At CAIR-Philadelphia, we are committed to our mission of promoting justice and mutual understanding! To that end, we are sharing this letter from Students for Justice in Palestine (SPJ) – UD with our communities.
We applaud all students and community advocates for speaking up against inconsistent policies and for selective engagement with students who advocate for Palestine.
It is open to signatures/endorsements from community organizations and individuals: Sign the Letter.
Dear UD Administration and Community,
Before we address the heart of the matter, we would like to extend our thoughts and prayers to you and all of your loved ones. We sincerely hope that you are safe and healthy. We’ve been through a long year of trials and tribulations, with the pandemic and various social issues.
I reach out to you today on behalf of our Students for Justice in Palestine chapter (SJP at UD). Our RSO is comprised of undergraduate students and alumni and is dedicated to promoting justice, human rights, liberation, decolonization, and self-determination of the Palestinian people who have been living without basic rights under Israeli military occupation since 1948. As students, our priorities are education, awareness, legislation, and critical/analytical discussions of the occupation of Palestine and the Israeli Apartheid state under the settler-colonial structure of Israel. We aim to promote political development and political awareness about other liberation movements (i.e Black Liberation, Indigenous Liberation, etc.) and the history of our own.
In addition to working towards the liberation of Palestine, as Palestinians in the diaspora alongside our allies, we work to ensure the inclusivity of a genuine understanding of Palestinian people, culture, history, and, in essence, existence. We also work to provide resources for Palestinians at the University of Delaware while advocating on their behalf to ensure that they are treated with the same respect, dignity, and worth. We give the same attention to Palestinians on our own campus as we do to the families in Palestine currently being forcibly displaced.
It is with a heavy heart that we address you today, for we have a lot of concerns that we wish to bring forth. We are extremely late with this letter, as it should have been sent a month ago when tensions were high and social media was hypervigilant on the question of Palestine. In late April/early May, Palestinians in a neighborhood in East Jerusalem called Sheikh Jarrah, many of whom sought refuge after being forcibly displaced from their homes in 1948, were told that their homes were not theirs and that they would be evicted to make room for settlers coming from places like Long Island, NY. This sparked a string of peaceful protests within cities across Occupied Palestine, standing in solidarity with Sheikh Jarrah. At the end of the Holy month of Ramadan, during the last ten days, Israeli Occupation Forces prevented Muslim Palestinians from praying in the Al Aqsa and Dome of the Rock mosques, closing the doors, and placing barriers. This sparked a new wave of protests and rightful Palestinian resistance which resulted in an escalation of state-sanctioned violence.
In Gaza, 256 Palestinians were killed and 2,000 were wounded. Over 2,000 housing and commercial units were destroyed. An estimated 15,000 housing units sustained some degree of damage. About 113,000 Palestinians were internally displaced. In Jerusalem, after Israeli Occupation Forces stormed the compound on May 7th, with stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets, more than 300 Palestinians were wounded. Later, on May 8th, more than 600 Palestinians were wounded and more than 400 were hospitalized. On May 10th, Israeli Occupation Forces stormed the compound again, leaving 520 Palestinians wounded, with more than 333 transferred to hospitals. Between May 14th and May 16th, 13 Palestinians in the West Bank were killed, more than 100 Palestinians were injured. On May 17th, 3 more Palestinian protesters were killed by the occupation forces. By May 18th, the day of the General [Global] Strike, 71 Palestinians were wounded. By May 21st, a total of 26 Palestinians in the West Bank were killed and about 6,900 were injured. That is a rough total of 282 Palestinians killed and more than 8,900 Palestinians injured, in addition to the many Palestinians in Gaza that were displaced, the damaged infrastructure, the many Palestinians who were arrested for protesting, and the lynchings of Palestinians by mobs of Israeli settlers.
