Cairo: English language center sparks protest

[Harold Schiffman]

English language center sparks protest

Published: Dec. 20, 2007 at 4:40 PM

CAIRO, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- An American-financed center to teach English
at al-Azhar University in Cairo sparked conspiracy theories and
support for Islamic culture. Al-Azhar University inaugurated the
English Language Resource Center to teach English to instructors and
post-graduate students. The financing of the ELRC by the Regional
English Language Office with the American Embassy brought protests
against the influence of the United States on the university, which
prides itself on preserving native Egyptian traditions and methods,
al-Ahram said Thursday.

One anonymous professor told the newspaper most of the faculty opposed
the opening due to an unfavorable view of U.S. foreign policy in the
Middle East. Another critic said he was skeptical of U.S. intentions,
saying the perceived agenda of the Bush administration against Islam
makes the English language issue dubious. A spokesman for al-Azhar,
Omar el-Deeb, defended the opening of the ELRC, saying lecture surveys
indicated poor usage of the English language. "Al-Azhar administration
believes that it is essential that Islamic lecturers and professors be
in full command of the English language for many reasons, including
being able to prepare their thesis if they study abroad, and to have
the upper hand in any religious debate conducted in English," el-Deeb
told the newspaper.


http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/12/20/english_language_center_sparks_protest/8056/


-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to
its members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner
or sponsor of
the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who
disagree with a
message are encouraged to post a rebuttal. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)
*******************************************