Testimonial 17: Daring to speak out for Palestine
British universities are targeting and punishing their students for expressing support for Palestinians. In Testimonial 17 of our Palestine Uncensored series, a medical student describes being suspended from their university as retribution for their public solidarity with Palestine.
In sharing a distressing recent incident that led to my suspension from medical school, it is important to recognise my experience not as an isolated case but as one among many in an alarming broader trend of suppressing and disciplining voices, especially student voices, that speak out against the injustices in Palestine.
I am a medical student in Britain. I participated in a peaceful protest where I took the opportunity to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine. My objective was to raise awareness, foster dialogue, and advocate for justice. During my speech, I emphasised the need for a nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding the Palestine-Israeli conflict.
With my words, I intended to bring attention to the human rights violations in Palestine. Regrettably, my message was distorted when recordings of my speech were circulated on social media platforms without my consent. Selected pieces of my advocacy were misconstrued by national media outlets, who constructed a manipulative and divisive narrative about me.
As a consequence of this attack on my advocacy for Palestinian liberation, my university suspended me pending investigation, alleging that my statements had the potential to intimidate and discriminate against students. I firmly believe that this suspension was an unjust violation of my right to express legitimate concerns about human rights abuses. This is a matter of exercising free speech and raises concerns about whether universities are doing enough to support their students who are attacked and vilified online.
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Subsequent to being suspended, I was sent to represent my case before a Higher Committee, and I am pleased to share that, following my appearance before a hearing, the initial allegations brought forth by the university – namely discrimination and intimidation – were ultimately dropped. The outcome of the hearing resulted in my immediate reinstatement, albeit with a warning.
But this incident is reflective of a disturbing trend throughout the West in which individuals expressing criticism of the Israeli state's actions are unfairly targeted, silenced, and punished. In the United Kingdom, specifically, there is a complete detachment from reality. It seems that because the British government materially and vocally supports Israel, those who dare to speak out against its genocidal and violent actions are subject to punishment that would be considered excessive and undemocratic in other contexts. Every day, we watch as Israel’s unlawful violence causes the deeply devastating loss of Palestinian life and livelihood, but in Britain, we are punished for simply speaking out against this reality.
The potential consequences of my suspension included serious academic and career setbacks. But the consequences extend beyond this, impacting my ability to contribute meaningfully to discussions on global issues in the future. Broadly speaking, this incident underscores a worrying attempt to stifle dissent and sheds light on potential disciplinary action as an intimidation tactic that institutions may deploy to dissuade individuals, especially students, from speaking out in support of the Palestinian cause.
I urge readers to consider the implications of such institutional retribution for both freedom of expression and academic freedom. We must collectively stand against the suppression of voices advocating for justice, even when faced with uncomfortable truths. We need to raise awareness about the challenges faced by students who speak out on issues of global importance.
If you have a story to share, please send it to pdiaries@verso.co.uk. We are publishing testimonies from all over the world. To see the full collection of testimonials, check out the Palestine Uncensored series' main page.
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Read Testimonial 18 in our Palestine Uncensored series →
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