By Saeed Al-Suraihi
Okaz
THE Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah has a right to dismiss 27 of its girl students after noticing that their behavior necessitated their final expulsion. The university, therefore, has every right to do so according to its own belief. The Taif University has done the same thing earlier.
As long as the university is the defendant and the judge at the same time, it is the sole body which will determine the enormity of the crime and the quantum of punishment.
It has every right to see that this is the right thing to do as long as it is only concerned with the integrity of its girl students without giving any attention to what will happen to these girls after their rustication.
The university has taken the decision to expel the girl students without undertaking its educational and correctional role toward the society.
Contrary to the move, the university should have carefully studied and corrected the unacceptable behavior of the girl students which led to their dismissal.
The decision to expel the girl students simply means that the university is only concerned about its own interests without giving any consideration to the society.
The university has the right to decide the number of girls to be expelled and the magnitude of the disciplinary measures against them.
The dean of the undergraduate studies in the university has every right to ask all the girl students to strictly adhere to the teachings of Islam.
But this dean should first know that providence, leniency and responsibility toward the society represent an integral part of the Islamic tenets.
She should realize that leaving the dismissed girls to face their unknown future without reforming or giving them the required treatment is against the values of Islam which propagate that the society is one body in which if an organ is ailing, all the other parts will also be sick.
The protection of the girl students from the deviated behavior of other students is no doubt a duty of the university. This is theologic used by the university to justify its decision of summarily dismissing the girl students.
However, social, ethical and educational responsibilities necessitate that the expelled students should have been protected against their slanted behavior.
Their individual cases should have been thoroughly studied before they were axed. They should have been treated especially when their conduct has become a social phenomenon as it was evident by the large number of the dismissed girls.
By so doing, it is obvious that the university has resorted to the easiest solution and has therefore abandoned its difficult role which it will not be able to perform if it has not shouldered its responsibility toward the society.
Before dismissing them, the university should have first tried to correct them, consider what might happen to them in the future and had some consideration for the society.
