At the commencement ceremony of Untouched York College Abu Dhabi this May, a student wearing the typical Palestinian black and white keffiyeh shawl shouted “Free Palestine!” Eyewitnesses say that as he passed the degree to get his degree. Over the next few days, he was reportedly deported from the United Arab Emirates. The initial incident comes as the UAE tries to balance its diplomatic reputation towards Israel with the ongoing Israel-Hamas war that has devastated the Gaza Strip. At the hour of aid to the Palestinians, there was not one of the many demonstrations spanning the Arab world in the United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven emirates that strictly controls pronunciation and where political events are illegal. This extends to academic hours at NYU Abu Dhabi, where scholars say activities on the war were banned, and cultural events in the country’s capital, where people wearing keffiyehs were barred from entering. Was. One student said, “I think the government and the laws of the country do not necessarily match the desire to create an environment that is acceptable to the West, if we are talking about freedom of speech and so on.” On condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. Responding to questions from The Associated Press, NYU Abu Dhabi said it is “guaranteed academic authority” on campus, although “at none of our locations … members of the NYU community are immune from local law.” “NYU has no authority over the immigration or law enforcement actions or decisions of any country,” the university said. It said it has urged scholars to “clearly and repeatedly understand the expectations, responsibilities, and limitations, including protocols, for NYU Abu Dhabi graduation.” The Emirati executive did not respond to a request for comment. Before the convocation, scholars were informed that “displaying the Palestinian flag is not allowed anywhere on campus and this was strictly enforced, even in residential buildings,” said another student. , who similarly spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern of retaliation. Overall, the five scholars, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, described major similar cases from the beginning to the present, affecting people who first wanted to buy keffiyehs in bulk as a way to save money. and wanted to organize a vigil for the dead in Gaza. Jacqueline Henneke, an NYU Abu Dhabi alumna who graduated in May, told the AP that the university sent an email before banning all “cultural attire” at graduation — including headscarves. The classmate who tossed the chain to the side and yelled “Liberate Palestine!” According to the American Association of College Professors, which supports separate speech and academic freedom efforts, he ultimately found himself in police custody before his deportation. A comment from the group alleged that the college “has been unable to protect students, staff and faculty from detention and interrogation in government security offices and has failed to prevent the deportation of an academic staff member and a graduate student. ” It also claimed that staff and scholars from non-Western countries “were detained, intimidated, and deported on surveillance grounds.” Its detailed description was not given. This is not the first time NYU Abu Dhabi has faced criticism while seeking to balance the wisdom of an American comprehensive arts education in the UAE with a focus on controlling pronunciation despite being a staunch American friend in the Middle East. There are strict laws. Human rights groups criticized the school for its use of migrant workers to build the campus, who they say were subject to field violations, including forcing them to pay recruitment fees to get their jobs. Which was never reimbursed. Crowded conditions and pressure to work overtime. Following the document, NYU launched an investigation, which found that many employees were not protected through the honest hard work the school had touted as a playground. The university promised compensation, even though some employees later claimed they never won it. In 2017, the journalism section of York University informed the school that it was severing its ties with NYU’s Abu Dhabi campus, due to two professors being denied painting visas to the UAE, as well as the school’s reputation. Was also being handled. However, NYU Abu Dhabi’s activities come as the UAE maintains its diplomatic relations with Israel, which runs a consulate in Dubai and an embassy outside Abu Dhabi. Daily flights to Israel have also grown longer, while Western airlines have been slow to resume flights to Ben Gurion World Airport outside Tel Aviv. When Dubai hosted the UN COP28 status talks in November, security officials closely monitored pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which the UAE had to allow in the UN-controlled “Blue Zone” at the tournament. The conflict began with a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people from the community and taking 250 others hostage. Without distinguishing between civilians and combatants, local health officials say the Israeli offensive has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Even more people were killed in an Israeli raid on a busy West storehouse. However, anger is simmering among some of the many Arabs living within the UAE, including Emiratis and other nationalities living there, as the conflict has intensified.
At the Contemporary Abu Dhabi Comedy Contest, an AP journalist observed that security guards refused to let people into the community development unless they took off their keffiyehs and passed them. Then, a woman shouted “Liberate Palestine!” During a series featuring American comedian Dave Chappelle, he called what was happening in Gaza a “genocide”.