Students for Justice in Palestine holds Israeli Apartheid week

The Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) organization at Miami University held Israeli Apartheid Week from March 10 to 15. The week focused on fostering a sense of community among attendees, as well as voicing their pro-Palestine efforts.

“This week has [not just] been really about spreading awareness, but taking up space and also really being a community,” senior and President of SJP Maysa Constandinidis said. “A lot of us have been able to connect to each other in different ways, especially during this time it has been so important for us to come together.”

Boycotts, Borders and Beyond: Student Solidarity for Palestine, Congo and Sudan

On Monday, students came together to discuss the intersectionality of Palestine, Congo and Sudan in their fight for freedom. Before the meeting, many headlines highlighted Palestinian Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil, which added to the heightened emotions in the room. The discussion also led to a conversation about Senate Bill 1 and how it affects Miami students and the world around them.

“Even after the event, after the presentation, [meeting attendees] stayed,” Constandinidis said. “People stayed an hour after just talking to each other, having different discussions, talking about what Senate Bill 1 is doing and talking about all these different things.”

That same day, news broke that the United States Department of Education sent letters to 60 institutions stating they could face “enforcement actions” if they do not fulfill their requirements under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

“ICE has been affecting our people,” Constandinidis said. “[We] keep students updated, letting them know what’s happening in the world. It can be overwhelming to always look at the news.”

Showing up for Palestine through Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions

On Tuesday, guest speaker Sandra Tamari talked about continuing the fight for Palestine and what everyone can do on an individual level in their communities. Tamari is the executive director of Adalah Justice Project, a Palestinian-led advocacy group focused on liberation.

“One of her main messages was: ‘We see you, keep fighting and keep going because the work you're doing, it truly matters,’” Constandinidis said.

Poetry Night for Palestine

Wednesday night, SJP held an open poetry night for any students wanting to express their feelings about Palestine or anything they felt passionate about.

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Several students wrote original poems, while others shared the work of Palestinian poets. One student read “Passport” by Mahmoud Darwish, a poem highlighting Palestinian identity and resistance to the occupation of Palestine.

“[The event] was just [about] being there [and] building relationships,” Constandinidis said. “People made a lot of new friends so that's kind of what this has all been about.”

Ramadan x Lent: Iftar for Palestine

Thursday focused on how Palestinians can come together during Ramadan and Lent. SJP provided food as well as a presentation on supporting others across all faiths. The student turnout was much larger than on previous days, which allowed students to connect with more people.

“[Everyone at the event was] focused,” Constandinidis said. “They weren’t there just for food. They were there for the community, they were there because they cared about Palestine, they were there because this is important to them.”

Voices of Uprising: Student panel

On Friday evening, SJP invited three student panelists to speak on their experiences as activists on a college campus and the importance of community. The speakers were Laila Shaikh from the University of Cincinnati and Pelham Curtis and Juwayria Zahurullah from Oberlin College.

Constandinidis served as moderator and asked questions regarding current politics, activism and protests, misinformation and community building within SJP.

Curtis said he has been an activist since he was 15 and is now a co-chair of Oberlin Students for Palestine.

“[We are] doing what we can to fundraise and seeing what material impact we can make,” Curtis said. “We’re also in a more long-term fight for divestment, [it] has been really rewarding.”

Photo by Venezia McHenry | The Miami Student
Panelists speaking to the audience at the Voices of Uprising: Student Panel.

Shaikh said she has been an involved activist since she was young. She is also the founder and president of the Students for Justice in Palestine at Cincinnati, one of the 60 schools that received a letter from the U.S. Department of Education regarding Title VI. Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin in programs and activities that receive federal funding.

“I always say fear is a privilege,” Shaikh said. “Recognizing that you can lose something means that you were given something in the first place.”

Following the panel, students in the audience discussed the topics that were brought up and voiced their opinions on what it is like being a pro-Palestinian activist at Miami.

Ilona Boehm-O’Connor, a first-year history and integrated social studies education double major, talked to the audience about coming to Miami for the first time last fall.

“I was very on guard,” Boehm-O’Connor said. “But as I got to know people more, [I realized] a lot of people’s perceptions of the world are shaped by their surroundings.”

Generations of Resistance: Banquet

A banquet hosted by SJP concluded the week on Saturday. It included a “Generations of Resistance” video, a poetry reading, a keynote speaker and a Q&A session.

Sereen Haddad was the keynote speaker, and she shared her story as an activist. Haddad is a senior at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and one of the chairs of its SJP organization. She is an active member of the Richmond community and has set up encampments and protests.

Photo by Venezia McHenry | The Miami Student
Students pose at the Generations of Resistance banquet.

While all of her protests have been peaceful, Haddad said she has faced pushback from police and VCU. At the encampment, she avoided being arrested but still had injuries: bruises, a black eye and body strains.

The VCU SJP organization started pro-Palestine chalk art messages across campus and numerous silent protests — these were met with push back by the university. She said various rule changes regarding protests were set in place afterward. For example, chalk art is no longer allowed on campus, and they are not allowed to have protests with more than 50 people.

“If you let Palestine be seen, and you let Palestine be in someone’s head for even five seconds, you’ve done your job,” Haddad said.

Even with all the struggles and disputes with VCU, Haddad said she recognizes the importance of continuing to fight for Palestine and voicing her opinion.

“Resistance isn’t measured about how easy it is,” Haddad said, “but it’s measured about whether we keep going.”

mchenrvg@miamioh.edu

mulforsj@miamioh.edu