In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, English Faculty member Dr. Ibtisam M. Abujad organized a film screening of the 2021 documentary, Boycott. The event, held in Harper’s Film Lab on Jan. 22nd from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., was sponsored by the Department of Liberal Arts, English, Cultural Arts, and the Office of International Education.
Boycott, nominated for two separate film awards, offers insight into the world of infringed freedom of speech. Various states, such as Illinois, California, Indiana, Texas, New York, and others, have imposed anti-BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) laws on their citizens. These laws aim to punish or retaliate against people who boycott Israel-related entities.
Following the screening, Dr. Abujad, with Harper student Arion Peralta and another student?? who requested privacy, led a structured discussion for the evening’s 40 participants.
Peralta, who is a freshman at Harper studying Social Science, and the other student asked questions like how to make sure state representatives listen to their citizens, and how people responded to the documentary which offered different perspectives and allowed people to share their experiences.
Professor Ashley Palmer of the English Department spoke up about the personal implications that Anti-BDS laws could have on her ability to teach and discuss controversial topics in her classroom.
“[It] means that I would have to be that much more careful about what I said and how I said it in my classroom,” Palmer stated. “How can I push my students to do that if I have to be censored in the things that I say? I think that that’s a huge problem for people who serve as faculty and staff.”
Peralta reflected on the passionate discussion which got heated at a few points.
“This discussion definitely opened my eyes a lot more to perspectives out there… like how life [in Palestine and Israel] truly is, and how you can definitely see why both sides are angry at each other.”
Some students who participated shared with the Harbinger that they believed more events like these should be available.
Freshman Hira Syed, who describes herself as an advocate, wants the ability to speak out and share at more events.
“I think as an institution, Harper is very responsible for hosting discussions like this–even if it’s not about Palestine,” Syed explained. “It can be about literally any social justice issue, any topic, even the ones in our country. I think it’s important to encourage students to be a part of these conversations.”
Syed, a first-generation American born to Pakistani parents, revealed that students like her are sometimes afraid to speak out, especially under the new presidency.
“As first-generation Americans, a lot of what we do has to be done in a certain way, and you have to say things the right way,” Syed stated. “But don’t let that stop or silence you.”
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