PRESS STATEMENT

AN OXFORD UNIVERSITY LED MEDIA RESPONSE:
THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY SPEAKS OUT

Israeli bombardment has levied a hideous toll on the impoverished population of Gaza, 80 per cent of whom were already reliant on UN handouts prior to the current onslaught. So far, conservative estimates from the UN suggest 5000 have been killed or injured by the offensive. Politics aside, the sheer devastation both in terms of infrastructure and human carnage are facts that exist independently of prejudice and misconceptions about the Middle East conflict. People are dying in horrific and scandalous numbers. UN general assembly President Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann has described Israel's action as a 'monstrosity' and we can only concur with this description.

Israel has fostered a humanitarian crisis in the most overcrowded strip of land on earth. Gaza's 1.5 million citizens are victims of a punitive war which has cost the lives of innocent men, women and children. In addition, Israel has struck at religious sites, medical facilities and academic institutions, most recently the UN-run school. As students and academics, we recognize the importance of the now destroyed Islamic University as the first and most important institution of higher education in Gaza. It served more than 20,000 students, 60 percent of whom are women. Since Palestinian students from Gaza are barred by Israel from studying either in the West Bank or abroad, the educational significance of the Islamic University cannot be overstated and its destruction contributes to conditions of dismal despair already reigning in the area.

The Oxford University Islamic Society would like to join hands with other Oxford University societies and over 100 prominent academics in unequivocally condemning Israeli excesses over the entire conflict. Whilst we condemn the loss of civilian life in Israel due to rocket fire, the response has been utterly disproportionate. With the recent ground incursion, we can be certain scores more will undoubtedly perish.

We are witnessing a criminal and belligerent disregard for human life. We believe there can never be a military solution to this impasse. The solution lies in a bilateral desire for a just peace, only achievable through the cessation of violence and the instigation of dialogue. If the election of Hamas was an act of desperation on the part of many Palestinians, Israel ought to consider who exactly might replace them after the carnage they are inflicting on its population is over.

We commend Gordon Brown and David Miliband's call for an urgent ceasefire and immediate halt to all violence, reiterated by a unanimous UN Security Council press statement and the EU. However, the international community must move beyond statements and take action to alleviate the suffering in Gaza and foster a bilateral diplomatic process to resolve the current crisis and its underlying causes.
The United States may be alone in its ability to restrain Israel. We urge the existing and incoming United States Administration to recognise and respond to its position of responsibility in this conflict: President-Elect Barack Obama needs to rise to the first major challenge of his career, and effectively implement the change we are all hoping to see.

The blockade on Gaza should be lifted without delay, allowing for the delivery of full humanitarian aid. The border with Israel should be opened, and remain open. Israel has a responsibility to prevent further loss of life and we urge Hamas to immediately desist from launching rockets into Israel. Israel must understand that the only way to stop the rockets, and gain lasting security, is to end its illegal siege and occupation and agree to a just peace. History shows that an oppressed people will inevitably turn to violence, however wrong this may seem.

Finally, we implore all British media outlets to report the war on Gaza in a fair and balanced way; namely by dispelling the illusion that this is a war of equals. Palestinian anger must be understood in the context of Israeli occupation and the over 18 month long siege of Gaza. Israeli media statements need to be exposed to far tougher and informed questioning. Journalists and media outlets have a responsibility to pressure the Israeli government into allowing them into Gaza to witness their actions first hand. Merely reproducing Israeli reports and footage because this is what is on offer is not acceptable and is irresponsible journalism.

We are ready to aid the media by offering a different perspective on the conflict, in the hope that our contributions will help achieve fairer and more balanced reporting.

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Note to editors: Some of the counter-signatories are available for interview and media response. Please contact president@ouisoc.com to co-ordinate this.

