Dear David Seddon and fellow European sociologists,
It is good to see that David has now provided a sociological suggestion, which would enable us to use this list to best effect in this crisis. However, that sociological proposal is contradicted by the call for a uniform boycott of all Israeli academics.
If we are to
"develop a clear and objective analysis of the current situation in Palestine/Israel and identify possible political movements towards a resolution of the long-standing conflict in this region and encourage such movements"
then we need to have input from critical Israeli and Palestinian academics. It is surely they who have least chance of being heard in the current crisis, which like all wars is a crisis of knowledge in the sense of legitimation and interpretation as well as a crisis of humanity. An 'institutional academic boycott' would only collude in silencing such dialogue.
Rather than arguing about a token declaration of a boycott, I suggest that we use this list to encourage such voices, voices for peace on both sides, using David's programmatic statement (above) as a guideline. I think that would utilise the purpose for which the list is intended, in the context of the present crisis.
Regards,
Dr Michael S. Drake
Lecturer and Undergraduate Programme Director for Sociology,
Department of Social Sciences,
University of Hull,
Cottingham Road,
Hull.
HU6 7RX
Tel.: +44 (0)1482 465770
email: [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Newsletter of the European Sociological Association (ESA) [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Seddon
Sent: 05 January 2009 10:07
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: AW: In favour of boycott
As a sociologist whose professional career has been largely based on
fieldwork and analysis of Middle eastern society and politics, and former
professor of sociology and politics at the school of Development Studies,
University of East Anglia, I would like to suggest that Herr Pohoryles is
too easily roused to intemperate words and actions. He is also to be
chided for referring so crudely to 'unqualified and anti-semitic British
colleagues'.
I agree with him that 'boycott is not a solution' - it is a form of
political action. More important, however, than debating terms is to
develop a clear and objective analysis of the current situation in
Palestine/Israel and identify possible political movements towards a
resolution of the long-standing conflict in this region and encourage such
movements. For some, myself included the institutional academic boycott is
a small part of that process of encouraging political (and ideological)
movement.
prof. david seddon
> As this Newsletter is abused for political statements I would like to be
> not spammed anymore from this Newsletter.
>
> Boycott is not a solution, and I am sick and tired of discussing this
> issue with unqualified and antisemitic British colleagues.
>
> Unsubscribe me please.
>
> Ronald J Pohoryles
> Chairman & Acting Director
> --------------------------------------------
> The Interdisciplinary Centre for Comparative Research in the Social
> Sciences
> Le Centre Interdisciplinaire pour la Recherche Comparative en Sciences
> Sociales
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> ________________________________
>
> Von: Newsletter of the European Sociological Association (ESA) im Auftrag
> von Mahmoud Ataf
> Gesendet: So 04.01.2009 01:19
> An: [log in to unmask]
> Betreff: In favour of boycott
>
>
> I really admire my British colleagues for their support of the Palestinian
> in Gaza and the call to boycott Israeli Academia. In this spirit I also
> would like to call for a boycott of our colleagues in the US and Britain
> for their implicit complicity for the stupid war in Iraq. Given the fact
> that the costs in human life is well over 600,000 people (75% of them
> civilians) I suggest to boycott them permanently from the European and
> International Sociological Community.
>
> Mahmoud
>
>
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