Middle East Studies Association

Middle East Studies Association Letters from The Board Home Advocacy Letters from The Board MESA Board Joint Letter With CAF condemning the decimation of the education sector in Gaza In This Section Advocacy Committee on Academic Freedom Task Force on Civil and Human Rights Letters from The Board Global Academy Categories All Interventions Responses Updates Resources Countries Canada Egypt Europe Iran Morocco North America Palestine/Israel Saudi Arabia Sudan Syria Turkey UAE UK US MESA Board Joint Letter With CAF condemning the decimation of the education sector in Gaza September 12, 2024Letters and Statements from the Board Interventions Palestine/Israel President Joseph R. Biden The White House Office of the President 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Vice President Kamala Harris The White House Office of the Vice President 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Honorable Antony Blinken Secretary of State U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520 Honorable Lloyd J. Austin III Secretary of Defense 1000 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC 20301-1000 Dear President Biden, Vice-President Harris, Secretary of State Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Austin, We write to you on behalf of the Committee on Academic Freedom (CAF) and the Board of Directors of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) to vehemently condemn the government of Israel’s brutal and cruel military campaign against the Palestinian people of Gaza and beseech you to urgently insist upon its immediate cessation. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health - Gaza, the death toll of Gazan Palestinians from Israeli attacks from 7 October 2023 until 9 September 2024 reached a shocking 40,972, with at least 94,761 wounded and untold numbers of dead who remain beneath the rubble. In this letter, as in our last two letters to Israeli government officials (25 January 2024; 21 November 2023), we focus on the decimation of the education sector in the Gaza Strip through the military’s killing of students, faculty, and staff and its targeted destruction of schools, university buildings, and related facilities. We are especially concerned to underscore the magnitude of the decimation by identifying by name and affiliation as many of the murdered Gazan scholars as is possible at this time. MESA was founded in 1966 to promote scholarship and teaching on the Middle East and North Africa. The preeminent organization in the field, MESA publishes the International Journal of Middle East Studies and has nearly 2800 members worldwide. MESA is committed to ensuring academic freedom and freedom of expression, both within the region and in connection with the study of the region in North America and elsewhere. Over the past 11 months, the unprecedented extent of death and destruction wrought by Israel’s war on Gaza has devastated the educational sector. According to the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 625,000 students—90,000 of whom are university students—and close to 23,000 teachers have been impacted by attacks on educational facilities and school closures. All remain without access to formal education or even a safe place to shelter. According to the UN in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, as of 8 September 2024, more than 10,000 students and 411 educational staff have been killed, while more than 15,394 students and 2,411 teachers have been injured since 7 October (OCHA, Humanitarian Situation Update #215, Gaza Strip, 9 September 2024). Moreover, 90 percent of school buildings have been damaged, and 85 percent of educational facilities are “out of service due to direct and deliberate targeting” (OCHA, Gaza Humanitarian Response Update, 22 July–4 August 2024). Within the first 100 days of the onslaught, all major universities were destroyed [see our letter 25 January 2024]. To date, numerous colleges and technical institutes have been severely damaged, if not destroyed. The physical infrastructure necessary for higher education—including laboratories, libraries, classrooms, the latest technologies, etc.—no longer exists. Furthermore, in the absence of (reliable) electricity, internet connectivity and even phone reception, even remote instruction is extremely challenging, if not practically impossible. As for primary and secondary education, 191 schools, including those run by UNRWA, have been bombed or vandalized. UNRWA, for one, has reported that no official schooling is available at any of its 200 schools. While 119 government schools have been heavily damaged, more than 62 have been completely destroyed. Many schools that have served to shelter internally displaced Palestinians, either because of the destruction of their homes or because of (repeated) evacuation orders, are among those facilities that have been destroyed, if not severely damaged, leading to the deaths of many of those taking shelter. Recent examples include: incidents on 6 and 7 September, when a tent housing internally displaced persons in Halima Al Sadia School in Jabalya Camp and a prayer hall inside Amr Ibn Al Aas school in Gaza city were hit; the targeting of a school in Deir el-Balah on 20 August, a school in Gaza City on 10 August (OCHA Humanitarian Situation Update #203, 12 Aug 2024) and two on 8 August (OCHA Humanitarian Situation Update #202, 9 August 2024), causing tremendous loss of