The Trump administration's infringements on freedom of speech remind me of the good old days when prominent Republicans in the U.S. would come out as defenders of academic freedom and freedom of speech, also in other countries.
This was something I experienced first hand, as a faculty member of Bir Zeit University in the occupied Palestinian Territories in the early 80's (working in the English library and teaching Library Skills). At that time, the Israeli occupation authority issued Military Order 854, which placed Palestinian institutions of higher education under the command of the Israeli governor, giving him control over enrollment and staff appointments. This violation of international law was resisted by all Palestinian universities. Meanwhile, 200 Israeli academics signed a statement in support of the universities.
To assert control, the military governor demanded that nonresident faculty had to sign a statement in which they agreed to abide by Israeli military orders and disown the PLO, which it referred to as a terrorist organization. We, foreign faculty members, never signed, but for some time many of us had our bags more or less packed, knowing that we could face deportation.
The so called “loyalty oath” was ditched after protest from a high-ranking source: the U.S. State Department. Secretary of State George Shultz called it “an abridgement of academic freedom” and described it as “totally unnecessary” for Israel’s security. He went so far as to call upon “people in the intellectual community” to protest what he characterized as “an abridgment of freedom of thought.” In light of how the Trump administration is targeting the academic freedom in U.S. universities, I think that Secretary Shultz would turn in his grave, if he knew.
Rest in peace, Albert Aghazarian
Photo: Bir Zeit University
Albert Aghazarian, a Palestinian Armenian, passed away earlier this week. He was a polyglot and a true Jerusalemite, a profile of the Armenian Quarter in the Old City, “a walking encyclopedia of the Old City”. However, for me he was most of all the charismatic, witty and dynamic Director of Public Relations at Bir Zeit Univetsity, on the West Bank, where I worked as a young librarian 1982–1983. He held this position for a quarter of a century. With his personality he must have left an impression on every student and foreign correspondent that he came across.
In 1991, he became the spokesperson of the Palestinian delegation at the Madrid peace conference, alongside Hanan Ashrawi. It is telling that both spokespersons for the Palestinians during that important but unsuccessful peace conference were Christians from different denominations, backing up the head the delegation, Dr Haidar Abdel Shafi from Gaza.
Albert Aghazarian, in his mission in Madrid, was aided by his “first name familiarity with about one thousand of the journalists there”, as Penny Johnson, one of his former colleagues at Bir Zeit once put it in Middle East Report.
I remember meeting Albert Aghazarian in East Jerusalem again when I, at that time the Middle East correspondent of Svenska Dagbladet, covered a visit by Carl Bildt, Sweden’s foreign minister, to Jordan, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Albert was of course one of the Palestinian personalities from the civil society that the foreign minister had to meet. Who, after all, knew more about the history of the Old City in Jerusalem, and who was more committed to preserving its cultural diversity?
For those of you who wish to read more about Albert’s bio, here is his portrait in This Week in Palestine, published some years ago.
Albert Aghazairan would have deserved a documentary of his own. But since I have not found one, here is a short video clip with Albert in the Old City from 1991.
Rest In Peace.