(PHILADELPHIA, PA, 10/29/2024) — Today, the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Philadelphia), in collaboration with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), and Swarthmore College students and faculty, held a press conference announcing a Title VI complaint with the Department of Education against Swarthmore College.
The 32-page-long Title VI complaint said Swarthmore College’s repeated violations of student rights and discriminatory treatment across diverse student and affinity groups is in violation of Department of Education guidelines.
Speakers at the press conference provide examples of the hostile environment on campus and the threat it imposes to the safety of Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, Jewish, and other students, staff, and faculty who stand against occupation, apartheid, and genocide.
The speakers included Swarthmore College students Fatima H., Ragad A., Swarthmore College professors Ahmad Shokr and Farha Ghannam, Swarthmore College alum and Jewish Voice for Peace Philly member Dani Noble, and CAIR- Philadelphia’s Adam Attia and Ahmet Tekelioglu.
READ: Title VI Complaint against Swarthmore College over Anti-Muslim, Anti-Palestinian Environment
WATCH: Press Conference Video Recording
SEE: Photos from the Press Conference
In a statement, CAIR-Philadelphia Legal Director Adam Alaa Attia said:
“It is sad that an institution with Swarthmore College’s caliber would repeatedly fail its community members and foster an unsafe environment. We hope this complaint serves as a solid reminder that Swarthmore’s own students and faculty are dedicated to help it overcome its anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian bias. We stand behind every line of our 32-page-long complaint.”
Swarthmore College Student Ragad A. said:
“Swarthmore waited close to a year to even process my bias report. Anti-genocide students breathe an air of dehumanization and disrespect, and I expect nothing but equal treatment from Swarthmore which I used to have profound respect for.”
Swarthmore College Student Fatima Hmada said:
“My school spent tens of thousands of dollars on a private law firm only to try and incriminate me while failing to follow proper process — only because I demanded better from this school such that we do not have the stain of supporting an ongoing genocide. We lift the banner of alumni before us that stood against apartheid in South Africa and the Vietnam War. We know we have the moral high ground and are committed to holding Swarthmore accountable to its own values.”
Swarthmore College professors Ahmad Shokr and Farha Ghannam said:
“We are proud of our students who have shown moral courage against an administration that has failed in its responsibility to respect all students and faculty. We are honored to be their teachers and companions on this path of Justice. The Title VI complaint is the product of months of research and documentation. Anyone looking at it will see how our school failed its own community. We wish we were not here, but Swarthmore did not leave us any other pathway. It is now their responsibility to take a good hard look at its own processes — and personnel — and make necessary changes.”
Swarthmore College alum and JVP Philly member Dani Noble said:
“As a Jewish Swarthmore alum organizing for justice in Palestine, I was already concerned about Swarthmore’s direction, seeing how it targeted its own Jewish students observing the Jewish holiday of Sukkot last week, as well as how the college has discriminated against Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students standing up for justice, I am now even more appalled at my own alma mater. During my time at Swarthmore, we were told about the long history of the school’s social justice-oriented stance, and I was proud to be part of that legacy through my organizing on-campus. Standing against the killing of children and asking that we are not complicit in it deserves to be celebrated, not punished.”
BACKGROUNDER: Introduction to Title VI Complaint
Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students and faculty report that they feel unsafe on campus and feel excluded from the greater Swarthmore College (Swarthmore) community. Swarthmore has initiated disciplinary proceedings against a disproportionate number of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students based on frivolous charges and has failed to afford these students fundamental due process rights during these proceedings. Most egregious, Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students and faculty report that the Swarthmore administration, especially Student Affairs, exude disdain towards these students and faculty during interactions such as meetings and public statements.
Swarthmore has created an environment in which Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students and their allies feel targeted, threatened, and unsafe. The administration has taken a hostile approach toward Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students by ignoring their complaints of discrimination, pursuing student disciplinary proceedings against these students, limiting and prohibiting their on-campus and speech related activities, and ignoring requests by civil rights organizations to address concerns of discrimination. Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students, and those associated and affiliated with Palestinians, feel that their voices are being silenced due to their racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, as well as their advocacy for Palestine.
Swarthmore has been determined to pursue student disciplinary proceedings against Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students for nonviolent protest related activities that were previously permitted by Swarthmore.
Thousands of dollars and countless hours and resources are being used to criminalize Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students. Members of the Muslim community have reported that they feel like “non-entities” and feel excluded from the Swarthmore community. This past year there have been numerous actions by the administration to make Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students and faculty feel this way including student disciplinary proceedings, public statements against organizations composed of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students, public statements and displays of support for only Israeli victims, and even in Swarthmore programming. Swarthmore has chosen to discontinue the Islamic Studies programming for this academic year, demonstrating that Swarthmore does not care about the mostly Muslim students the Islamic Studies program served.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Philadelphia Legal Director Adam Alaa Attia, aattia@cair.com; CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Ahmet Tekelioglu, atekelioglu@cair.com; 617-401-5397.
