Silencing Dissent: Academia's Response to the Israel-Palestine Conflict

Silencing Dissent: Academia's Response to the Israel-Palestine Conflict

Fawzia Afzal Khan, a professor of English and former director of the Women and Gender Studies Program at Montclair State University, engages in a conversation with Amina Saqib on the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

As we step into the second month of the Israel-Palestine conflict, there seems to be no resolution in sight, fostering a growing division. Those advocating for Palestine's cause are now unfairly branded as anti-Semitic. This term is wielded as a tool to stifle any voices calling for a ceasefire and justice. Speaking out against the harsh reality faced by Palestinians does not make one an anti-Semite.

Within academic circles, untenured faculty members, who lack the protection of tenure, find themselves particularly vulnerable. They have been explicitly instructed to remain silent, especially those who attempt to present alternative perspectives on the conflict.