Dear Mr. President, Febr. 5, 1999

it has been brought to our knowledge, that your University is presently

undertaking measures against Samia Mehrez, Professor of Modern Arabic Literature

at the American University of Cairo, and highly qualified and respected scholar

in her special field of study.

Protesting vehemently against the campaign of terror and intimidation against

Prof. Mehrez, our FOUNDATION IBN RUSHD, FUND for FREEDOM of THOUGHT,

founded to achieve and hold up aspirations for progress in the Arab World for

democracy, liberty, equality, human rights and social justice, appeals to You to

do Your utmost to refrain from taking any action which endangers academic

freedom and dignity of scholars.

The literary works of MUHAMMAD SHUKRY, SON’ALLAH IBRAHIM and AL-TAYYIB SALIH

belong to the distinguished achievements of modern Arabic Literature and, as You

certainly know, have been translated into many languages and win increasing

numbers of readers, who appreciate them all over the world.

We no longer live in the Middle Ages, and the removal from the shelves

of the AUC Bookstore of works that are condemned by self-appointed

custodians of public morality reminds us of medieval inquisitors measures.

Is it not the duty of a modern university to enable scholars to exercise their

duties within the framework of academic freedom and to ensure their right to

analyze critically works of literature and to contrive the artistic values of

modern Arabic Literature.

Committee advisers Members of the board

pp Dr. Ali Hachicho pp Nabil Bushnaq