Yasmin Saikia and Chad Haines co-direct the Center of Muslim Experience in the U.S. at Arizona State University. They are signatories of an open letter to U.S. President Joe Biden, signed by over 4,000 scholars across leading American universities and colleges, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The conflict in Gaza is complicated. But it is not as convoluted as it has been made out to be. As academics, we firmly believe that the principles of peace studies can assist us in comprehending the situation in Gaza and enable us to fulfill our obligation as educators to promote peace while condemning violence.
It is not enough to teach peace in the classroom. We must strive to apply these principles in our lives and inspire others to do the same.
Earlier this month, on Feb. 17, Johan Galtung, the father of peace studies, died. His lasting legacy of defining structural discrimination, oppression and marginalization as forms of violence, and thus a lack of peace, provides a poignant window into understanding the current crisis in the Middle East and the role academics play as advocates for peace.
Theoretically, Galtung deepened our understanding of peace by differentiating between negative and positive peace. Negative peace is the cessation of violence or conflict resolution; positive peace takes a deeper and more historical perspective, seeing violence through structural inequalities and covert forms of oppression and marginalization and bringing an end to it.
Galtung’s emphasis on recognizing structural inequalities and covert forms of oppression informs us as U.S. university educators who signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire in Gaza — unlike the politicians, journalists and warmongers who believe that extreme violence and collective punishment of the Gazans is justified because of the horrific attack of Hamas against Israelis civilians on Oct. 7, 2023.
When our political leaders fail to act or even speak out against the injustices of the age, we believe it is the responsibility of scholars, writers, artists, and other civic, educational, and moral leaders to break the silence.
The people who do not want a ceasefire even now, after four months of relentless violence against the noncombatants of Gaza, are unmindful to the context of the decades-long imprisonment of Gaza by Israel; the long history of violent bombings and military incursions into Gaza by Israeli Defense Forces; the displacement of Palestinians since 1946 and their resettlement in camps in Gaza, the West Bank, and elsewhere in the region; or of Israel’s past support of Hamas to counter the influence of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
But one does not need that knowledge. All one needs to do is look at the media footage of Gaza after four months of continuous bombardment.
Look at the faces of the children killed, displaced, and orphaned. Look at the destruction of internationally defined safe spaces such as hospitals and their lack of medicine and equipment. Listen to the genocidal statements of Israel’s prime minister, president, military leaders and politicians. See for yourself what is happening in Gaza today.
Amid the ongoing violence in Gaza, academics are pleading with President Biden to call for a ceasefire. This is not a political act but a human response. The 30,000 people who have lost their lives, including women and children among the noncombatant victims, urge us to put aside divisiveness and prioritize human security. The thousands of American scholars and educators who have signed this petition are calling for justice, compassion and the protection of all lives, emphasizing the importance of preserving our shared humanity.
“When our political leaders fail to act or even speak out against the injustices of the age, we believe it is the responsibility of scholars, writers, artists, and other civic, educational, and moral leaders to break the silence,” a collective of U.S. scholars recently wrote in an open letter to President Biden.
“As academics, we place a premium on the advancement of just, peaceful, and collaborative resolutions to shared problems, based on credible evidence, critical inquiry, and social responsibility. We expect the same of our leaders.”
It is not enough to teach peace in the classroom. We must strive to apply these principles in our lives and inspire others to do the same.
President Biden recognizes the importance of teachers and their role in shaping future generations. He often pays tribute to his wife, Jill Biden, a longtime professor and teacher with a doctoral degree in education. Teachers, he knows, are advocates for learning about diversity, justice and empathy. Platforms for dialogue between teachers and policymakers are crucial to ensuring decisions align with principles of peace, justice and human rights.
The plea for a ceasefire is not an overstep for us as academics and educators; it is a manifestation of our responsibility to guide leaders toward empathy, understanding and peace. Our advocacy for a ceasefire is not a deviation from our role as educators; it is a commitment to shaping minds that prioritize dialogue over violence and compassion over conflict.
These educators’ call for a ceasefire in Gaza aligns with our duty to instill compassion and ethical citizenship in the United States and globally. Johan Galtung’s call for positive peace can become a lived experience if we make a commitment to the ceasefire that will benefit humanity globally.
