Austrian Dialogue Forum supports SPME Letter of Concern

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Der Standard hat am 11.11.2005 über das Verbot einer Veranstaltung durch den Rektor der Universität Graz berichtet. Wie die SPME Austria erfahren hat, fand diese Veranstaltung der Österreichisch Arabischen Gesellschaft bei der das Institut für Völkerrecht der Uni Graz Mitveranstalter ist, mit Fritz Edlinger, Ludwig Watzal und Yvonne Schmidt zum Thema ” Palästina selbständiger Staat oder Israelische Kolonie” nun leider doch statt und zwar am 16. Dezember an der Universität Graz (RESOWI), Hörsaal 15.04 8010 Graz, Universitätsstraße 15. Die Veranstaltung war auch auf der Homepage des Instituts für Völkerrecht und Internationale Beziehungen der Uni Graz angekündigt. Zur Information – hier die Reaktion des Board of Directors von Scholars for Peace in the Middle East spme.org, der sich der Vorstand des ÖDFI vollinhaltlich anschließt:

“An Inquiry and Protest from Scholars for Peace in the Middle East Re:16.12.05

To the Rektor of the Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz
Univ. Prof. Mag. Dr. Alfred Gutschelhofer
To the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz
Univ.-Prof.Dr. Willibald POSCH To the Head of the Institute for International Law and International Relations Univ.-Prof. Dr. Kirsten Schmalenbach

Scholars for Peace in the Middle East spme.org is a faculty organization with a diverse membership and a diverse set of political commitments and a common goal of promoting the rigorous and thoughtful teaching about the Middle East on academic campuses with the widest degree of free scholarship.We have nearly 700 members, at over 200 campuses worldwide. We received with concern the announcement of a conference to be held on December 16, 2005 at the University of Graz titled “Palestine – Autonomous State or Colony of Israel (Palästina: Selbständiger Staat oder israelische Kolonie?) This conference, originally scheduled for November 10, was canceled some time ago in response to protests from scholars, students, and others who viewed it as a pretext for anti-Israel bias and outright anti-Semitism. We are interested in why the University believes that this conference will be a legitimate discourse on a complex topic. We are especially concerned when we were informed that this event is going to be moderated by Fritz Edlinger, general secretary of the Austrian-Arab Society and editor of the German edition of Shamir’s book: “Blumen aus Galiläa” which has been critiqued in many forums for its reportedly anti-Semitic contents. We are concerned that this lecture will not thoughtfully explore the complex issues of citizenship, political authority or peace in Palestine/Israel, but may likely merely help to spread unchallenged arguments of anti-Semitism and anti-Israeli thought among students and scholars, without a chance to have such charges rebutted or explored.

We thus appeal to the Authorities of the University of Graz not to permit the abuse of its facilities for the promulgation of racism and hatred. We would appreciate a reply to our concerns and are eager to learn of your actions, which we will share with the international academic community. Thank you, in advance, for your response and corrective actions. Sincerely, Edward S. Beck, Ed..D., CCMHC, NCC, LPC, Alvernia College and Susquehanna Institute, President Board of Directors

Jonathan Adelman, Ph.D., University of Denver
Steven Albert, Ph.D., MPH, University of Pittsburgh
Phyllis Chesler, Ph.D., City U. of New York
John R. Cohn, MD, Thomas Jefferson College of Medicine
Donna Robinson Divine, Ph.D., Smith College
Stanley Dubinsky, Ph.D., U. of South Carolina
Rev. India E. Garnett, M.Div. Treasurer, Harrisburg PA Chapter, United Church of Christ
Rabbi Peter Haas, Ph.D. Case Western Reserve U.
Judith Jacobson, Dr. P.H., Vice President, Columbia U.
Efraim Karsh, Kings College U. of London
Richard Landes,Ph.D. Boston U.
Ruth Lichtenberg-Contreras, Ph.D., Secretary, U. of Vienna and Natural History Museum of Vienna
Allan Lipton, MD, Penn State College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Robert S. Mirin, Esq., Harrisburg, PA
G.S. Don Morris, Ph.D.,California Polytechnic U./Wingate Institute IL
Nidra Poller, Novelist, Paris, France
Philip Carl Salzman,Ph.D. McGill U.
Gerald Steinberg, Ph.D., Bar Ilan U.
Laurie Zoloth, Ph.D., Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern U. ” (Cit)

Source: http://www.israelforum.at/aktuell.htm

Austrian Dialogue Forum supports SPME Letter of Concern

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AUTHOR

SPME

Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) is not-for-profit [501 (C) (3)], grass-roots community of scholars who have united to promote honest, fact-based, and civil discourse, especially in regard to Middle East issues. We believe that ethnic, national, and religious hatreds, including anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism, have no place in our institutions, disciplines, and communities. We employ academic means to address these issues.

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