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Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Be Strong My Daughter, May Allah Protect You

I always assume my campus as Islamic as it is, until one day my daughter wrote in her diary

Kicked out

It was noon and I fell asleep in hostel, tired out, after completing my attachment report. I have been away for two months out of campus for the assignment and will be back for classes for last two semesters. Monday was three days ahead and the report should be ready for submission.


Suddenly someone shouted next to my bed and asked suspiciously, "Wake up! You pretend to sleep, don't you?"
I opened up my eyes lazily and still sleepy, trying to recognize the voice, but she went on, "We already warned you to vacant this room since yesterday. You already overstayed and should live off hostel."
Without waiting my response she closed off with her final words, "pack your things and depart from this room within two days. Another students will use this room. You may stay there in dusty warehouse if you like!"
The lady, apparently warden, disappeared, leaving me who stand still with my anxiety. My God, I have been 5 years in this campus and experienced many inconveniences, but never expect this kind of treatment. Kicked out like a beggar!

I never know such a rule which says that student who has not completed study more than 4 years should live off hostel. All happened just in seconds and rules always change as they like. What you can do is just accept it.

Still bewildered by sleepy eyes I started packing all my belongings slowly and contacted friends who might underwent the similar misery. They said they received similar "service", kicked out from room like hushed monkeys, who always play in front of our hostel and steal our food.

As student we always fulfil the university requirement, including all fees, unlike our senior at the old times who enjoy scholarship and stipends. But the administration seemed very delighted with abundant new students, with a new, higher rate of payment. It means higher income will be generated and hence become success story of converting university to a business entity. Those newbies should be the priority for staying than the oldies, since they pay higher fees, and of course know nothing about this place.

I know some senior students who still do not complete their study choose not to be out of campus. They pretend to move to somewhere else, but in fact they squat in junior's room, sharing their floor to sleep and desk to study. Although we have to walk quite a distance to classrooms, but staying in hostel certainly better than a rented house or apartment outside.

Then 5 of us, all ladies, and foreign students, browsed sites, dialed phones, texted everyone through SMS and Whatsapp, looking for a roof to stay, without thinking it may risk our safety and health. We should have been finding it within two days. Otherwise, we will be fined by hostel principal, which means more cost should be paid, and also disturbing our classes. If we are patient enough, and still want to live in hostel, we can apply for staying back at hostel after 19 September (if available) and can take dusty warehouse as a temporary hostel until the date!

Thanks God, finally we get a flat, enough for 5 of us, and not so far from campus. Of course the fee we should pay is 4 times higher than the hostel's and we should take a bus to get to campus. That means another cost should be counted. However, we cannot find a better choice because we should have a time, however short, to prepare everything for starting the classes on Monday.

My parent in my country kept contacting me through all media, seemed they are shocked and worry. With all the means they tried to keep me in hostel. They contacted all old friends during their campus days, who now might become high officers in campus or somewhere else. I knew because some of them tried to contact me. I know I need their help, but for time being I should find my place to stay first.

I told my parents not to worry about me. I was born here, and still feeling an aura of my born village, though I have been raised in my home country. I am still strong enough to face this rigid and weird people. What I need is just their pray so that nothing serious happened to us.

I told them not to tell me anymore about Islamic or not, like what they always told me before I enrolled in this university. For me they are just the same. Once people think about money they already became wolves whether they are under the name Islamic University or secular university. Now, disguised under a regime called "Islamic," "discipline", "rule", "regulation" or whatever they may say it, they exposed us to high risks, and put us as a target of street crimes. How Islamic this kind of treatment. Sick!

Thank you my beloved campus. You are so perfect as angels, not human being. 
This noon is your witness for everything, amid my sleepy eyes and difficulties in finding place to stay, after kicked out like a beggar.

اللهم أشغل الظالمين بالظالمين

RR
2nd September 2016

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