life. Just the week before, four schools serving as shelters were attacked. Indeed, according to an assessment conducted by UNICEF, OCHA and Save the Children, 53% of schools used as shelters — amounting to some 190 — have been directly and deliberately hit by Israel’s military in the last 11 months. In addition to the massive destruction of Gaza’s physical educational infrastructure — the rebuilding of which will require many years and billions of dollars — the systematic killing of our Palestinian colleagues in Gaza needs to be highlighted. Scholars from across the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields, widely respected by their peers and students, have been targeted and murdered. These academics represented the intellectual leadership of the Palestinian community in Gaza and were the foundation for the accumulation and dissemination of knowledge. Various organizations have been documenting the Israeli military’s killing of Palestinian scholars and university professors. As a precise accounting is obstructed by the ongoing attacks and insecurity, we provide below only a partial list of the names and, where possible, academic affiliations of those scholars who have been killed. These individuals represent a very small percentage of those who have been integral to higher education and intellectual life in the Gaza Strip and have been catastrophically affected by death and suffering: the hundreds of faculty and staff and thousands of students and their families who have been killed in military assaults, bombings, or through prolonged exposure to starvation and disease since 7 October 2023. University Presidents: Professor Sufyan Tayeh, Islamic University of Gaza Professor Said Al-Zibda, University College of Applied Sciences Professor Muhammad Eid Shabir, former President, Islamic University of Gaza Deans: Dean Ibrahim al-Astal, Islamic University of Gaza Dean Khitam Al-Wasifi, Islamic University of Gaza Dean Mahmoud Abu Daf, Islamic University of Gaza Dean Omar Farwanah, Faculty of Medicine, Islamic University of Gaza Dean Taysir Ibrahim, Faculty of Shari’a and Law, Islamic University of Gaza Dean Nasser Abu Al-Nour, Faculty of Nursing, Islamic University of Gaza Dean Ahmed Abu Absa, University of Palestine Dean Ahmed Al-Dalu, University of Palestine Dean Naim Baroud, Faculty of Arts, Islamic University of Gaza Professors and academic staff (listed in groups by institutional affiliation): Professor Adham Hassouna, Al-Aqsa University Professor Ahmad Mahmoud al-Qara, Al-Aqsa University Professor Nesma Abu Shaqra, Al-Aqsa University Professor Abdel-Nasir Al-Saqqa, Al-Aqsa University Professor Nidal Qaddura, Al-Aqsa University Professor Wiesam Essa, Al-Aqsa University Professor Fadil Abu Hain, Al-Aqsa University Dr. Mohamad Hammad, lecturer in Business, Al-Aqsa University Yahya Ghabban, lecturer, Faculty of Arts, Al-Aqsa University Professor Jihad Al-Masri, Al-Quds Open University Professor Hassan Kafarneh, Al-Quds Open University Professor Muhammed Atef Awad, Al-Quds Open University Professor Muhammad Al-Nabahin, Al-Quds Open University Professor Ibrahim Barhoum Abu Salah, Islamic University of Gaza Professor Prof Mohammad Bakheit, Islamic University of Gaza Islam Suleiman Haboush, Islamic University of Gaza Professor Midhat Saidem, Islamic University of Gaza Professor Nahed Al-Rafati, Islamic University of Gaza Professor Refaat AlAreer, Islamic University of Gaza Professor Mohammed Awad, Islamic University of Gaza Professor Rizq Arruq, Islamic University of Gaza Professor Azzu Affanah, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Education, Islamic University of Gaza Professor Muhammad Bakhit, Islamic University of Gaza Professor Salem Abu-Mukhdah, Islamic University of Gaza Professor Muhammad Dabbour Assad, Islamic University of Gaza Professor Nasir Al-Yafawi, Islamic University of Gaza Professor Sharif Al-Assali, Islamic University of Gaza Professor Youssef al-Kahlout, Arabic Language & Literature, Islamic University of Gaza Rahaf Hanideq, lecturer, Islamic University of Gaza Professor Mohamad Abu Al-Saeed, Islamic University of Gaza Dr. Hossam Hamada, Faculty of Medicine, Islamic University of Gaza Amin Dabbour, Professor of Political Science, Islamic University of Gaza Dr. Mohammad Dabbour, cancer pathologist and head of the preclinical department, College of Medicine, Islamic University of Gaza Dr. Adnan Ahmad Al-Barsh, Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Islamic University of Gaza Mohamad Al-Bakhiet, Islamic University of Gaza Professor Amin Al-Bahtiti, Al-Azhar University of Gaza Bassam Shahin, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Intermediate Studies, Al Azhar University Professor Ali Al-Qirinawi, University of Palestine Professor Ibrahim Saidam, University of Palestine Professor Mustafa Al-Laqta, University of Palestine Professor Mustafa Al-Naqib, University of Palestine Anas Al-Bursh, lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Palestine Director Tareq Thabet, University College of Applied Sciences Professor Shaher Yaghi, University College of Applied Sciences Professor Wael Al-Zard, University College of Applied Sciences Professor Mohamad Abd Al-Ghuffur, Islamic Da’wah College Marwan Tarazi, Director, Center for Continuing Education at Birzeit University, Gaza office Do’a Al-Masri, librarian and researcher, Edward Said Library Faculty, academic staff and researchers (institutional affiliation incomplete): Dr. Ziad Tatri, researcher