Prominent academics from the following leading instituitions have counter-signed this press statement:

Oxford University
Cambridge University
SOAS
University of East London
University of Surrey
Trinity College, Dublin
University of North Carolina
UCLA
University of Washington
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia
William Mitchell College of Law
Yale University
UC Berkeley
University of Heidelberg
Dubai School of Government
Georgetown University
Warwick Univerity

If you are an academic and you would like to show your support for this statement, please become a counter signatory by clicking here

Signatories

No	Name	Position	University
1	Prof. Khaled Abou El Fadl	Omar and Azmeralda Alfi Professor of Law, Faculty of Law	University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
2	Prof. Robert Adams	FBA, Senior Research Fellow, Mansfield College	University of Oxford
3	Revd. Canon Prof. Marilyn McCord Adams	Regius Professor of Divinity; Canon, Christ Church	University of Oxford
4	Dr. Afifi Al-Akiti	Fellow of the Oxford Centre of Islamic Studies, Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the Faculty of Theology, Fellow of Worcester College and College Lecturer in World Religions	University of Oxford
5	Dr. Mazen Al-Najjar	PhD, Freelance Writer
6	Laurie Ann Aladin	Editor, 'Live from Palestine' (South End Press, 2003); co-founder/director, Whole World Press
7	Prof. Jocelyn Alexander	Professor of Development Studies, Queen Elizabeth House	University of Oxford
8	Dr. Raghib Ali	Clinical Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology and General Medicine, Richard Doll Medical Tutorial Fellow, Green College	University of Oxford
9	The Revd Dr Sabina Alkire	Director, Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative; Chaplain Associate, Magdalen College	University of Oxford
10	Ms Evrim Altintas	DPhil Candidate in Sociology, Nuffield College	University of Oxford
11	Dr. Bridget Anderson	Senior Researcher and Programme Head, Centre on Migration, Policy and Society	University of Oxford
12	Prof. Mashood A. Baderin	Professor of Law, Postgraduate Examinations Officer, School of Law	SOAS, University of London
13	Dr. Imre Bangha	University Lecturer in Hindi, Faculty of Oriental Studies	University of Oxford
14	Dr. Elton T. E Barker	Tutor and Lecturer in Classics, Christ Church	University of Oxford
15	Prof Akeel Bilgrami	Johnsonian Professor of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, Committee on Global Thought, Director, Heyman Center for the Humanities,	Columbia University
16	Prof Bryan Birch	Emeritus Professor of Arithmetic, Brasenose College	University of Oxford
17	Dr. Sarmila Bose	Senior Research Fellow in the Politics of South Asia, Department of Politics and International Relations	University of Oxford
18	Prof. Haim Bresheeth	Chair of Media and Cultural Studies, Deputy Dean of School, School of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies	University of East London
19	Prof. Charlotte Brewer	Professor of English Language and Literature; Fellow and Tutor in English, Hertford College	University of Oxford
20	Prof. Susan Bright	Professor of Land Law; McGregor Fellow, New College	University of Oxford
21	Dr Karima Brooke	Ethnic Relations	Warwick University
22	Prof. John Broome	White's Professor of Moral Philosophy; Fellow, Corpus Christi College	University of Oxford
23	Dr. John M. Brown	FRS, Chemistry Research Laboratory	University of Oxford
24	Dr. Dana L. Brown	University Lecturer in International Business, Said Business School, Fellow in Management and Tutor for Visiting Students, Lady Margaret Hall	University of Oxford
25	Prof. Jonathan Brown	Assistant Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilisations	University of Washington
26	Dr. David George Browning	Registrar, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Emeritus Fellow, St Cross College	University of Oxford
27	Francesca Burke	DPhil Candidate in Politics	University of Oxford
28	Prof. Charles E. Butterworth	Emeritus Professor of Government and Politics	University of Maryland
