UCT allows third ‘terrorism’ engagement in one year

The University of Cape Town (UCT) has for the third time this year allowed flags of internationally-designated terrorist groups to be draped on its campus and a speaker affiliated to a ‘terrorist’ organisation to address students.

On 15 September, the UCT Palestinian Solidarity Forum (UCT PSF) hosted a “year-end event and evening of resistance” in which the group facilitated engagement between students and online guest speaker Hezbollah spokesperson Ibrahim al-Mousawi.

Hezbollah is “an internationally-designated terrorist and deeply antisemitic organisation,” says South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) National Chairperson Rowan Polovin. Journalist Jeffrey Goldberg wrote in the New Yorker in 2002 that Al-Mousawi reportedly told him “Jews are a lesion on the forehead of history.”

However, UCT spokesperson Elijah Moholola once again told the SA Jewish Report, “UCT reiterates that student societies organise their events autonomously. Should any member of the UCT community have any issue about any event held on campus, they are urged to lodge a formal complaint through the relevant internal structures.”

In March, as part of the so-called Israel Apartheid Week (IAW), members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) (both internationally-designated as terrorist organisations) addressed UCT students via a video call from Iran, hosted on campus by the UCT PSF. Hamas and Hezbollah flags were also draped around the room.

In May, UCT once again allowed the flags of internationally-designated terrorist organisations to be draped on its campus and a recognised antisemite and extremist, Imam Mohammed al-Assi, to address students at the invitation of the UCT PSF. On both previous occasions, the South African Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS), the SAZF, and the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies (Cape SAJBD) raised their concerns with the university.

“UCT has yet again provided a platform for terrorists to promulgate anti-Israel hate and propaganda to students on campus,” Polovin says. “The weakness of UCT’s leadership, which refuses to prevent and condemn the ongoing and flagrant abuse of the campus by hate-traffickers is deplorable, and must be condemned in the strongest terms. UCT must be held accountable for allowing extremism to spread on campus on more than one occasion this year alone.”

The UCT PSF openly supports organisations like Hamas, Hezbollah, and PIJ and calls for intifada (violent uprising) and “armed resistance”.

Hezbollah is designated a terrorist organisation by the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, The Arab League, and Israel, and several others. Palestinian Islamic Jihad is a designated terrorist organisation by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Israel. Hamas is designated a terrorist organisation by Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The UCT PSF also regularly displays the flags of these terrorist groups. At the beginning of the year, the student group said its message was “Viva Hamas, viva [Palestinian] Islamic Jihad, viva Hezbollah,” which its leaders called out on campus.

When the organisers advertised the 15 September event, they said, “A video message will be recorded by the participants [at the event] that will be sent directly to the Palestinian resistance Hamas and [Palestinian] Islamic Jihad! Come out and show South Africa’s support for the mujahideen [those engaged in jihad] in Palestine!” They also advertised the event as “an exclusive message by the Lebanese Islamic resistance to UCT students”.

Cape SAJBD Chairperson Adrienne Jacobson says, “We’re concerned that these groups, categorised as terrorists by most Western countries, are being given a platform on UCT’s campus. Though Palestinian flags have been part of the IAW campaign in the past, the introduction of Hezbollah flags are symbols of terrorism that are particularly triggering for our community.”

This time, Hezbollah’s flag, containing an assault rifle, was on full display in the lecture theatre. Al-Mousawi addressed a large crowd in the computer science building via video link. Also on display in the lecture hall were pictures of recognised terrorist leaders. The organisers invited participants to bring their families, including children, and enticed students with free entry and a meal.

Says Jacobson, “We believe in students’ rights to free speech. However, this should be done in a non-discriminatory manner without inciting violence or promoting hate speech.

“Unfortunately, Hezbollah isn’t recognised as a terrorist organisation in South Africa, in spite of being listed globally as such. The other issue is that speakers are confirmed as addressing students in one capacity, and then it’s revealed during the talk that they are part of another organisation.

“These are presentations and no more,” Jacobson says, but if Jewish students don’t feel safe, “they should voice their concerns to UCT leadership, as they should do whenever any controversial speaker comes to campus”.

“They can reach out to the Cape SAJBD on sajbd2@ctjc.co.za or contact SAUJS. The Cape SAJBD can provide a ‘know your rights on campus’ handbook to students,” Jacobson says.

In addition, students, parents, invested parties, and the community “can write to the UCT leadership and share their concerns”, Jacobson says. “Though the Cape SAJBD is engaging with UCT, the students and parents are the actual clients and as such have the right to voice their opinions.”

Following the March incident when members of Hamas and PIJ addressed UCT students via video call from Iran, Moholola told the SA Jewish Report the university was aware of the event and concerns raised by SAUJS prior to the event. He went on to say that it wasn’t “an institutional event, but one hosted by a students’ society”.

At the time, the chairperson of SAUJS Western Cape, Erin Dodo, said, “I believe this impacts on the safety of Jewish students and students in general and makes UCT a place for violence to be excused.” Dodo did everything she could to stop the speakers from addressing that event. The SAZF and Cape SAJBD also engaged with UCT on the matter.

After the incident in May, when Al-Assi addressed students, and SAUJS, the SAZF, and Cape SAJBD raised their concerns with the university, Moholola reiterated that events hosted by student organisations weren’t institutional events. He said UCT management wasn’t involved in inviting the speakers, “nor does management necessarily align with any views held or expressed by any invited speaker”.

“Our universities should provide spaces of rational debate and inclusive engagement, and not hotbeds of hostility,” Polovin says. “Places of learning in South Africa ought to be clear on the dangers of incitement and hosting speakers who would call for the discrimination against Jews and the destruction of Israel.”

“Our primary concern on campus is the well-being and safety of Jewish students,” Jacobson says. “We will continue to engage with UCT.”

“UCT has an almost 200-year legacy as a world-class teaching and research institute,” she says. “From our ongoing engagements with the leaders of the university, we know that they are all committed to ensuring that the campus remains a haven both for free expression and safe study. We’re confident Jewish students have no good reason to worry about their personal safety or about giving full expression to their Jewishness.”