Egyptian college dean stirs controversy after imposing ban on ripped jeans
01-10-2017 03:42 PM
Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - A dean at University of Alexandria has decided to ban female students from wearing ripped jeans on college campus, according to an Egyptian newspaper report.
In a recent notification, Dean Tarek Sorour of the Faculty of Agriculture said he has introduced a ban on torn clothing in a of respect to the university campus.
He argued that “revealing” clothes can “stir up feelings among young people and may cause sexual harassment incidents” in statements to Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper.
Sorour said torn trousers showed students’ bodies, which he considered a breach of university traditions.
The dean reportedly stopped a few students on the first day of school for wearing torn clothes.
And in a meeting in his office, Sorour instructed them to avoid wearing ripped clothes, citing the sanctity of the university campus, and religious stance on donning this type of clothing.
Reactions to the ban on ripped clothes were mixed, with some saying it was right because such attire does not abide by the Islamic modest dressing. Others expressed anger at the decision, saying it was taking the college back to “primitive times.”
Founder and Executive Director of Nazra for Feminist Studies, Mozn Hassan, said that no one has the right to define a particular garment for any citizen, adding that harassment cannot be linked to dress, she told the newspaper.
* Al Arabiya