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Racism, Islamophobia, and the Weaponization of Antisemitism [ICSC]

While racism is widely discussed, its insidious nature can make it difficult to identify – and its role in inciting atrocity crimes is particularly not well understood. To shine a light on this challenge, the third conversation in our “Why Memory Matters in Palestine and Beyond” series will explore how racist stereotypes of Palestinians and Muslims are deployed to promote discriminatory policies and practices. “Why Memory Matters in Palestine and Beyond” is a new ICSC podcast and video series is designed to help us all build a better understanding of… Continue reading

The Fall of Syria’s Assad Regime [RaceandRights Podcast]

On December 8, 2024, the Syrian people overthrew Bashar Al Assad, bringing to an end a brutal fifty-four-year dictatorship. Although the Syrian people partook in the wave of revolutions during the Arab Spring, their efforts to bring about democracy in Syria were hijacked by a host of external actors in what deteriorated into a violent proxy war between Russia, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. As a result, over 300,000 Syrians were killed, and 13 million Syrians became refugees or internally displaced within the country, as explained in… Continue reading

Antisemitism and Palestinian Genocide [Rutgers]

Professor Sahar Aziz hosted Holocaust and genocide scholar, Dr. Raz Segal, for a fireside chat on antisemitism and what Dr. Segal has described as Israel’s genocide in the Gaza strip starting on October 8, 2023. Dr. Raz Segal traces the emergence of antisemitism as a modern phenomenon tied to the nation-state and the late colonial world and its settler outposts. The struggle against antisemitism from the late 19th century, therefore, focused on protecting a group from exclusionary and violent states. Dr. Segal explains how the weaponization of this struggle as… Continue reading

Launch of The Race and Rights Podcast [CSRR]

The Rutgers Law Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR) launched the Race and Rights Podcast, hosted by Professor Sahar Aziz. The Race and Rights Podcast explores the myriad issues that adversely impact the civil and human rights of America’s diverse Muslim, Arab, and South Asian communities. Toward that end, Professor Sahar Aziz engages with academics and experts who critically analyze law, policy, and politics in ways that center the lived experiences of under-represented communities in the United States and the Global South. The Race and Rights Podcast is available… Continue reading

Islamophobia, Race, and the Palestine Taboo [UAlberta]

Across North America, Muslims exercising their political rights in defense of Palestinian human rights face state-sanctioned repression that, in turn, legitimizes private discrimination in workplaces, schools, and public spaces. In this keynote lecture, Distinguished Professor Sahar Aziz examines how the historical legacies of Orientalism explain contemporary Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism against university students, faculty, and activists partaking in a global, anti-genocide social movement. More information about the keynote lecture is available here.… Continue reading

Academic Freedom Under Attack [AAUP-AFT]

The Rutgers University AAUP-AFT hosted a teach-in on the multiple threats to academic freedom since October 2023 targeted at faculty and students who defend the humanity of Palestinians and critique Israel’s military assault on Gaza as a genocidal campaign. Professor Sahar Aziz discussed the systematic harassment and intimidation of Muslim, Arab and Palestinian American professors by self-described pro-Israeli organizations, politicians and university administrators whose political objective is to censor criticism of the state of Israel. Watch Professor Aziz’s remarks here or below.… Continue reading

Professor Sahar Aziz delivers lecture on how racialization of the Israel-Hamas war is causing Islamophobia [WashU]

Professor Sahar Aziz delivered a lecture and answered audience questions about the racialization of the Israel-Hamas war, particularly by political parties in the United States. The event, titled “The Palestine Taboo: Race, Islamophobia, and Free Speech,” was the first John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics event of the year. Sept. 23. Professor of Religion and Politics Mark Valeri from the Danforth Center introduced Aziz, who is a distinguished Professor of Law at Rutgers University Law School and the founding director of the Rutgers Center for Security, Race, and… Continue reading

Israel’s Vision of No Palestinians “From the River to the Sea” [DAWN]

Words matter. That is the purported principle behind a national campaign by pro-Israel organizations to censor, punish and even criminalize protests on American college campuses demanding a cease-fire to Israel’s unrestrained assault on 2.4 million Palestinians in Gaza. University administrators have obliged with draconian restrictions that effectively deny their own students the ability to speak out against what the International Court of Justice has described as Israel’s “plausible” violations of the Genocide Convention in Gaza. Pro-Israel advocates often point to the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine … Continue reading

Voices Under Siege: Free Speech, Islamophobia, and Palestine in Academia [Georgetown]

Georgetown University’s Bridge Initiative hosted Professor Sahar Aziz, Professor John L. Esposito, and Professor Robbins on a panel addressing the critical issues of free speech, Islamophobia, and the challenges faced by pro-Palestine voices in American academic institutions. The conversation focused on the current state of academia and its role in promoting or stifling open dialogue on contentious issues. Scholars discussed how pro-Palestine voices are being marginalized and their free speech rights violated within academic settings. Additionally, the conversation touched on how Islamophobia has played a role in the suppression of… Continue reading

The Palestine Taboo: Free Speech, Race and Islamophobia [WashU]

The true test of a democracy is the extent to which civil rights in law are enforced in practice for the most vulnerable groups in society. As members of Congress demand mass arrest and expulsion of college students exercising their free speech right to dissent against U.S. foreign policy in Gaza and the West Bank, the racial fault lines in American democracy are laid bare. Similarly, university presidents are buckling to external political pressure to violate academic freedom of Muslim and Arab faculty targeted by external anti-Muslim and pro-Israeli groups and… Continue reading

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