I didn't find the topic objectionable (despite the statement below) except maybe disagreements of status quo & parlance; waste of energy to be protested IMO but their right. Shame since he seems like an ally (link to signatories below) Shame about Islamophobic professor putting his hands on students.
https://mondoweiss.net/2017/03/permitted-ourselves-scholars/
The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the reported news that San Jose State University (SJSU) Professor Jonathan Roth, who allegedly assaulted a student protester during a campus event, has been placed on administrative leave.
The incident occurred as SJSU students protested an event featuring known-Zionist Professor Jeffrey Blutinger, California State University, Long Beach, Jewish Studies chair and History professor who has made past statements justifying the ongoing genocide in Gaza. During the protest, Roth—who has reportedly been the subject of multiple student complaints over many years—grabbed and twisted the arm of a Palestinian student who placed her hand in front of his cell phone camera. Such an action is not only inexcusable but also a violation of the rights and safety of students.
This event and the subsequent assault took place despite prior calls from SJSU students and community members to postpone the event, citing concerns over the promotion of views that marginalize the Palestinian experience and ignore the ongoing realities of the genocide in Gaza that has killed nearly 30,000 people and the unchecked settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
In a statement, SJSU Professor of Justice Studies and Co-Chair of the Palestine, Arab, and Muslim (PAM) Caucus of the California Faculty Association (CFA) Sang Hea Kil, who witnessed the incident, said:
“I notified the statewide and SJSU CFA about Roth’s behavior back in November when he disparaged Students for Justine in Palestine-SJSU, for which I am their faculty advisor, in the campus press.
“Promoting a Gaza genocide denier as a legitimate speaker is the real injury here and the actual cause of the disruption, not our students’ protest about the speaker, which was a reasonable response to SJSU’s apparent enabling of hate, violence and genocide toward Palestine.”
CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo added:
“This deeply troubling incident that took place during a protest is an affront to the principles of free speech and civil rights. We welcome SJSU’s decision to place Roth on administrative leave and call for a thorough investigation, appropriate disciplinary measures, and a review of university policies to ensure the protection of students from harassment, discrimination, and violence.
“We also extend our support to the affected student. Students should never feel unsafe on their campus, and it is the responsibility of educational institutions to ensure an inclusive campus environment that respects the rights and dignities of all students, including those from marginalized communities.”
CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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