The Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CT) today expressed its solidarity with the students of the University of Connecticut who have erected a pro-Palestinian encampment at the Storrs campus.
CAIR-CT said it supports the students’ justified demands for the university to end its investments in companies that manufacture weapons used in the ongoing conflict in Palestine.
“We urge the university administration and the Governor not to use the police to suppress this lawful demonstration,” said Farhan Memon, chair of CAIR-CT. “Institutions like UCONN should be beacons of free expression and dialogue. The use of militarized police to handle student protests is not only disproportionate but deeply concerning. It is crucial that these educational institutions remain spaces where civil liberties are respected and where students can engage in critical conversations without fear of reprisal.”
He said CAIR-CT finds it troubling that students asserting their rightful freedom to protest have faced excessive measures, including undue force and arrests by militarized police units.
Memon added: “The State of Connecticut must ensure the protection of free speech, particularly for its students, and avoid endangering their safety with disproportionate police force. A peaceful protest is not synonymous with silence or passivity; it is an active, non-violent form of expressing dissent.
“CAIR-CT urges UConn and other educational institutions to protect the rights of their students, engage in open dialogue, listen to their concerns, and strive for peaceful solutions that reinforce the values of free expression and civil liberties.”
BACKGROUNDER:
Overnight, UConn imposed quiet hours in effect 24-hours-a-day each day until commencement to suppress protests. To use this measure as a predicate for disciplining protesting students is arbitrary and inappropriate.
The deployment of police against peacefully protesting students is an inappropriate and alarming approach. Already, two students have been arrested for merely voicing their concerns through nonviolent means.
Recent developments in Khan Yunis, where health authorities have discovered mass graves containing the bodies of children and hospital staff at the Nasser Hospital, lend grave credibility to the accusations presented at the Court of International Justice earlier this year, suggesting acts of genocide in Gaza by Israel.
The Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CT) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting understanding and mutual respect among all people, particularly regarding issues related to Islam and Muslims in America.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
END
CONTACT: Farhan Memon, CAIR-CT Chair (fmemon@cair.com 203-517-6526) or Hassan Awwad, Director of Operations (hawwad@cair.com 202-213-6844)