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Young Egyptian Woman Insulted For Wearing Dress To Uni Exams Instead Of Veil

An investigation is underway after this pretty Egyptian student was bullied by university invigilators during the end of the year exams because she was wearing a dress and not a veil.

Student Habiba Tariq, whose age was not given, said one exam observer kept looking at her after he saw her photo of her in a veil on her ID card, and asked whether she was a Muslim or Christian.

The incident took place at Tanta University in the city of Tanta in the Egyptian governorate of Gharbia last week.

The Egyptian student Habiba Tarek Zahran who was bullied by exam observers for wearing this dress instead of pants. (Habiba Tarek/Newsflash)

Tariq, a student in the second year at the Faculty of Arts, said it began with a male invigilator questioning whether she was Muslim or Christian, before two female colleagues repeatedly insulted her for the dress she was wearing.

She added: “An exam invigilator accompanying her female colleague stopped me as soon as I left the examination panel and mocked me because of the dress.

“The observer kept calling her colleague, ‘come see what she is wearing’, and she asked me if I forgot to wear my trousers, and if I am a Muslim or a Christian.”

The Egyptian student Habiba Tarek Zahran who was bullied by exam observers for wearing this dress instead of pants. (Habiba Tarek/Newsflash)

Tariq, who originally comes from Alexandria, claimed the observers also said: “You were veiled in the ID card and you took off the veil and decided to be impolite.”

A colleague reportedly added: “All Alexandrians are like this in the first place.”

Regarding the offending clothing item, Tariq explained: “I was wearing a dress that has two-thirds of my arms and below the knee covered.

The Egyptian student Habiba Tarek Zahran who was bullied by exam observers for wearing a dress instead of pants. (Habiba Tarek/Newsflash)

“I do not understand what I did wrong. I don’t know why this happened to me, and why they made me leave college in a hurry after they made me a laughing stock for everyone.”

Tanta University spokesperson Walid al-Ashry has confirmed that the university will investigate the matter and announce the findings soon.

Egyptian MP Ahmed Makled has requested a briefing from the higher education minister over the alleged bullying incident.

The Egyptian student Habiba Tarek Zahran who was bullied by exam observers for wearing a dress instead of pants. (Habiba Tarek/Newsflash)

Makled called the allegations “verbal harassment” and labelled it a “bullying crime”.

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