Lily Huynh/The Cougar
The past year has seen immense suppression of pro-Palestinian movements, especially on university campuses. UH has been one such school, continuously silencing Palestinian protests and events, and not just within the main campus.
This has especially been the case since Greg Abbott’s executive order last March, directing campuses to punish student movements unjustly deemed “antisemitic.” The compliance UH has shown with this order reflects a shameful pattern across America in which free speech is looking as good as dead.
Event cancellations
Last month, the Students for Justice in Palestine HTX organization put together an event at UH-Clear Lake called Heart to Hummus; an homage to Palestinian cuisine with an emphasis on the effects of cultural erasure.
The event was prepared for over a month in advance, with SJP working to acquire the proper food handling certifications as well as approval from school staff, such as the Residence Hall Association, The Office of Student Involvement and the Activities Funding Board. Preparation-wise, the org had done everything right.
Despite this, UHCL staff canceled the event within less than 24 hours’ notice, claiming that it was in violation of the University’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies. In addition to this, SJP was told little in regard to how the event violated these policies after reaching out to several staff members.
Members of the organization believe that UH is entirely unjustified in these actions and that their cause is being wrongfully targeted.
“Not only did the UHCL administration fail to provide documentation of how this is a violation, they allowed RHA to host a ‘cookout’ event with three other student organizations two days after they canceled SJP’s food-making event,” said junior computer science major Maryam El-Rasheedy.
She then added that since SJP at UHCL became a registered organization, they’ve faced consistent cancellations for vague reasons, and constant reminders of the Student Code of Conduct. “SJP has spoken to over five other Registered Student Organizations, and they have all stated that they do not receive this level of surveillance from administration.”
The cited reason for the cancellation being DEI policies is interesting, considering that section 4.4.3 of those policies clearly states that “An activity of a registered student organization” is excluded from these rules. SJP at UHCL is one of these registered organizations, and therefore are not subject to the exact reasoning provided.
So, why was it really canceled? The conclusion that many have come to is that the University is biased against Palestinian movements, and is coming up with any flimsy excuse it can to silence them.
This bias was even further enforced by a statement made by a UHCL admin, who referred to the event as “Heart of Hamas” in a video posted on Instagram by SJP.
This labeling of a cultural event as being related to what many consider a terrorist group is objectively unprofessional and incredibly insensitive. If it weren’t already shameful enough to call off an innocent get-together with illegitimate reasoning, this incident only reinforces the discriminatory attitude UH staff has shown towards the organization.
“It’s just incredibly racist to say that so casually,” said economics freshman Hamza Malik, a member of SJP at UH’s main campus. “It really has displayed the white supremacist ideologies present in the University.”
Less than a week before the “Heart to Hummus” event, SJP organized a book club to be held in the Student Center. This event was meant to occur on the SCS steps, where attendees would discuss political prisoners recently abducted by ICE, as well as read a novel about Palestinian displacement.
Once again, right before the event began, administrative action got in the way. The steps were blocked off, with a sign designating the area as reserved for an NCAA viewing. Members were directed to move, despite the space commonly being used for study groups and the like fairly often.
While the University certainly has a right to section off its own property, the responses given by staff and the suddenness of the conflict are telling, especially alongside other blatant shows of suppression.
Concerns for safety
While the unjust cancellation of gatherings is bad enough, involved students, both at and outside of UH, have begun to worry for their safety when engaging in protests and other organized activities.
Across the US, pro-Palestinian protesters have been faced with the threat of deportation by Trump’s administration. Students have been suspended from their respective campuses, arrested and even had their visas revoked, simply for exercising their rights.
“We do have concerns over our own safety,” said Malik. However, he also asserted that students are not letting these worries stop them.
“While it’s objectively terrifying, it’s not by any means demotivating,” he said. “It’s even more motivating in the rise of fascism and the complete abandonment of our civil rights.”
Malik then added that it is incredibly important now that these movements continue so that universities and governments understand the resolve and power of their constituents.
As threats to free speech rage across the country, and Palestinian protesters continue to be suppressed and silenced, students must persist in their efforts.
UH may decide to be complicit in fascist government policies, but the student body is immense and has the ability to push against any authority that wishes to violate their rights. There is strength in numbers, and the University’s discriminatory actions should not be tolerated.
Parker H-B is a sophomore journalism major who can be reached at [email protected]
