STUDENT PALESTINE SOLIDARITY ORGANIZATION LETTER TO PRESIDENT MCCORMICK & GOVERNOR MCGREEVEY
(please sign form at bottom):
July 14, 2003
Dear Governor McGreevey and President McCormick,
As student organizers for justice in Palestine, 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.
The Third North American Conference of the Palestine Solidarity Movement,
to be held at Rutgers University between October 10-12, 2003 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. The host organization of the conference, New Jersey
Solidarity, is a registered student organization committed to resistance
and action in support of the Palestinian struggle for justice,
self-determination and national liberation. We are also student organizers
for justice in Palestine, across North America.
We are, thus, appalled to witness the recent attacks upon New Jersey
Solidarity, the Third Conference, and student rights to organize and take
action. The involvement of New Jersey State Senate President John Bennett
in condemning NJS and the conference, and demanding its cancellation, is
reminiscent of nothing more than a 1950s-style McCarthyesque assault upon
students' rights to organize. Furthermore, Governor Jim McGreevey's
involvement in expressing "abhorrence" at NJS and its principles, seeking
to "investigate" the organization, and declaring that he was inquiring
into its "history of violence," while noting that his office had inquired
into whether it is listed as a "suspected terrorist organization," is
calculated to create a chilling environment in which Palestine solidarity
organizing is criminalized. 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 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.
Our work across North America is dedicated to achieving justice and to
working in solidarity with Palestine. Our meetings, events, rallies,
demonstrations and conferences cannot be suppressed by government
censorship. We are committed,. alongside our fellow organizers at Rutgers
University, to working for justice and against the abrogation of our
rights and the silencing of our voices. 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.
It is imperative that Rutgers University continue to stand for freedom of
speech and expression, in line with the First Amendment, and does not fall
victim to this attempt to silence voices for liberation in Palestine. The
criminalization of student activism cannot be tolerated - it falls upon
the University to reject attacks upon freedom of expression and recognize
the importance of an open campus debate.
Sincerely,
New Jersey Solidarity
Palestine Solidarity Group - Vancouver B.C. Canada
Al-Awda NY/NJ
International Socialist Organization
Ethnic Studies, San Francisco State University
New Orleans Solidarity
Al Awda PA
ADC-SF
Student International Forum
The Community Organizing Center
Nakba '48
Council for National Interest, Connecticut chapter
Committee for Justice in Palestine at Ohio State
Global Exchange
Palestine Right to Return Coalition - Ontario Chapter (Canada)
UMass Palestine Action Coalition
Utahns for a Just Peace in the Holy Land
Nor Cal ISM
Students for Justice in Palestine at UC Berkeley
American Anti Arab Defimation Congress
Students' Movement for Justice (Wayne State)
Muslim Voters of America (Chicago)
Students for Justice in Palestine -- Yale University
New York Committee to Defend Palestine
Al-Awda San Diego
Students for Social Justice - Chicago
Chicago Coaltion Against War and Racism
Students for Justice in Palestine - University of Illinois-Chicago
Hammerhard MediaWorks - Chicago
Students For Justice in Palestine @ UC Davis
Free Palestine Alliance - Chicago
Socialist Viewpoint magazine
Detroit for the Freedom of Palestine
Justice for Palestinians Petition Boston
Carlisle Peace College
Campus Greens @ the College Of DuPage
Hayaat (Univ. of Washington - Seattle)
Bard Students for a Free Palestine
The New England Committee to Defend Palestine
Mideast: Just Peace
SLU Solidarity
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