There is a reason for sharing these gruesome numbers. They are a representation of the gross disproportionality and power asymmetry that exists in this so-called “conflict.” They are a representation of deliberate targeting of a specific population (Palestinians) that Palestinian and pro-Palestinian students at UD are deeply saddened and pained by. Palestinians on our campus, in our local community, and across the country have been continuously keeping up with everything that is going on the ground, including these numbers. Several of our SJP at UD members were hosting live sessions on social media to update the general public about what was going on the ground, by bringing residents of Sheikh Jarrah, Palestinians in Gaza amidst the bombing, and Palestinians who were arrested and detained to speak. Palestinians on campus, during finals week, while studying and taking their finals, struggled to keep up with their families and friends currently on the ground, many of whom live in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Yet, despite that, there was absolutely no recognition of Palestinian UD students on campus, not then, and not a month later.
No statement. No acknowledgment. No recognition. In 2020, when there was an increasing awareness about police brutality in the U.S, when BLM rightfully took to the streets to protest the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbrery, the UD Administration released multiple statements, standing in solidarity with BIPOC students. Over the last year, the UD Administration extended its support and solidarity to the Asian community at UD, condemning the rise of anti-Asian violence. Yet, here we are, as Palestinian students and allies on campus, with no recognition of our struggle and no solidarity. It is absolutely despicable, yet not necessarily surprising. This is not a complicated issue. It is not one that requires a degree in Middle Eastern Studies from UD’s History or Political Science Departments to understand. Palestinians peacefully protested the Israeli theft of Palestinian land and the displacement of Palestinian families, and, in retaliation, Israeli Occupation Forces attacked the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site, during the holy month of Ramadan. This is nothing new, nor is it isolated. This is a continuation of a larger settler-colonial movement, dedicated to land theft and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, since 1948. This is not a religious issue nor is it confined to any particular faith. It is not complex. It is not a mere dispute. It is not a mere “conflict.” Since January, NGOs such as B’tSelem and Human Rights Watch have released reports describing the apartheid structure of Israel and its many crimes against Palestinians. Palestinians are living at the behest of a settler-colonial movement, facilitated through a permanent occupation and an apartheid state. It is actually that simple.
Ghassan Kanafani, Palestinian author of The Land of the Sad Oranges once said, “the Palestinian cause is not a cause for Palestinians only, but for every revolutionary, wherever he is…” This is an issue that should concern everyone. As citizens of America, we are complicit in the larger system. Our taxes, $3.8 billion annually, fund the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. We must be able to push back and reverse this complacency. We should not be supporting this regime, vocally, or financially, or tacitly. Therefore, we ask you to condemn the actions of the Israeli state and vocalize your support for Palestinians who currently attend or recently graduated from the University of Delaware.
Now that context has been provided for the last month or so, we wish to address a few concerns that have irritated Palestinians and allies on campus. On Thursday, May 27th, 2021, a 59-year-old Palestinian student at the University of Delaware graduated with a doctorate in Education, specifically Educational Leadership. He was referred to in Dean Rossi’s introduction as “the most experienced doctoral candidate.” You might have remembered him wearing a “Palestine” stole—a kuffieyh design (often stigmatized) with the Palestinian flag, Palestine in big red letters, the icon of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, and, in Arabic, “Jerusalem is ours”—and sharing an anecdote about how his parents were illiterate yet managed to push him and his siblings to become doctors and engineers. To the UD community of Academia, this student was the embodiment of academic experience and excellence. To Palestinians and allies of the UD community, this student was the embodiment of perseverance and Palestinian excellence; a representation of what a Palestinian can achieve even after enduring years under brutal occupation.
We share the story of this older student so you understand the value that the Palestinian community brings to your campus. Palestinians from various walks of life, abroad and locally, have come to UD to obtain an education in STEM-related fields and the Humanities and have dedicated time and effort towards achieving academic excellence and demanding a more inclusive and responsible community/administration. While we concede that the Palestinian community at UD is small, it nonetheless deserves the same appreciation and attention, especially in such a dire, hard time.