in Neonatology and lecturer Dr. Mohamad Adwan, professor of Medicine Shahidah Al-Bahbani, poet and writer Abd Al-Karim Hashash, historian, researcher, writer Rola Fadl Abd Al-Jawad, professor of Multimedia Muhamad Fayez al-Najjar, professor of Engineering Hassan Al-Rafid, researcher, writer, lecturer in Economics Dr. Rafet Lobad Professor Khalil Abu Yahya Dr. Maisara Al-Rayyes Professor Sereen Al-Attar Professor Usama Al-Muzayni Professor Ismail Abu Sa’adah Professor Khaled Al-Ramlawi Professor Said Al-Dahshan Professor Raed Qaddura Professor Muhammad Abu-Zur Professor Yusuf Juma’a Salameh Professor Nida Affanah Professor Mu’min Shuwaydah Professor Siddiq Nassar Professor Ahmad Abu Saadah Professor Jamilah Al-Shanti Professor Muhamamd Jamil Za’anin Professor Ismail Al-Ghamri Professor Walid Al-Amudi Professor Abdullah Al-Amudi Professsor Hassan Al-Radi’ Professor Muhammad Abu Amara Professor Mahmud Al-Loh Professor Khalid Al-Najjar Professor Muhammad Al-Najjar Professor Muhammad Hassounah Professor Yasir Radwan Professor Jihad Al-Baz Professor Hazem Al-Jamali Professor Muhammad Nassar Professor Essam Al-Lulu In our letters to Israeli government officials regarding the current war on Gaza [25 January 2024; 21 Nov 2023], we insisted that as the occupying authority, Israel’s targeting of the Palestinian educational sector buildings through bombings and other forms of aggression constituted a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, relating to the protection of civilians in time of war. The government and military’s resultant obstruction of education has also been a clear violation of the right to education enshrined in Article 26 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 13 of the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. The right to education is binding under all circumstances and to be protected in all situations, including during crises and emergencies resulting from civil strife and war. Israel is a party to the UDHR and a signatory to the ICESCR and is therefore obligated to uphold them. We remind you that as a party to the Geneva Conventions and as a leading supporter of international human rights law, the United States also bears a substantial responsibility to ensure that countries like Israel that receive substantial financial and military support from the United States observe their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law. The massive assaults against educational infrastructure, educators and students at all levels and throughout Gaza since 7 October are part and parcel of a larger, deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing intended to destroy the very foundations and bases of continued Palestinian life in Gaza, in violation of all of Israel’s legal obligations and, indeed, in violation of basic precepts of humanity. See summaries and statements of the International Court of Justice 19 July 2024, 24 May 2024; MESA letter 11 March 2024. We heed the call of our esteemed Palestinian colleagues in Gaza (Open letter 29 May 2024) to support them as they resist the brutal military onslaught and strive to continue to teach their students and rebuild their education sector. We urge the United States’ Government to demand an immediate and permanent cease-fire and the total withdrawal of Israeli military forces from the Gaza Strip – indeed, the termination of the genocidal violence against the Palestinian people. We look forward to your response. Sincerely, Aslı Ü. Bâli MESA President Professor, Yale Law School Laurie Brand Chair, Committee on Academic Freedom Professor Emerita, University of Southern California cc: Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, Administrator of the US Agency for International Development Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister, Government of Canada Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Government of Canada Josep Borrell-Fontelles, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Viktor Almqvist, Press Officer - Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI), European Parliament Kati Piri, Member, Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament Maria Arena, Chair of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Michael Lynk, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories James Heenan, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ramallah The Honorable Veronica Michelle Bachelet Jeria, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, MENA section Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression The Honorable Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders Farida Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education Cheikh Niang, Chair of UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People Ajith Sunghay, Head of Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory Noha Bawazir, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative, UNESCO Liaison Office, Ramallah, Palestinian delegation to UNESCO Documents & Links MESA_Board-CAF_Joint_Letter_12_September_2024 pdf 247 KB Stay Connected MESA offers several ways to stay connected: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, as well as listservs and trusty email notifications. To find out more, please follow the link below. Contact MESA Middle East Studies Association of North America, Inc. 3542 N. Geronimo Avenue Tucson, AZ 85705 520 333-2577 phone 520 207-3166 fax secretariat@mesana.org www.mesana.org