More threats to academic freedom

JVL Introduction

The British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) is concerned that decolonisation as a scholarly approach to studying Israel and Palestine is under attack, particularly since October 7th.  Below is their statement and appendix.

They note: “… in efforts to invalidate scholarship on settler colonialism, its opponents present the calls for decolonisation and anticolonialism outside of their historical context and cast them as calls to displace and/or eliminate all Jews living in Israel.”  That critics are effectively calling this approach to study antisemitic and, of course, the IHRA “working definition of antisemitism” looms large. The threat to further limit academic freedom and broader freedom of speech is likely to get worse. The government has issued this tender notice on tackling antisemitism in schools and colleges with rolling out the IHRA at its centre.  We encourage you to sign this open letter objecting to this ‘Tackling Antisemitism in Education’ Tender (google.com)

And, where are the programmes to tackle Islamophobia, racism experienced by Black people and the Gipsy, Roma and Traveller communities?

This article was originally published by British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (Website) on Mon 19 Feb 2024. Read the original here.