A Pyaarful Message To My Beloved Peers & Professors

Many of us are wrapping up summer break in the months of August/September and are getting ready to go back to our educational settings. Let us not forget that there are no schools left in Gaza.

Many of the organizations and clubs on campuses across Turtle Island have been founded in an attempt to highlight select identities of students that may otherwise not be included. (e.g. South Asian organizations claim they are striving to unite those who fall under the umbrella term of South Asian & religious organizations exist to bring students who resonate with a specific faith together). These spaces usually claim they value social justice, centering "equality" and "peace", so why is it that their members are not speaking up as Palestinians are being ethnically cleansed? Does solidarity only hold value to them when it is in their favor?

Most of us can look at our own struggles and easily draw parallels between other connected struggles. Whether it be our economic status, racial background, sexuality/gender, or any other aspect of our identity that deems us as lesser than others in the eyes of dominant society or leaves us feeling dehumanized: we can relate to being ostracized by harmful agendas or biased policies in at least some capacity. As students, we should be amongst the first ones to stand up when our peers are wrongfully being harmed and should understand the importance of being vocal about our unwavering solidarity and commitment to the liberation of all oppressed people. We must also remain principled and be mindful of our positionality when it comes to what and who it is we condemn and vilify. 

This essence extends beyond just students. Many professors have also chosen to remain silent or “neutral” as the institution they work for suppresses the very voices who need protection the most right now. It is unfathomable to learn that these academics are willing to talk about history with the right framework but are simultaneously taking the side of harm and letting their students down as it is repeating itself by not only sharing half-truths but also shortcoming actions and events that deserve to be adequately contextualized.

We can & should critique those with influence. In recognizing that most of these issues are a product of the inherently flawed system, we must also recognize that those who hold power and authority, even if it is in the context of smaller settings, can act as vessels for great harm. I will not pretend as though watching some of my favorite academics dwindle at applying the very ideas and concepts they have theorized for years and years is not gut wrenching to witness. I know better than to idolize any individual but I do not think my disappointment contradicts that fundamental proposition. We are allowed to be upset about someone we respected and learned from letting us down, especially when it comes to something as big as not being able to openly condemn a literal genocide happening before us.

In the words of my comrade: "there is a disjunction between academia practiced by intellectuals in the imperial core vs those who engage directly with material reality that "theory" itself is derived from". These words hold great truth in relation to various contexts but are especially resonating right now. I share this with you all as an invite to ponder on our priorities and what we are choosing to center. I want all of us to sit with these words and really take them in. If you are an academic reading this right now, really think about it. How are you currently approaching things? Are you happy with the remnants of your trace that will be left behind once you move beyond this setting? If you are getting cognitive dissonance thinking this through, how can you rectify your praxis to better your impact & influence?