As Students for Justice in Palestine, we question, with great urgency, why there was not [on May 27th] and there has never been a Palestinian flag hosted on stage for every graduation commencement or hooding? Every year there is an Israeli flag (the flag of the settler-colonial movement and occupation of Palestine), a Saudi Arabian flag, a Sudanese flag, and a host of other countries, mostly European, which serve to show the countries which the student body represents. Yet, despite that, there was not a Palestinian flag on May 27th. We question with great urgency, why only half of the doctoral hooding ceremony was posted on UD’s YouTube, and why the university conveniently left out the entire Education Department’s hooding, which our Palestinian student was a proud graduate of? We understand, after emails were sent and comments were made under the video, that this was an “error,” but such an error surely raises eyebrows! We question, with great urgency, why, in the video that was posted for the first half of the hooding ceremony, a list of countries which the 2021 doctoral candidates represented were included and yet, conveniently, Palestine was left out (screenshot below)? An email was sent, inquiring about it, however, it’s been more than 36 hours and there has not been a response.
Additionally, we question why, when the Palestinian student informed their department of their national origins as “Palestine” so that it may be represented on a slide such as this screenshot, or named at the actual ceremony, it was not, nor was a Palestinian flag included. We question with great urgency, why in the 2021 hooding ceremony for all doctoral candidates, the university chose not to explicitly mention to the audience the list of countries being represented, as was mentioned in the 2019 hooding ceremony, as though to conceal and purposely disclude a Palestinian student and graduate? We question with great urgency why the statement/commentary that this Palestinian student provided for the ceremony was doctored in a way that changed facts and excluded a very specific “thank you” to the student’s wife? Should there be a policy that requires the removal of any specific names, then that should have been communicated directly with the student prior to the hooding ceremony. We question with great urgency, the cultural insensitivity in the pronunciation of this student’s name in this virtual video that was sent to each doctoral candidate. We question why when this Palestinian student submitted a photo for a CEHD post, at the request of the Academic Support Coordinator, David Hannah, of him wearing the “Free Palestine” stole, the picture was never used, nor was there any communication that this picture was deemed inefficient for use. There was also never a post made. We question why when this Palestinian student filled out a form for the commencement ceremony, answering “Palestine” as the country of origin, it was never used, mentioned, or shared.
These instances may seem trivial to you, but they are absolutely not. This is a direct example of the continuous erasure that Palestinians in Occupied Palestine AND in the diaspora face. This is too interconnected to be coincidental and too prevalent to be isolated. This is erasure and we demand a thorough, reasonable explanation if there is any. As Students for Justice in Palestine at UD, we seek to represent all Palestinians on campus and those who stand in solidarity with us. Just as we worked to push out a letter demanding accountability on behalf of the Black community at UD, on June 4th, 2020, we seek to do the same for our own people.
Therefore, as students with distinct rights, we demand, without hesitation, the following:
- That the University of Delaware releases an official statement formally expressing their complete and unconditional solidarity with the Palestinian community and Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Delaware.
- That an apology be made directly to the student in question [by now the UD administration and community know who he is], and that it be publicly addressed to the UD community.
- That the second part of the hooding ceremony, which includes the entire education department of which our Palestinian student is part of, be posted on UD’s YouTube, AND that the list of countries being represented is rewritten to include Palestine.
- That a Palestinian flag be present at EVERY graduation commencement and hooding ceremony, ESPECIALLY if there is a Palestinian student graduating.
- As the CUNY Community demanded in their Statement of Solidarity, that the University:
- “Highlight Palestinian scholarship on Palestine in syllabi, our writing, and through invitation of Palestinian scholars and community members to speak at departmental and university events, and extend this approach to any and all indigenous scholars within the university and in our communities.”
- That the University makes a conscious effort to reach out to their Palestinian students and to the Students for Justice in Palestine at UD to discuss solidarity, resources, and the effects of the realities on the ground on Palestinians on our campus and in the diaspora.
