A Letter to The Chancellor after May 6
By Noor Khalil
On May 6th, students at UCSD were met with riot police to arrest and brutalize peaceful protesters. After 5 days This class became a platform for discussing real-time events that were affecting us as students. It was in this environment that I felt empowered to articulate the urgent need for justice and accountability within our university, especially in light of the live attacks happening to students, including myself and my peers. This letter to Chancellor Khosla is a product of those discussions and reflections, expressing my deep concerns about the university's response to peaceful protests and its complicity in systemic violence.
Dear Chancellor Khosla,
I write to you with a heavy heart and deep concern about the recent actions taken on our campus and the broader implications on our community and global society. On May 6th, you chose to meet peaceful student protesters with UCPD, the San Diego County Sheriff's department, and California Highway Patrol in military riot gear. This action has raised many questions about your commitment to the values of free speech, social justice, and the safety and well-being of all students, particularly Muslim and Palestinian. You claim you did this because of the “safety concern” of the encampment on campus, but is what you did safe? Is meeting UNARMED, PEACEFUL, young adults with riot police safer than the community that we built on campus in less than five days? The deployment of riot police against students who were exercising their democratic right to free speech and protest, is extremely concerning. What about it was so intimidating to you? Was it that the student body is more powerful than you for once? Is it the fear that we the students might actually make change? Your actions suggest an unwillingness to engage with the concerns of the student body and instead, a readiness to suppress dissent through intimidation and force. This approach undermines the trust between the administration and the students, as it also sets a dangerous precedent for how our institution handles peaceful demonstrations. Universities should be bastions of free speech, not areas where students are being beaten for speaking up against injustice. Your administration's handling of issues affecting Muslim students on campus has also been extremely disheartening. Your administration's actions on May 6th, and the ongoing support for companies involved in systemic violence, reflect a profound disconnect from the principles of justice, equity, and respect for human rights. It is essential for you, as the leader of our university, to critically examine these decisions and consider the long-term consequences they have on our community and our global reputation. There have been numerous instances where Muslim students have felt marginalized and unsupported on campus, however there has been no effort to address these grievances. Bringing an islamophobe to campus last week, Mosab Yousef, who publicly said that he would choose a cow over 1.6 billion Muslims made many Muslims feel extremely unsafe. This lack of action perpetuates a hostile environment and signals a disregard for the safety and inclusion of a significant segment of our community.
Your support and investment in companies that are complicit in the ongoing oppression and genocide is a huge area of concern. By funding and partnering with corporations that profit from the occupation and genocide in Palestine, UCSD is under your leadship and each child that dies is because of the actions that you took to lead them there. This complicity in genocide is not only morally indefensible but also disaligns with human rights and the dignity that our insitution claims to uphold. Divestment from such companies isn't just a political stance, but a moral imperative. Your financial support contributes to the suffering and displacement of innocent people and tarnishes the integrity of our university. It is incumbent upon us, as one of the most powerful educational institutions, to align our investments with our ethical commitments and to stand in solidarity with oppressed communities worldwide.
Dr. King said in his “Beyond Vietnam” speech, “We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit movies and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered” (King para. 5) Your administration's actions on May 6th, and the ongoing support for companies involved in systemic violence, reflect a profound disconnect from the principles of justice, equity, and respect for human rights. Dr. King's words remind us that prioritizing profit and power over people leads to the perpetuation of these systemic evils. It is essential for you, as the leader of our university, to critically examine these decisions and consider the long-term consequences they have on our community and our global reputation.
I urge you to take immediate actions to solve this issue. First and most importantly, the majority of your student body and I ask that you divest from companies that are complicit in the oppression and violence against Palestinians. This action will align with the ethical values of school and send a powerful message of solidarity to those suffering. By doing this, we can take a deeper look at all the investments the school has and make sure we reflect our commitment to human rights and social justice. Secondly, I ask that you send out a formal apology to the students who were met with riot police on May 6th. Acknowledge their right to peacefully protest, and commit to fostering an environment where expressions of dissent are met with dialogue, and not force. Third, I ask that you implement comprehensive support systems for Muslim students on campus. This includes addressing instances of discrimination and harassment with the seriousness they deserve, as well as ensuring that Muslim students feel safe, valued, and heard within our university community. Lastly, engage in an open and ongoing dialogue with students, faculty, and staff about these critical issues. Create forums where concerns can be raised, and solutions can be collaboratively developed. Transparency and accountability must be at the heart of your administration’s approach moving forward.
Your Student,
Noor Khalil