Cairo University students reportedly tried to rip the clothes off a blonde woman as she walked across the campus, sparking outrage across the nation.
The unnamed woman, who was wearing a long-sleeved pink top and fitted black jeans, was recently filmed being abused by a large group of male students as she made her way through the university, one of Egypt’s largest.
The men, some of whom were reportedly law students, went wild, wolf-whistling and jeering as she hurried to get away from them.
‘This girl entered the university wearing an abaya (loose cloak) and then took it off in the faculty, and appeared with those clothes, that caused, in reality… the incident,’ Nassar said on private Egyptian channel ONTV. He said university guards turn away students who show up at campus dressed inappropriately.
‘The student's mistake does not justify what the (other) students did,’ he added.
Most of Cairo University's female students wear jeans and tops and avoid revealing clothes, and many wear the traditional Islamic headscarves, as do the majority of Egypt's women.
Nassar later wrote on Twitter that he was misunderstood and that he was not blaming the student for the incident.
‘I assure that this is not true and I apologise for the misunderstanding and I repeat that those who (harassed the girl) will be severely punished,’ he wrote.
Mr Farid added: ‘The worst is that people always find justification for the harassment and blame it on the victim.’
The unnamed woman, who was wearing a long-sleeved pink top and fitted black jeans, was recently filmed being abused by a large group of male students as she made her way through the university, one of Egypt’s largest.
The men, some of whom were reportedly law students, went wild, wolf-whistling and jeering as she hurried to get away from them.
Caught on camera: Male students were filmed jeering and wolf-whistling as a blonde woman walked across Cairo University campus - with a campaigner claiming they went on to try and undress her
Fathi Farid, a member of the ‘I saw harassment’ anti-sexual harassment group, said male students had verbally attacked the woman and attempted to undress her, according to AFP.
University dean Gaber Nassar said the student's outfit, which he described as ‘a bit unconventional,’ led to the harassment, quickly adding that he was not justifying the incident.‘This girl entered the university wearing an abaya (loose cloak) and then took it off in the faculty, and appeared with those clothes, that caused, in reality… the incident,’ Nassar said on private Egyptian channel ONTV. He said university guards turn away students who show up at campus dressed inappropriately.
‘The student's mistake does not justify what the (other) students did,’ he added.
Most of Cairo University's female students wear jeans and tops and avoid revealing clothes, and many wear the traditional Islamic headscarves, as do the majority of Egypt's women.
Nassar later wrote on Twitter that he was misunderstood and that he was not blaming the student for the incident.
‘I assure that this is not true and I apologise for the misunderstanding and I repeat that those who (harassed the girl) will be severely punished,’ he wrote.
Mr Farid added: ‘The worst is that people always find justification for the harassment and blame it on the victim.’