29	Dr. Zameel Cader	Post-doctoral Scientist, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics	University of Oxford
30	Dr. John R. Campbell	Senior Lecturer in Anthropology of Development, Department of Sociology and Anthropology	SOAS, University of London
31	Prof. Richard Caplan	Professor of International Relations; Fellow, Linacre College	University of Oxford
32	Revd. Dr. Liz Carmichael	MBE, Chaplain and Tutorial Fellow in Theology, St John's College	University of Oxford
33	Dr. Corrine Caumartin	Research Officer, Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity, Queen Elizabeth House	University of Oxford
34	Prof. Noam Chomsky	Institute Professor & Professor of Linguistics (Emeritus)	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
35	Dr. Paul Coones	Tutor in Geography, Hertford College	University of Oxford
36	Professor Alexander Cudsi	Professor of Middle Eastern History and Politics	Panteion University
37	Dr. Devon Curtis	Lecturer, Department of Politics and International Studies	University of Cambridge
38	Dr. Stephanie M. Dalley	FSA, Senior Research Fellow in Assyriology, Oriental Institute; and Senior Research Fellow, Somerville College	University of Oxford
39	Prof. Timothy P. Daniels	F.R. Hist. S, Assistant Professor of Anthropology	Hofstra University
40	Prof. Anne Deighton	Professor of European International Politics; University Lecturer; and Fellow, Wolfson College	University of Oxford
41	Prof. Sionaidh Douglas-Scott	Professor of European and Human Rights Law; Fellow and Senior Tutor in Jurisprudence, Lady Margaret Hall	University of Oxford
42	Dr Lindiwe Dovey		School of Oriental and African Studies
43	Prof. Peter Erlinder	Professor of Law; past-President, National Lawyers Guild; President, UK-International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) Defence Lawyers Association	William Mitchell College of Law
44	Prof John L Esposito	University Professor and Professor of Religion & International Affairs	Georgetown University
45	Prof. Robert Evans	FBA, Regius Professor of History; Professorial Fellow, Oriel College	University of Oxford
46	Prof. Norman Finkelstein	Author of 'Beyond Chutzpah: On the misuse of anti-Semitism and the abuse of history' (2005)
47	Dr. Guy Geltner	Lecturer in Medieval History; Fellow, University College	University of Oxford
48	Dr. Davoud Gharayagh Zandi	Director of International Relations Research Group	Research Studies of Strategic Studies
49	Rev Dr Robin P P Gibbons	Programme Director and Departmental lecturer in Theology and Religious Studies, University of Oxford Department For Continuing Education	University of Oxford
50	Dr. Matthew J. Gibney	Reader in Politics and Forced Migration and Elizabeth Colson Lecturer in Forced Migration	University of Oxford
51	Dr. Robert Gilbert	Tutorial Fellow and Senior Dean of Arts, Magdalen College	University of Oxford
52	Prof. Robert Gildea	F.R.Hist.S Professor of Modern History; Fellow, Worcester College	University of Oxford
53	Prof. Zareena A. Grewal	Assistant Professor in American Studies	Yale University
54	Dr. David Groiser	University Lecturer in German; Fellow, Brasenose College	University of Oxford
55	Nagihan Haliloglu	Ph.D. Candidate	University of Heidelberg
56	Habiba Hamid	Research Associate	Dubai School of Government
57	Dr. Torfinn Harding	Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Oxford Centre for the Research of Resource-Rich Economies	University of Oxford
58	Revd. Dr. Harriet Harris	Chaplain of Wadham College, Faculty of Theology	University of Oxford
59	Dr. Kaveri Harris	Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Anthropology	University of Sussex
60	Prof. Barbara Harriss-White	University Professor of Development Studies, Oxford Department of International Relations	University of Oxford
61	Gay Haskins	Dean of Executive Education, Said Business School	University of Oxford
62	Revd. Peter Hewis	Unitarian Minister, Retired Harris Manchester College Chaplain
63	Dr. Tom Higham	Deputy Director, Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and The History of Art	University of Oxford
64	Ms Nadia Hilliard	M.Phil Candidate	University of Oxford
