Today. “Since when does having a book about tyranny [become] a crime? This is unjust and if Mohamed or any of his family members read what I had to say, I would advise them to sue the officer that arrested Mohamed, or perhaps they should work on suing the Minister of Interior.” Sami Sameer, a political expert at Al-Ahram Center, tells Egypt Today that “there is no way we can blame the police forces or the armed forces or anyone for doing their duties. How do we expect them to do their jobs and keep the university safe, when we blame them for arresting a person who fits the criteria of a potential peace disturber? We need to understand the amount of pressures and on-spot decisions that those men have to take to maintain peace in the university [and] to create a suitable learning environment in Egypt as a whole.” Unconfirmed sources have informed Egypt Today that Mohamed is currently being held at Giza Police Station pending an investigation with no definite date of his release. This story is still developing.