The motion proposed by members of the Palestine Society at last week’s UGM – to twin LSE Students’ Union with the Islamic University of Gaza – was a divisive, political gesture that had very little to do with education. Do not be fooled: this motion was not about the right to education. It was about manipulating a good cause for political motivation.
In the motion it states that the Union resolves ‘To publicise our policy of twinning with the Islamic University of Gaza by erecting a plaque at some place on LSE campus agreed upon by consultation with the school and students…To raise awareness within this union and beyond to local and national constituencies about the issues facing Palestinian education under military occupation…To oppose Israel’s illegal military occupation and its attacks on Palestinian education and to lobby the elected representatives of our own government to pressure the Israeli government…”
Why is it that a minority of students has the ability to hijack our Union and divide the student body rather than propose a motion actually about the Right to Education that we can all support? I thought I knew what our Students’ Union stood for; I thought it stood up for liberty, freedom and tolerance. I am ashamed that my Union has decided to go against the values we all hold so dear and twin with such a university as the IUG. Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiyah (Director of advanced studies at the university) wrote that “The Jews are a threat and for that reason Allah demands they be killed: The Jews are the Jews…. They do not have any moderates or any advocates of peace. They are all liars. They must be butchered and must be killed…It is forbidden to have mercy in your hearts for the Jews in any place and in any land. Make war on them any place that you find yourself. Any place that you meet them, kill them.”
The Islamic University of Gaza is a hotbed of misogyny and antisemitism and by twinning with them we are standing in solidarity with these repulsive ideologies.
It is unforgivable for our Students’ Union to stand side by side in solidarity with an institution that has such illiberal and fascist values. The question I really want to ask is, why IUG? Why did the proposers of the motion seek to endorse this, the most extreme, most fascist and most illiberal university in the Palestinian territories?
Do not let them tell you that it is the only university in Gaza; that is simply not true. Across the road is Al-Azhar University Gaza; a far less extreme, secular Fatah-supporting university which would have been a much more worthy and less controversial partner.
LSE is certainly a hotbed for debate over middle-eastern politics, a fact that we should take pride in. However, with this unique position comes responsibility. Our responsibility is to ensure that members of the student body are not made to feel isolated. A decision as significant as this will not please everyone, but under no circumstances should it leave almost half the student body unsettled and concerned. Now that LSE’s Students’ Union is twinned with IUG, I cannot wait for LSE students to go to the university and witness first hand the corruption of Hamas, their preaching of anti-West rhetoric and the intimidation of women. LSE, which since its creation in 1895 has embraced and promoted socially progressive values, has now publicly applauded an institution that is exactly the opposite of this.
The passing of this motion is a fundamental betrayal of the LSE’s open-minded, liberal values.
Related posts:
- School and Union call for calm on campus
- Union Jack – MT6
- Opt-in to the Union
- Mismanagement leads to Union restructure
- Athletics Union is BUCSing the Trend
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on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 08:14 and is filed under Comment.
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Furthering the Debate – Ashamed of my Union
by Gabrielle Kobrin on 3 Dec 2009 in Comment
The motion proposed by members of the Palestine Society at last week’s UGM – to twin LSE Students’ Union with the Islamic University of Gaza – was a divisive, political gesture that had very little to do with education. Do not be fooled: this motion was not about the right to education. It was about manipulating a good cause for political motivation.
In the motion it states that the Union resolves ‘To publicise our policy of twinning with the Islamic University of Gaza by erecting a plaque at some place on LSE campus agreed upon by consultation with the school and students…To raise awareness within this union and beyond to local and national constituencies about the issues facing Palestinian education under military occupation…To oppose Israel’s illegal military occupation and its attacks on Palestinian education and to lobby the elected representatives of our own government to pressure the Israeli government…”
Why is it that a minority of students has the ability to hijack our Union and divide the student body rather than propose a motion actually about the Right to Education that we can all support? I thought I knew what our Students’ Union stood for; I thought it stood up for liberty, freedom and tolerance. I am ashamed that my Union has decided to go against the values we all hold so dear and twin with such a university as the IUG. Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiyah (Director of advanced studies at the university) wrote that “The Jews are a threat and for that reason Allah demands they be killed: The Jews are the Jews…. They do not have any moderates or any advocates of peace. They are all liars. They must be butchered and must be killed…It is forbidden to have mercy in your hearts for the Jews in any place and in any land. Make war on them any place that you find yourself. Any place that you meet them, kill them.”
The Islamic University of Gaza is a hotbed of misogyny and antisemitism and by twinning with them we are standing in solidarity with these repulsive ideologies.
It is unforgivable for our Students’ Union to stand side by side in solidarity with an institution that has such illiberal and fascist values. The question I really want to ask is, why IUG? Why did the proposers of the motion seek to endorse this, the most extreme, most fascist and most illiberal university in the Palestinian territories?
Do not let them tell you that it is the only university in Gaza; that is simply not true. Across the road is Al-Azhar University Gaza; a far less extreme, secular Fatah-supporting university which would have been a much more worthy and less controversial partner.
LSE is certainly a hotbed for debate over middle-eastern politics, a fact that we should take pride in. However, with this unique position comes responsibility. Our responsibility is to ensure that members of the student body are not made to feel isolated. A decision as significant as this will not please everyone, but under no circumstances should it leave almost half the student body unsettled and concerned. Now that LSE’s Students’ Union is twinned with IUG, I cannot wait for LSE students to go to the university and witness first hand the corruption of Hamas, their preaching of anti-West rhetoric and the intimidation of women. LSE, which since its creation in 1895 has embraced and promoted socially progressive values, has now publicly applauded an institution that is exactly the opposite of this.
The passing of this motion is a fundamental betrayal of the LSE’s open-minded, liberal values.
Related posts:
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 08:14 and is filed under Comment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.