(ATLANTA, GA, 1/24/24) – The Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Georgia), Palestine Legal and other community and civil rights organizations today sent Emory University a letter to express concern about the University’s failure to protect Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students targeted by racist, xenophobic, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Muslim harassment and doxing attacks.
They also criticized Emory’s failure to rectify the hostile anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic environment on campus.
Organizations that have signed on include Asian American Advocacy Fund, Asian Americans Advancing Justice- Atlanta, Georgia Muslim Voter Project, Project South, Kennesaw State Muslim Student Association, Atlanta, Democratic Socialists of America, Jewish Voice for Peace-Atlanta and Georgia Muslim Action Committee.
The letter states in part:
“Students are speaking out in support of Palestinian rights in a political climate where Israel has declared its genocidal intentions against Palestinians, over 25,000 of whom have been killed in Gaza since October 7, including nearly 10,000 children. It is Emory’s responsibility to ensure that students have the right to speak up for Palestinian human rights and that in doing so, they are safe from anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and Islamophobic harassment and bigotry.”
“By choosing to remain silent in the face of ongoing genocide, including Israel’s deliberate and calculated destruction of every single university and college in Gaza, Emory is failing its responsibility as an academic institution meant to foster education and an open exchange of ideas,” said Javeria Jamil, CAIR-Georgia Legal Director. “Worse, Emory is emboldening those voices who not only seek to suppress the speech of Muslims, Palestinians, and their allies on the University’s campus, but also continue to actively harm and harass these students.”
Palestine Legal Staff Attorney Sabiya Ahamed stated, “In failing to protect its Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students and their allies who are speaking out for Palestine, Emory is sending a clear message to its community and beyond that the harassment and targeting of its students is not a priority. This is especially concerning at a time when Palestinian students and their allies are experiencing threats, doxing, and harassment while protesting the ongoing genocide in which Israel has killed more than 25,000 Palestinians to date.”
CAIR-Georgia and Palestine Legal are calling on Emory to take prompt and effective action to address the harassment of Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, Black, and other students of color and their allies. They ask Emory to remedy the currently hostile environment that is anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic. The University must reaffirm students’ rights to openly advocate for Palestinian rights, and implement educational initiatives and workshops aimed at fostering a culture of true inclusivity, tolerance, and respect for Palestinian students. Reports of harassment and discrimination must be thoroughly reviewed by Emory and addressed appropriately and promptly.
SEE: Press Releases Archives – CAIR Georgia
BACKGROUNDER:
Emory’s biased stance against Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students has invited active harm, intimidation of students, and a hostile campus environment. The University’s actions to date raise serious concerns that it is violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin by institutions that receive federal assistance. This includes tolerating a hostile environment of which Emory has notice. Further, Emory’s inaction against perpetrators has encouraged and legitimized intimidation of its students advocating for Palestinian human rights. This is clearly a violation of the University’s values and policies surrounding open expression and free speech.
Students who support Palestine on campus are being severely harassed by faculty, other students, alumni, and even parents of students and news media. Members of Emory Students for Justice in Palestine (ESJP), a group that advocates for the freedom and equality of Palestinians, has routinely become a target of such attacks. Despite incidents being reported via the University’s bias reporting process, Emory University has failed to hold accountable the responsible students and faculty who have made direct threats, terroristic accusations and perpetuated racist and dangerous tropes against Palestinians, Arab, and Muslims. Many Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab students are experiencing anxiety and trauma, and are afraid to seek help from the University because of the fear of criminal consequences for advocating for Palestinian rights or being doxed. It is Emory’s responsibility to ensure that students have the right to speak up for Palestinian human rights in safety, and without facing anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, or Islamophobic harassment and bigotry.
CAIR-Georgia’s mission is to protect civil rights, promote justice, empower American Muslims, and enhance the understanding of Islam.
Palestine Legal’s mission is to bolster the Palestine solidarity movement by challenging efforts to threaten, harass and legally bully activists into silence and inaction.
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CONTACT: Azka Mahmood, CAIR-Georgia Executive Director, [email protected], Nazia Khanzada, Communications Manager CAIR-Georgia, [email protected], Palestine Legal, [email protected]