[Fdu] Ask Jian Ghomeshi and Morgan Freeman to Cancel May 6th Hebrew U event

Sun May 5 23:29:20 EDT 2013

Dear colleagues and friends,

Please join F4P today in taking action - we have two days to appeal to Jian Ghomeshi and Morgan Freeman to stand on the right side of history!  

Join us in helping Jian and Morgan cancel their participation in the May 6th event in Toronto organized by the Canadian Friends of Hebrew University as part of the broader whitewashing and rebranding of Israeli apartheid.  

ACTION One:  Watch and share John Greyson's sharp new BDS video "Say No! Morgan and Jian"  Click here for video:  http://vimeo.com/64853585

ACTION Two:  Read and share!  Go to this link for letters from PACBI, Palestinian students at   Hebrew University, Toronto BDS groups, South African organizations, the US Campaign to End the Occupation, Israeli Boycott from Within and more. 
http://www.endtheoccupation.org/section.php?id=446

ACTION Three:  Sign this petition to Morgan Freeman:
http://org.salsalabs.com/o/641/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=13268

ACTION Four:  Go to the F4P facebook page and "Share" the meme created by Toronto BDS groups.  Share now to help it go viral!
Share it now:  https://www.facebook.com/FacultyForPalestine?ref=hl

ACTION Five:  Send tweet or facebook message to Jian Ghomeshi - "Show us your Moxy, Jian - Cancel May 6th":  http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=3546

ACTION Six:  Make this meme your facebook cover (see attached)

* * * * * * **

BACKGROUNDER:  

1. On March 26th, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) wrote a letter to Morgan Freeman in March, outlining why he should not accept the "Key of Knowledge" award being offered to him by an apartheid institution, Hebrew University. 
Read letter: "Morgan Freeman: Don't accept an award tarnished with apartheid and colonialism" http://www.pacbi.org/etemplate.php?id=2146

2. For the past few weeks Faculty 4 Palestine responded to the PACBI call from our colleagues in Palestine to appeal to Morgan Freeman and Jian Ghomeshi, both of whom are set to participate in a Toronto event tomorrow (May 6th) organized by the Canadian Friends of Hebrew University.  
Read letter: http://endtheoccupation.org/downloads/USCampaign_Morgan%20Freeman%20Appeal.pdf

3. Check out Electronic Intifada for Ali Abunimah's coverage of the campaign.  Watch the video, read the tweets ... 
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/morgan-freeman-and-jian-ghomeshi-say-no-israeli-apartheid-may-6

4. Faculty for Palestine joined several Toronto BDS groups in writing a letter to Jian Ghomeshi, posted on the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) website:
Read letter:  http://www.caiaweb.org/letter-to-jian-ghomeshi/

5. Finally, take a moment to read this powerful letter from Palestinian student organizations at Hebrew University - the letter is a clear illustration  regarding the racist treatment students continue to endure and resist at this Israeli university. It is a must read.  

An open letter to Morgan Freeman: combat racism and promote knowledge and education here too! 

Dear Mr. Freeman, 

It came to our attention that you are planning on accepting the "Key of Knowledge" award which is granted by the Canadian friends of the Hebrew University – an institution complicit with Israeli apartheid. We urge you to decline this award, and to take a stand against the racist policies of the Hebrew university. 

While The Hebrew University grants you the award for 'combating racism and promoting knowledge and education worldwide’

1, it shows no signs of combating racism and discrimination within its walls; racism which is flagrantly practiced on daily basis against Arab student. 

Mr. Freeman, only very few among our generation have been qualified to attend universities due to state’s discriminatory policies against Palestinians in Israel. Our schools mostly lack the basic facilities needed for education, and the curriculum is structured to serve the State’s goal in socializing the pupils for self-estrangement. It contains very little, if any at all, on our history and culture. Furthermore it aims to erase our historical memory and promote the official policy line of divide and rule. This discrimination continues in the Universities in the granting of scholarships among other things

23. 

Yet, the restrictions imposed on our freedom of expression are more stifling. Last year, The Hebrew University banned several activities of Palestinian students within the campus; for example it prohibited the organization of the fifth Palestinian Cultural Festival

4. Moreover, during the current academic year, six Palestinian students were arrested following peaceful demonstrations which were held at the campus’ entrance, in support of the Palestinian prisoners’ open hunger strikes and against the war on Gaza. The university never intervened or contacted the students although they were brutally attacked by the police. These students did not commit any offense as they were released shortly after their arrests and no charges were pressed against them5. 

Finally, we would like to remind you that the Hebrew University is built on Palestinian confiscated lands and that it is a militarized institution; it has various collaborative schemes with the army such as Talpiot program

6, which is an elite program for training soldiers and the Command and Staff Military College. 

6 About 

We hope that our letter will enable you to see the full, clear picture that the university and its friends would prefer to hide or keep silent about. Thus we are hopeful that you would reconsider accepting this award and be aware of the meanings and consequences of its acceptance. 

Sincerely yours 

- IQRAA - Students Association, the Hebrew University Branch. 

- NDSA – National Democratic Students Assembly, the Hebrew University Branch. 

- The Students’ Democratic Front for Peace and Equality, the Hebrew University Branch. 

- THURI – A Palestinian Students’ Feminist Group, the Hebrew University. 

1 

http://cc.cfhu.org/minisite/celebrationofexcellence2013/02-Celebration_excellence_event.html 

2 

Press Release published by Adalah - Haifa District Court Issues Precedent-Setting Judgment that Considering Military Service Criterion in Allocation of Housing at Haifa University Discriminates Against Arab Students 

http://www.adalah.org/eng/pressreleases/pr.php?file=06_08_22 

3 Arabs are too young - but ultra-Orthodox are just right | 9 March 2010 

www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/arabs-are-too-young-but-ultra-orthodox-are-just-right-1.264351 

4 Annual Summary Report 2011/2012, a report by the Arab Culture Association | Nov 2012 

http://alrasedproject.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/alrased1_eng.pdf 

5 Oppression in the shadow of war, a report by the Arab Culture Association | Nov 2012 

http://alrasedproject.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/report_english_yara.pdf 

Israeli police arrest Jerusalem students in crackdown on Palestinian campus movement | 18 March 2013 http://electronicintifada.net/content/israeli-police-arrest-jerusalem-students-crackdown-palestinian-campus-movement/12289 

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