The discourse surrounding the Middle East conflict is also taking place on campus, and we have noticed that this discourse is moving to extremes. There is hostility and students do not feel safe. The university should be a place where exchange is made possible and members and visitors are treated with respect. Dealing with global political issues is part of everyday life, and different opinions often clash.
As the General Students' Committee, we are committed to a diverse university where everyone should feel safe regardless of their affiliation. We see the cancellation of the event with Wieland Hoban as the right measure, as Mr. Hoban has made several openly anti-Zionist statements in the past. These statements disqualify Mr. Hoban as a speaker for a lecture at this university.
Our university must be a space that does not provide a platform for people who discriminate against others. We therefore criticize events with content that disregards human rights. Communication with members of the university, including students and university groups, should be open and transparent. This means that it must be explained why events are canceled or room allocations are withdrawn.
It must be possible to discuss a country's policies without denying its right to exist. At the same time, it should be possible to criticize and debate policies and actions in war.
Eine positive, respektvolle und konstruktive Debattenkultur auf dem Campus ist zu fördern und zu fordern, eine mögliche Grundlage bieten die IHRA regulations and the Anti-discrimination guidelines of the university. The tendency towards an unreflected culture of debate is increasing in society and everyone at the university should help to counteract this.
Image sources
- Leibnizstraße pond: Photo by Julian Schüngel
