Resisting the Erasure: Scholasticide & the Struggle for Palestinian Freedom
Fobzu, in collaboration with the Galilee Foundation and the British Palestinian Committee, hosted a panel at the Frontline Club on 24th June titled “Resisting the Erasure: Scholasticide & the Struggle for Palestinian Freedom.” This event featured conversations with Palestinian academics and advocates on resisting systematic efforts to erase Palestinian collective life, both under occupation and in exile. Dr. Ahmed Abu Shaban, Dean and Associate Professor at Al Azhar University in Gaza and member of the university board, called for urgent support to go directly to universities in Gaza as they work to resume online teaching. He welcomed the recent upsurge in solidarity with Gaza’s academic community but emphasised the importance of directing this support towards strengthening the resilience of the academic institutions in Gaza so that they can fulfill their mission.
Dr. Abdel Razzaq Takriti, Associate Professor of History at Rice University and co-founder of Scholars Against the War on Palestine elaborated on the concept of scholasticide as a facet of the ongoing genocide being carried out in Gaza. He urged efforts to assist academics in Gaza to preserve their academic institutions in the face of attempts to destroy them completely. Dr. Zahira Jaser from the University of Sussex reflected on her own experience in industry and academia and the pervasive silencing of Palestinian experience and voices, and the importance of resisting these efforts.
Dr. Sara Husseini, Director of the British Palestinian Committee closed the panel by tracing the colonial continuities of British policy towards Palestine, noting their intensification over the past nine months, including through providing political and military support to Israel. While condemning UK leaders for failing to uphold their legal and moral responsibilities towards the Palestinian people, accusing them of greenlighting Israel’s genocidal campaign, Dr Husseini also spoke of the historic mobilisation of solidarity across the UK, especially on campuses, which is a source of hope and is having a significant impact on British politics.