65	Prof Aouicha Hilliard	Professor of French and Director of International Education	Randolph-Macon College
66	Prof Raymond Hillliard	Professor of English	University of Richmond
67	Mr. Quamar Hossein	Retired Senior Lecturer	Queens University, Belfast
68	Mrs. Mary Hossein	Retired Senior Lecturer	Queens University, Belfast
69	Ms. Laura Hoyano	CUF Lecturer in Law, Mr Lee Shau Kee's Sir Man Kam Lo Fellow and Tutor in Law, Wadham College	University of Oxford
70	Miss Konstantina Isidoros	DPhil researcher	University of Oxford
71	Prof. Anne M. Jefferson	Professor of French, Fellow and Tutor of New College	University of Oxford
72	Prof. Dame Louise N. Johnson	FRS, Head of Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry	University of Oxford
73	Mr. Lee Jones	Rose Research Fellow in International Relations, Lady Margaret Hall, Faculty Member, Politics and International Relations	University of Oxford
74	Mr Ioannis Kalpouzos	PhD Student, International Law	University of Nottingham
75	Dr. Simon Kemp	University Lecturer (CUF), Supernumerary Teaching Fellow in French, St. John's College	University of Oxford
76	Miss Mary Keniger	President, Oxford Global Health Group, Green Templeton College	University of Oxford
77	Dr. Celia J. Kerslake	Head of Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry	University of Oxford
78	Osamah Khalil	Doctoral Candidate in US and Middle East History, Department of History	University of California Berkeley
79	Dr. Laleh Khalili	Senior Lecturer in Middle East Politics, Department of Politics and International Studies	SOAS, University of London
80	Dr. Palwasha Khan	Speciality Trainee in GU/HIV Medicine	Homerton University Hospital, London
81	Dr. Dori Kimel	Reader in Legal Theory, Fellow and Senior Law Tutor, New College	University of Oxford
82	Dr. Brian King	Junior Research Fellow, Worcester College, Philosophy Faculty	University of Oxford
83	Prof Alan Knight	Professor of the History of Latin America, History Faculty, Fellow of St. Antony's College	University of Oxford
84	Prof. Yosefa Loshitzky	Professor of Film, Media and Cultural Studies, The School of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies	University of East London
85	Prof Gordon Lynch	Professor of Sociology of Religion	Birkbeck College
86	Dr. Luis Macchiavello	Anaesthetics Speciality Trainee	Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport
87	Dr. Nur Masalha	Reader in Religion and Politics, Director of the Centre for Religion and History and of the Holy Law Research Project, Editor, Holy Land Studies: A Multidisciplinary Journal, School of Theology, Philosophy and History	St Mary's University College, University of Surrey
88	Dr. Jason McElligott	Research Projects Officer, Long Room Hub	Trinity College, Dublin
89	Prof Patrick McGuinness	University Lecturer (CUF) in French, Fellow of St Anne's College; Reader in French and Comparative Literature	University of Oxford
90	Dr. Soma Meran	Nephrology Walport Academic Clinical Lecturer	University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff
91	Dr. Alexander Stephen Morrison	Lecturer in Imperial History, School of History, University of Liverpool and Fellow, All Souls College	University of Oxford
92	Dr. Jessica Moss	Titular CUF Lecturer in Philosophy, Philosophy Faculty, Tutor in Ancient Philosophy, Balliol College	University of Oxford
93	Revd Canon Brian Mountford	Vicar of the University Church of St Mary	University of Oxford
94	Dr. Rachel Murphy	University Lecturer in the Sociology of China and Faculty Fellow, Director of the Asian Studies Centre, St Antony's College	University of Oxford
95	Dr. Basil Mustafa	Nelson Mandela Fellow, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies	University of Oxford
96	Dr. Piers Nye	University Lecturer, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Tutor of Medical and Physiological Sciences, Balliol College	University of Oxford
97	Mr. Bernard O'Donoghue	CUF Lecturer, English Faculty and Fellow in English, Wadham College	University of Oxford
98	Dr Martin Orwin	Senior Lecturer in Somali and Amharic	School of Oriental and African Studies
