Below is the translation in English of the letter. To read the original version in French, simply click on the French flag at the top right of this page. Dear….
Below is the translation in English of the letter. To read the original version in French, simply click on the French flag at the top right of this page.
Dear Director,
Dear Colleague,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the MUCEM for standing firm against the campaign aimed at banning the conference “Facing the Destruction of Gaza: Creations, Hospitality, Commitments,” in which I participated as a panelist in the roundtable discussion “Academic and Artistic Freedoms Under Scrutiny.”
It would have been inconceivable for the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations not to address the major event that will shape relations between Europe and the Mediterranean for the next hundred years—namely, the genocide in Gaza—but, alas, we know that the most obvious things are not always the easiest. As a former university president, I can imagine the pressures you must have faced, beyond the protests that took place on the esplanade on Thursday morning. By standing firm, you have honored the institution you lead, demonstrating that it serves the truth and not mere opinion.
I would like to say that you are thus continuing a long-standing academic tradition of resistance to the powers that be, but recent examples unfortunately show us that this is not the case, and that many colleagues give in too easily in the face of attacks on academic freedoms. That is why your stance is so valuable: it halts the erosion of these freedoms, which are the very foundation of our profession, and we can hope that it will serve as an example to others.
Please accept, Mr. Director and dear colleague, my highest regards.
Ivar Ekeland
Former President of Paris-Dauphine University
https://www.ceremade.dauphine.fr/~ekeland
President of AURDIP