Women sue R'dam Islamic Univ. after sex threats, expulsion

Two female students have stepped to the judge to plead their case against an administrator of the Islamic University of Rotterdam (IUR) of sexual intimidation. After attempting to deal with the issue at the school itself, the students were kicked out, the Algemeen Dagblad reports.

According to the students, aged 33 and 38, a member of the Board of Administrators made sexual innuendo on two occasions. The Algemeen Dagblad went to the school's lawyer, Süzen-Akdemir, but he denies the accusations, and does not want to comment further because the case is now under the judge.

The students say that the first incident happened in June, during a discussion where another board member was also present. The women say that the administrator became irritated, then came to stand very close to the women, threatening to loosen his belt. He then pointed to a back room, and in Turkish said to the women: "Go backwards, I'm going to give it to you."

The students' lawuer Emel Cekic says that the girls were very shocked and scared. "The sexual reference was very clear. In an educational institution, caution is called for, and especially in an Islamic environment, this is the last thing you'd expect. It was a traumatic experience."

In the second incidents, the administrator told the women: "Whether you want to or not, you will go through my hands", the AD writes.

The women want to complete their study Islamic Sciences despite being kicked out. They have taken the matter to court. According to the school, the women do not "fit in the culture".

The womens' lawyer says that the students' complaints have fallen on deaf ears, and that the men of the board of administrators simply had to say that the women are lying, with the result being expulsion.

The court will make a decision in this case in two weeks.