For further reference as to the kind of response UD’s Palestinian and Pro-Palestinian community needs and expects from UD administration please check out these faculty-led statements:
- Statement by Harvard Faculty in Support of Palestinian Liberation:
- Princeton University Community Statement of Solidarity with the Palestinian People:
- Stanford Community Protests Israeli State Violence Against Palestinians
- CUNY Community Statement of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
With great respect, exhaustion, and frustration,
Students for Justice in Palestine
Contact: President of SJP at UD: Nada Abuasi at nadaabu@udel.edu
Official Signatories:
- Nada Abuasi, She/Her/, President of Students for Justice in Palestine and Secretary of United Missions for Relief and Development, Political Liason for Muslim Student Association
- Council on American-Islamic Relations, Philly, Community Organization
- Hafsah Mansoori, Treasurer of Muslim Student Association, Treasurer of Students for Justice in Palestine
- Cassiana Desir, She/They, Treasurer for Russian Club
- Zumana Noor, She/Her, Community Member
- Andréa Reynolds, She/Her, Vice President of KoDAC and Director of Publicity of the Lavender Programming Board
- Anonymous Signer, She/Her
- Cristina de Arana, She/Ella, Alumni Class of 2021
- Raphael Dela Cruz, He/Him/His, Alumni Class of 2021
- Diana Peterson, She/Her
- Chaela Wills, She/Her
- Abubakarr Bah, President of National Society of Black Engineers
- Jalen Adams, He/Him, Director of Photography for The New Zine Magazine
- Sarah LaTorre, She/Her
- Yara Awad, She/Her
- Matthew Rigor, He/Him, Alumni Class of 2020
- Zien Awad, She/Her
- Ellie, She/Her, Community Member/Delawarean
- Austin Figliola, Community Member
- Jena Awad, Alumni, Class of 2020
- Daniel Carapezzi, He/Him, Alumni, Class of 2021
- Iris Inez Perez-Mazariegos, She/Her, Class of 2021, Outgoing President of We’re First
- Brittany Pham, She/Her, Alumni, Class of 2019
- Fran, they/them, Class of 2022, Former Resident Assistant
- David Deming, Alumni, Class of 2021
- Noelly Abreu, She/Her, Student, University of Delaware Senior
- Dan Nguyen, She/Her, Alumni, Class of 2021
- Colin Mooney, He/Him, Community Member and Organizer: Food Not Bombs, Construction Worker, Revolutionary
- Razan, She/They, Student
- Areeba Khan, She/Her, Student, President of the Muslim Student’s Association, Congressional Leadership Development Fellow, TEDx Speaker, Senate Staffer
- Anonymous Signer, Student, Class of 2023
- Janice Xie, Community Member, Newark Citizen
- Carina Christenbury, They/Them, Student, Board Member of Lavender Programming Board, The New Magazine, Main Street Journal, V-Day, and a member of the Community Engagement Scholars
- Julianna Larock, She/Her, Student, Class 2021
- Rachel, She/They, Student, Class of 2025
- Taylor Easter, She/Her, Community Member
- Annie, She/They, Student, Class of 2022
- Anonymous Signer, She/Her, Student
- Maggie Buckridge, She/Her, Student, SOS Advocate, Eugene duPont Scholar
- Anonymous Signer, He/Him, Student
- Harleen Chahal, She/Her, Student
- Anne Glowacki, Student
- Arlett Ramierz, She/Her, Alumni, Class of 2021
- Lexi, She/Her, Student, Class of 2023
- Satvika Kadiyala, She/Her, Student, President of the Indian Student Association
- Ibrahim Salhab, Palestinian, Student
- Malak Hussein, Palestinian, Student, Class of 2023
- Kya Lomax, She/Her, Alumni, Class of 2021
- Anna Matteson, She/Her, Student
- Willa Lane, She/Her, Student, Class of 2023, 2021 NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholar
- Brendan McGivney, He/Him, Community Member
- Sheila Mandato, Alumni Class of 2021
