NEW JERSEY SOLIDARITY OPEN LETTER TO RUTGERS PRESIDENT RICHARD MCCORMICK
July 14, 2003
Dear President McCormick,
As New Jersey Solidarity - Rutgers Chapter, the host organizing group of
the Third Conference of the Palestine Solidarity Movement, to be held at
the University on October 10-12, 2003, we are writing to call upon you to
uphold freedom of speech and expression at Rutgers University, and to
reject political ploys to squelch student organizing, repress civil
liberties and silence the Palestinian voice.
Our conference is a meeting of activists and organizers, to network with,,
educate, and learn from fellow student and community activists for justice
in Palestine. We come together to build a sustainable student movement
that stands in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Palestine and
their national movement, to work together in a strong force for social
justice, true democracy and meaningful equality.
We are, thus, appalled to witness the recent attacks upon our
organization, our conference, and student rights to organize and take
action. The involvement of State Senate President John Bennett in
condemning our organization and our conference, and demanding its
cancellation, is reminiscent of nothing more than a 1950s-style
McCarthyesque assault upon students' rights to organize. Furthermore,
Governor McGreevey's involvement in expressing "abhorrence" at our
organization and our principles, seeking to "investigate" us, and
declaring that he was inquiring into our "history of violence," while
noting that his office had inquired into whether we, as a student
organization at Rutgers University, are listed as a suspected terrorist
organization, is deeply disturbing. Such statements, especially in the light of the attacks on
civil liberties, and particularly the assault on the civil rights of Arab
and Muslim Americans, seem calculated for political gain, and to create a
chilling effect to silence and frighten Palestine solidarity organizers.
This attack does not, of course, limit itself to Palestine solidarity
organizers, but rather to all students engaged in political activity at
the Rutgers University campus.
The involvement of the state legislators and the governor is a political
ploy designed to silence student voices, and particularly, Palestinian
voices and voices in solidarity with Palestine; their involvement negates
the very concept of academic freedom, autonomy, and integrity. It
introduces political censorship into the higher education environment,
demanding students be silenced.
President McCormick, it is imperative that you continue to stand for
freedom of speech and expression, in line with the First Amendment, and do
not fall victim to this attempt to silence voices for liberation in
Palestine. The criminalization of student activism cannot be tolerated -
it falls upon you to reject attacks upon freedom of expression and
recognize the importance of an open campus debate.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
New Jersey Solidarity - Rutgers Chapter
