On August 21, CUCFA sent the following letter to H.E. Ambassador Mohamed M. Tawfik at the Embassy of Egypt in Washington, D.C., and to Consul General El Husseuni Abdel Wahab at the Egyptian Consulate in Los Angeles.
August 21, 2013
H.E. Ambassador Mohamed M. Tawfik
Embassy of Egypt
3521 International Ct. NW
Washington DC 20008
Phone: +1 202.895.5400
Fax: +1 202.244.5131
Email: Embassy@egyptembassy.net
(delivered by e-mail and fax)
Dear Ambassador Tawfik,
CUCFA (The Council of UC Faculty Associations) is an umbrella organization including Faculty Associations across the University of California campuses, representing hundreds of University of California professors. We write on behalf of the members of our organization to express our grave concern about the recent arrest and detention by Egyptian authorities of Professor John Greyson of York University and Dr. Tarek Loubani of the University of Western Ontario.
Many UC faculty know John Greyson and teach his films and writings in their courses. Over the last twenty years Professor Greyson has worked closely with UC film and arts faculty across the system. He is invited regularly to lecture and screen his films at nearly all UC campuses–most recently last fall when he visited UC Berkeley, UC Los Angeles, UC Santa Cruz and UC Irvine. Details about the arrest and detention of Greyson and Loubani have been very difficult to come by, but we understand that the pair have been held without charge, on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations, and without Canadian consular officials being apprised of a judicial process, violations of their basic human rights that we deplore.
We are grateful for your efforts to help diplomatic officials and Greyson and Loubani’s families maintain contact with them and ensure their safety. The Egyptian Transitional Government has publicly expressed its commitment to democratic values and the rule of law. In that spirit, we urge you to immediately release Professors John Greyson and Tarek Loubani.
Respectfully,
Robert Meister, President, Council of UC Faculty Associations
Professor History of Consciousness and Political and Social Thought, UC Santa Cruz