- Barry Jones, Community Member, J.D. Candidate
- Johnathan Bracho, He/Him, Student
- Maya Walker, Student, Class of 2022
- Emily Gray, She/Her, Student, Class of 2022, Distinguished Scholar
- Amisha Jain, Alumni, Class of 2021
- Sean Wirt, He/Him, Student, Class of 2022
- James Ian Randall, He/Him, Community Member
- Thomas Waggner, He/Him, Student, ΦΜΑ Historian, UD NAFME Treasurer
- Chloe, She/Her, Student
- Safiyah Mansoori, Student, PhD Candidate
- Raviraj Barua, He/Him, Delaware Native, Alumni, Class of 2021
- Selma Cemerlic, She/Her, Student, Class of 2023, Resident Assistant, Biden Institute Equity Scholar Intern, Club Tennis Athlete, Peer Mentor, Research Assistant at the Joseph R. Biden School of Public Policy
- Fatheya Muflihi, Student, Class of 2024
- UD Parent
- Jacob Rumfield, Friend of School
- Sara Aboeleneen, She/Her, Student, PhD Candidate
- Marwane Adlani, He/Him, Class of 2021, Resident Assistant
- Lauren Mottel, She/Her, Student, Class of 2023
- Ibn Abdel, He/Him, Alumni, Class of 2019
- Faruk Mohammed, Alumni, Class of 2021
- Akram Ahamed, He/Him, Student, Class of 2021
- Ryan Dole, He/Him, Alumni, School of Music Class of 2021
- Al Abu, Community Member
- Quinn Kirkpatrick, She/Her, Alumni, Class of 2021, graduated Summa Cum Laude, Gamma Sigma Sigma Community Service Sorority, Lambda Pi Eta Honors Fraternity, World Scholars Program
- Ren Ross, They/Them, Student
- Michael Trainer, Student, Class of 2022
- Dounya Ramadan, She/Her, Community Member
- Rul, Community Member, Student
- Bee Smith, They/Them, Community Member
- Ryan Pic, They/Them, Community Member
- Fiona Eramo, She/Ther, President of Planned Parenthood Generation Action
- Anonymous Human Rights Advocate, Student, PhD Candidate
- Nino Diomede, He/Him, Student
- Fahd Hassan, Student, Class of 2023
- Janna Rus, She/Her, Student, Class of 2023, Honors
- Mounira Tahch, She/Her, Community Member
- Adam Vurek, He/Him, Ally
- Brenna Christenbury, Alumni of Class of 2020
- Anonymous Signer, She/Her, Student, Class 2022
- Nicole Du, She/Her, Alumni of Class 2018
- Jen Wilson, She/Her, Community Member
- Love Lacey, She/Ella, Staff and Alumni of Class of 2018
- Nabil Saleh, Community Member
- Anonymous Signer, Alumni, Class of 2019
- Jessica Larson, They/Them, Community Member
- Tiernan Settles, She/Her, Alumni of Class 2021, Women’s Rowing
- Anna Cauchy, Alumni Class of 2021
- Anonymous Signer, Community Member
- Anonymous Signer, Alumni, 2021 Graduate
- Anonymous Signer, She/Her, Alumni, Class of 2019
- Anonymous Signer, She/Her, Alumni, Class of 2019
- Noor Al-Sabbagh, She/Her, Community Member, Student
- Colleen Hawk, She/Her, Community Member
- Mackenzie Myers, She/Her, Student, Real Wellness Chairwoman, Gamma Phi Beta
- Claudia Schreier, She/Her, Student, Class of 2023, Blue Hen Ambassador
- Sharon Eady, She/Her, Community Member
- Andrew Bond, Community Member [“Lives near Newark and is affected by the UD Community”], Class of 2024
- Rita Sweeney, She/Her, Alumni, Class of 2021
- Max Pokropski, He/Him, Student
- Khazra Fatima, She/Her, Student, Class of 2023
- Kaitlyn Flowers, She/Her, Student, MFOL Social Media Director
- David Colton, Emeritus Faculty, Professor
- Anonymous Signer, Community Members
- Anonymous Signer, Student, CC, Greeklife, Intramural Sports
- Ryan Janzen, He/Him, Student, Class of 2023
- Tyrus Van Dyke, He/Him, Student, Class of 2023, Vice President of the International Relations Club
- James McGuire, He/Him, Student, Class of 2023
- Anonymous Signer, Student, Honors Chemical Engineeering Class of 2023
- Colin Walsh, He/Him, Student, Class of 2023
- AD, She/Her, Student, Class of 2023
