Stop Silencing Pro-Palestinian Activism

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Tell the North Orange County Community College District To Stop Silencing Pro-Palestinian Activism

Protect the First Amendment Rights of Students and Faculty

On May 11, 2022, Israeli occupation forces deliberately shot Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the head while she was on assignment in the West Bank. In response, the South West Asian North African (SWANA) faculty wrote a letter for the North Orange County Community College District (NOCCCD) website mourning her murder and calling for support of the political Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. BDS aims to apply non-violent pressure on Israel until it complies with international law and recognizes that Palestinians are entitled to basic human rights.

Although SWANA followed the school’s process for submitting content and the school initially published the letter, NOCCCD proceeded to remove it from the site after individuals attacked the pro-Palestinian faculty and students for “being antisemitic.” NOCCCD cited school policy against “soliciting or proselytizing” for a “political cause” as their reason for removing the letter; however, that same site is full of articles and links supporting a political cause or viewpoint, making it apparent to SWANA faculty that NOCCCD is selectively applying its policies to silence pro-Palestinian activism.

CAIR-LA is calling on NOCCCD to:

Address the concerns of the SWANA community
Uphold the demands of students and faculty and
Protect their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech.

Act now to tell NOCCCD that pro-Palestinian activism is not anti-Semitism and to join us in protecting the rights of SWANA students and faculty.

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Dr. Barbara Dunsheath, Ed Lopez, Stephen T. Blount, Evangelina Rosales, Jacqueline Rodarte, Jeffrey P. Brown, Ryan Bent, Meena Pandian, Erin Lacorte, Dr. Byron D. Clift Breland

Subject: Stop Silencing the Pro-Palestinian Activism of SWANA Faculty and Staff

Message:

I stand with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Greater Los Angeles Area office (CAIR-LA) in voicing my support for the SWANA faculty and students who are being silenced by anti-Palestinian rhetoric. Not only does the decision to remove the letter mourning the murder of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli forces from the NOCCCD website wrongly and dangerously conflate pro-Palestinian activism with anti-Semitism, but it also infringes on the civil rights of students and faculty who have been historically marginalized. By choosing to selectively apply its policies to silence pro-Palestinian activism, NOCCCD has created a hostile environment for SWANA faculty and students.

I am asking you to address the concerns of the SWANA community, uphold the demands of your students and faculty, and protect their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech. NOCCCD can accomplish this by: 1) engaging in discussions and meetings with CAIR-LA, SWANA faculty, and students to listen to and address their concerns, 2) reposting the SWANA letter on the NOCCCD website, 3) issuing a District-wide statement in support of its SWANA students and faculty and their Constitutional right to engage in pro-Palestinian activism, and 4) issuing a thorough explanation for why the SWANA letter was selectively subjected to the application of Administrative Procedure 3270 and other policies based on the pro-Palestinian viewpoints of the letter.

Finally, I am also writing to ensure that the SWANA faculty and students involved face no retaliation from NOCCCD or any of its component schools.

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Tell the North Orange County Community College District To Stop Silencing Pro-Palestinian Activism

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