We, the committee and affiliated members of the Indigenous Studies Discussion Group, condemn the ongoing genocide in Palestine, led by the state of Israel and supported by multiple Western states. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, and emphasise that opposing this genocide absolutely does not equate with anti-Semitism. The rise of both Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in recent weeks is appalling: we stand with both communities who are actively protesting against the Palestinian genocide.
The atrocities committed by the Israeli state are not new - we recognise that the pain and trauma they have inflicted on the people of Palestine has been ongoing since 1948. Indigenous Studies are inherently entangled with genocide, intergenerational trauma, colonial oppression and consequently, decolonial theory. The forceful and violent occupation of Palestinian territory, the dehumanising language used in reference to its people, and the continued generational trauma of its civilians, is reflective of both the historical and present day realities of Indigenous peoples around the world. As academics, we cannot write and speak on post-colonial and decolonial theory without condemning the ongoing colonial oppression and inhumanity that is unfolding before our eyes in Palestine. Our work will always be entangled with politics, but here we speak of humanity.
The continued murder of thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians is unforgivable and absolutely cannot be justified as an ‘act of revenge’. We call on other academic groups and institutions to use their platform to also condemn this horrific act of ethnic cleansing before it is too late. When we said “never again”, we meant never again, for everyone.
The Committee and Affiliated Members of the Indigenous Studies Discussion Group.
Natasha Rai, PhD Student, University of Cambridge
Christos Nikolaou, PhD Student, University of Cambridge
Kyla Piccin, PhD Student, University of Cambridge
Sara Corona, MPhil Graduate, University of Cambridge
Lianna Harrington, MPhil Student, University of Cambridge
Shelley Angelie Saggar, PhD Student, University of Kent
Dr Joseph Powell, British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Cambridge
Benny Q. Shen, PhD Student, University of Cambridge
Marilena Proietti, PhD Student, Sapienza University of Rome