- Anonymous Signer, Community Member
- Amaad Rafi, Alumni, Class of 2021
- Morga Shinwari, She/Her, Student, MSA Member
- Yasmine Awayes, She/Her, Student, Medical Diagnostics Class of 2023
- Anonymous Signer, He/Him, Student, Vice President of Students for Justice in Palestine
- Anonymous Signer, Student
- Michael Shumate, He/Him, Student, Class of 2022
- Falah Al-Falahi, Student, Class of Year 2023
- Yusra Asif Qureshi, She/Hers, Student
- Zainab, Student, Class of 2024
- Shawon Akter, Community Member
- Anonymous Signer, She/Her, Community Member, Educator
- Ahmed Aldahwah, Community Member
- Tara Grier, She/Her, Community Member
- Sameeh Bajwa, Student
- Dina Dawood, She/Her, Student, Class of Year 2023
- Thomas Bond Jr., Alumni of Class 2020
- Zan Shahid, He/Him, Student
- Julia Hatoum, She/Her, Student, SGA Public Relations Senator, UD Trustee Scholar, Accessabilities Scholar, Resident Assistant, Class of 2024
- Maura, Community Member
- Michael Hahn, Student, Class of 2023
- NM, Student
- M1997, Student, Class of 2022
- Sabrina Selim, Alumni of Class 2021
- Nayab Abid, She/Her, Student
- Kamal Muhanna, Student, Outreach Chair of Muslim Student Association
- Bri Keller, She/Her, Student, Class of 2023, President of American Choral Directors Association
- Amber Rance, She/Her/They, Alumni, Class of 2020
- Emilia D’Antonio, Community Member
- Mike Abel, She/Her, Community Member, Ally
- Janet Armitage, Community Member, Ally
- Elizabeth McGill Haas, She/Her, Alumni
- Sam, Community Member
- Fatemah Butt, She/Her, Community Member, Class of 2023
- Kristin Davis, She/Her, Community Member
- Hadeel Ahmed, She/Her, Student
- Rucha Wani, She/Her, Alumni, Class of 2021
- Anonymous Signer, She/Her, Community Member
- Aida Friedenreich, She/Her, Retired Librarian
- Marissa Pane, Student, She/Her
- David Chandler, He/Him, Alumni, 2004 Ph.D.
- Marjorie Johnson, She/Her/, Ally, Delawareans for Palestinian Human Rights
- Nur Qutyan, Community Member, President of Students for Justice in Palestine, Temple
- June Eisley, Community Member
- Anonymous Signer, Community Member
- Anjali Das, Student, Class of 2023
- Aiah Abusalih, Student, Class of 2023
- Britney Vasquez, She/Her, Student, Class of 2023
- C. Warren Haas, He/Him, Community Member
- Aisha Mohammed, Community Member
- Katherine Riley, Graduate Alumni, Class of 2019
- Amina Shinwari, Student, Class of 2022
- Afia Asamoah, She/Her, Alumni, Class of 2021
- Areej Shahid, Student, Chemical Engineering PhD Candidate
- Warren R. Smith, Community Activist, Delawareans for Palestinian Human Rights
- UD, you are caving under the political and financial pressure exerted by the pro Zionist lobbies in America. Not only do you fail to recognize the inhumane conditions Palestinians have faced since 1948, you shield a true history of events from your students, America’s youth and public.
- Mariam Z. Chaudhry, Student
- Jo Anne Deshon, She/Her, Alumni, PhD
- Anonymous Signer, Student
- Tolu, She/Her, Community Member
- Ameen, Alumni, Class of 2020
- Kayla Hughes, Alumni, Class of 2020
- Angela Yu, She/Her, Student, Senior Advisor of the Asian & Pacific Islander Student Association
- Miriam Weidner, Retired
- Ellen O. Wasfi, She/Her, Community Member
- Chu Paing, She/They, Community Member
- Joan Y. French, She/Her, Alumni, Ed.D 2019, BS 1976
- Ummh Islam, She/Her, Student, Class of 2023
- Onaedo Okoye, She/Her, Community Member, Public Relations Chair of BSU
- Faizal Chaudhury, Prior Adjunct Faculty Member
- Ahmet Selim Tekelioglu, He/Him, Community Member and Advocate
- Madinah Wilson-Anton, She/Her, Staff, BA Class of 2016, MA, Class of 2022