99	Dr Akin Oyetade	Head of Department of the Languages and Cultures of Africa	School of Oriental and African Studies
100	Dr. Arietta Papaconstantinou	Marie Curie Fellow, Faculty of Oriental Studies	University of Oxford
101	Dr John Parrington	Lecturer in Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology	University of Oxford
102	Professor Lawrence Paulson	Professor	University of Cambridge
103	Dr. Margaret Pelling	Reader in Social History of Medicine, Modern History Faculty and Fellow, St Cross College	University of Oxford
104	Prof. Tariq Ramadan	Research Fellow, European Studies Centre and Middle East Centre, University Lecturer, Faculty of Theology	University of Oxford
105	Prof. Gonzalo Rodriguez-Pereyra	Professor Of Metaphysics, CUF Lecturer, Tutorial Fellow of Oriel College	University of Oxford
106	Elaheh Rostami-Povey		School of Oriental and African Studies
107	Prof. Omid Safi	Professor of Religious Studies	University of North Carolina
108	Dr Chris Sauer	Fellow in Information Management, Said Business School and Green Templeton College	University of Oxford
109	Dr. John Sayer	Research Fellow, Comparative International Education, Department of Education	University of Oxford
110	Prof. Mike Searle	Professor of Earth Sciences, Department of Earth Sciences	University of Oxford
111	Prof Michael P. Searle		University of Oxford
112	Mr Naveed Sheikh	Lecturer in International Relations	Keele University
113	Prof. Avi Shlaim	FBA, Professor of International Relations, Alistair Buchan Reader and Professorial Fellow, St Antony's College	University of Oxford
114	Dr Shelagh A. Sneddon	Medieval Latin Dictionary, Faculty of Classics	University of Oxford
115	Dr. Stefan Sperl	Senior Lecturer in Arabic, Head of the Department of the Languages and Cultures of the Near and Middle East, Faculty of Languages and Cultures	SOAS, University of London
116	Prof. Frances Stewart	University Professor in Development Economics, Director of the Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity, Queen Elizabeth Hall	University of Oxford
117	Prof. Richard Swinburne	FBA, Emeritus Nolloth Professor of the Philosophy of the Christian Religion, Emeritus Fellow of Oriel College	University of Oxford
118	Brian Tang	DPhil Candidate in Engineering Science	University of Oxford
119	Dr John Tasioulas	Reader in Moral and Legal Philosophy and CUF Lecturer in Philosophy, Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy, Corpus Christi College	University of Oxford
120	Miss Sylvana Tomaselli	Director of Studies in Part I History and PPS, St. John's College (2000 -2003). Affiliated lecturer, History Faculty	University of Cambridge
121	Dr. Robin Usher	Researcher in Scottish History	University of Oxford
122	Dr. Alan J. Ware	Professor of Politics, CUF University Lecturer, Tutorial Fellow in Politics, Worcester College	University of Oxford
123	Prof. Ralph Wedgwood	Professor of Philosophy, University Lecturer in Philosophy, Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy, Merton College	University of Oxford
124	Dr. Tim Whitmarsh	E.P. Warren Praelector and Tutorial Fellow in Classics, Corpus Christi College	University of Oxford
125	Prof. Chris Wickham	Chichele Professor of Medieval History, Fellow of All Souls College	University of Oxford
126	Mr. Gavin P. Williams	University Lecturer in Politics, Fellow & Tutor in Politics and Sociology, St. Peter's College	University of Oxford
127	Mr. Tim Winter	Divinity Shaykh Zayed Lecturer of Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University, Director of Studies in Theology at Wolfson College	University of Cambridge
128	Dr. Umeyye Isra Yazicoglu	Assistant Professor, Department of Theology	Saint Josephs University, Philadelphia
129	Prof. Adrian Zuckerman	Professor of Civil Procedure, Goodman Fellow, Praelector in Jurisprudence, Law Faculty, Tutor University College	University of Oxford

PRESS STATEMENT

AN OXFORD UNIVERSITY LED MEDIA RESPONSE: THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY SPEAKS OUT

Signatories

AN OXFORD UNIVERSITY LED MEDIA RESPONSE:
THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY SPEAKS OUT