Activists urge lawmakers to help reduce anti-Muslim incidents [NJ Spotlight]

At a time when bias incidents are on the rise, advocates gathered outside the Statehouse on Monday to commemorate the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. . . . Several speakers also urged the Legislature to reject a bill that would adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance or IHRA, definition of antisemitism. “The IHRA definition of antisemitism is a tool to silence criticism about Israel, not protect Jews,” said Raz Segal, professor of Holocaust and genocide studies for Stockton University. “Everyone in the U.S. has a first Amendment right to free… Continue reading “Activists urge lawmakers to help reduce anti-Muslim incidents [NJ Spotlight]”

Assaults on Free Speech of Palestinians [Al Jazeera]

Professor Sahar Aziz provides her analysis on the arrest of Palestinian graduate student and permanent resident Mahmoud Khalil for his participation in nonviolent protests and dissident speech as a graduate student at Columbia University. The U.S. government’s reliance on an obscure immigration statute has grave long-term adverse implications for free speech rights. Watch her full interview below.… Continue reading “Assaults on Free Speech of Palestinians [Al Jazeera]”

A Dangerous Moment [Al Jazeera]

Civil liberties organisations and academics have raised alarm at the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist at Columbia University, calling it a serious breach of free-speech rights under the administration of President Donald Trump. . . . Others also worry that Trump’s crackdown on protesters will not remain limited to supporters of Palestine. He previously stated he would look to impose serious punishments on all “illegal protests”, without defining what that entails. “It’s important to note that Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims who are active in the fight for… Continue reading “A Dangerous Moment [Al Jazeera]”

Right to Protest and Resistance: Campus and the Workplace [Wayne State Law]

The Wayne State Journal of Law in Society hosted a symposium exploring how crackdowns on campus speech across the country tested universities’ stated commitments to free speech and academic freedom. Professor Aziz was invited to address the various forms of pressure by anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic special interest groups and elected officials put on university administrators to censor, discipline, and expel anti-war college activists. The responses prompt numerous legal and policy questions on the fragility of free speech rights, especially as they apply to racial minorities.… Continue reading “Right to Protest and Resistance: Campus and the Workplace [Wayne State Law]”

Past as Prologue: The Struggle for Racial Equality and Free Speech in an Age of Authoritarianism [TCNJ]

In celebration of Black History Month, Professor Sahar Aziz delivered a keynote address at The College of New Jersey entitled Past as Prologue: The Struggle for Racial Equality and Free Speech in an Era of Authoritarianism. In her remarks, Professor Aziz drew parallels between the current crackdowns on Palestinian, Muslim and Arab American anti-war student activists and the experiences of Black civil rights leaders and students in the 1950s and 1960s.… Continue reading “Past as Prologue: The Struggle for Racial Equality and Free Speech in an Age of Authoritarianism [TCNJ]”

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

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

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 “Antisemitism and Palestinian Genocide [Rutgers]”

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 “Launch of The Race and Rights Podcast [CSRR]”

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 “Islamophobia, Race, and the Palestine Taboo [UAlberta]”