AhlulBayt News Agency: He has also questioned the silence of Western universities, particularly academic circles in France, and their reluctance to engage in critical debate about Israeli policies in Palestine.
Sabih, a researcher affiliated with the Institute for Research and Studies on the Arab and Muslim Worlds (IREMAM), examined the destruction of Gaza’s education system and the response of Western academic institutions in a recent article.
He said that educational institutions in Gaza had been systematically targeted since October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of thousands of students, teachers and university-affiliated personnel. He added that approximately 600,000 children had been deprived of education.
the destruction goes beyond the physical damage to schools and universities, representing an attempt to undermine knowledge, research and independent thinking. He argued that Palestinian educational institutions play a vital role in preserving the community’s history, national identity and collective memory, making their destruction particularly consequential.
Citing the destruction of Al-Israa University in Gaza, Sabih said Israeli forces had used the university campus as a military base and detention centre for approximately 70 days before demolishing it with explosives on January 17, 2024. He also alleged that more than 3,000 historical artefacts had been removed from the university’s museum before its destruction.
Sabih further noted that Palestinian students have faced prolonged educational restrictions, arrests and other obstacles. In his view, efforts to weaken Palestinian universities also undermine the Palestinian people’s ability to preserve their history and think independently about their future.
The Palestinian researcher also criticised certain academic circles in France, saying they were reluctant to examine the Palestinian issue through the framework of colonialism. He questioned the academic cooperation maintained by some Western institutions with Israeli universities.
Concluding his remarks, Sabih stressed that universities should be able to operate free from political pressure. He called for teachers and researchers to be given the freedom to discuss Palestine openly and critically.
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