Declaration of Support from Sheffield Hallam University

DECLARATION OF SUPPORT FOR THE PALESTINIAN RIGHT TO EDUCATION FROM MEMBERS OF STAFF AND STUDENTS AT SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY

12^th October 2015

Over the last ten days we have seen increasing levels of military action by the Israeli Defence Force in the West Bank. As Palestinians throw stones in protest at the ongoing military occupation of their land, Israeli forces respond with live fire. Since the 1^st October, 1300 Palestinians have been injured with live or rubber coated bullets.[1]

On the 7^th October 2015, the University of Birzeit (the oldest and most prestigious University in the West Bank) organised a peaceful protest against Israel’s escalating aggression. During the protest, two Palestinian students were arrested for taking part. Video footage[2] shows undercover Israeli police and Israeli soldiers brutally attacking the students. Abdul Rahman Abu Dahab and Ahmed Walid Hamid were beaten viciously while being arrested and then dragged to military vehicles. A weapon appeared to be discharged at close range into the thigh of another student. The students were then handcuffed and left lying injured in the street until they were roughly taken away by the military. They join the hundreds of University students already held in Israeli military detention facilities without trial and with no knowledge of the duration of their incarceration.[3]

The University of Birzeit has called for academic institutions around the world to speak out against these violations of the right to education, a right guaranteed in international law. We believe that it is our moral responsibility to stand alongside Palestinian students and teachers in defence of this right.

As staff and students at Sheffield Hallam University,we therefore declare our support for the Birzeit University campaign for the freedom of their students  and against acts of violence carried out on university students by an occupying force.

We invite all colleagues and students to join us in this act of solidarity.

Signed

Dr Ruth Barley, Department of Psychology, Sociology and Politics

Dr Alice Bell, Department of Humanities

Dr Sam Browse, Department of Humanities

Dr Sophie Bush, Department of Humanities

Dr Rinella Cere, Department of Media Arts and Communication

Annaliese Connolly, Department of Humanities

Dr Claire Drewery, Department of Humanities

Hassun El Zafar, Students’ Union Education Officer

Jonathan Feldman, Sheffield Hallam University

Jenny Fortune, Department of Natural and Built Environment

Bob Freeborn, Department of Humanities

Dr Karen Grainger, Department of Humanities

Professor Julia Hirst, Department of Psychology, Sociology and Politics

Dr Anne Hollows, Department of Social Work, Social Care and Community Studies and Sheffield Palestine Education Network

Colin Jackson, Institute of Education

Dr Russell Jackson, Department of Media Arts and Communication

Andrew Jeffrey, Department of Humanities

Dr Peter E Jones, Department of Humanities and Sheffield Palestine Education Network

Allie Kinneavy, Department of Humanities

Dr Sharon Kivland, Reader in Fine Art

Dr Barbara MacMahon, Department of Humanities

Angela Martin

Dr Sue McPherson, Department of Humanities

Simon Nolan, Department of Humanities

Professor Sara Mills, Department of Humanities

Dr David Peplow, Department of Humanities

Dr Nick Pollard, Occupational Therapy

Professor Hilary Povey, Mathematics Education Centre

Anandi Ramamurthy, Department of Media Arts and Communication

Dr Phil Roddis

Dr Ana Maria Sanchez-Arce, Department of Humanities

Kevin Taylor, Department of Engineering and Maths

Dr Brian Tweedale, Department of Media Arts and Communication

Dr Susan Walsh, Department of  Allied Health Professions (Occupational Therapy) and Sheffield Palestine Education Network.

Dr Isabelle van der Bom, Department of Humanities

Dr Kate Wilkinson, Department of Humanities

Brendan Wood, Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Work, Social Care and Community Studies,

Dr Richard Wood, Department of Humanities

[1] Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health figures.

[2] http://www.birzeit.edu/news/birzeit-university-appeals-academic-and-human-rights-institutions-speak-out-against-crimes-isra

[3] Defense for Children International (2015): http://www.dci-palestine.org/issues_military_detention

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