Professor Mona Prince ousted of her position at Suez University

CAIRO – 5 July 2018: Egyptian English-literature professor Mona Prince was ousted of her position in the Faculty of Literature in Suez University per previous accusations and blames for “disrespecting” her profession as an academic lecturer by posting videos while belly dancing on her Facebook account.

The university disciplinary board decided to oust Prince on Tuesday July 5, while allowing her to receive a normal pension and a bonus like any other retired professor.

Commenting on the decision, Prince wrote on her Facebook page, that for the first time in history, a university professor has been fired not for being corrupt or a harasser, but for posting personal videos on Facebook. “See you in court Suez University,” Prince stated.



Since last April, Prince has been in the hot water after posting her belly dancing videos.

Her social media accounts received a wash of attention, ranging from harsh criticism and insults to supportive comments. Some social media users blamed her for “disrespecting” her profession as an academic lecturer, while others judged her behavior by personal photos leaked from her account in which she was wearing a bikini.

Prince was suspended after posting these videos from her position pending investigations. The university formed a committee to look into her videos and photos to determine if it was a case of “a personal freedom or a violation of academic regulations”, according to statements by Suez University President Maher Mosbah to Egypt Today.

In a phone interview, Mosbah said Prince was suspended two months ago over other administrative issues.

Commenting on the video, the Ministry of Higher Education said in an April's statement that “personal freedom of faculty members in Egyptian universities is protected by the constitution and the law, but it should not go against the norms and ethics of the universities.”

The statement added that a “good reputation” is the basis for appointing university professors.

“I cannot see a case. I see an issue that is so trivial. Simply, I am Mona Prince...an English literature professor at Suez University…(but) outside the university, no one has the right to question my actions, that’s what I believe in,” she said during an interview on Dream TV Channel.

Prince said that she “has done nothing wrong,” adding that she was subject to “the ugliest smear campaign for being a woman”, in remarks to Egypt Today. Her statements came after she filed a defamation case against a journalist, accusing him of stealing her personal photos and sharing them publicly.

On March 30, Prince posted a video on her Facebook page in which she was dancing in a long-sleeved blue galabiya (an ankle-length long-sleeved garment) on what appears to be the roof of her house. Her status read: “Dancing to my impending freedom in my house.”

On her Facebook page, Prince, 47, identifies herself as a “wild woman” who works as a fiction writer; she sets a cover photo of female pharaohs dancing and playing music.

Additional reporting by Nourhan Magdi