Federal Labors Minister for Education,Jason Clare, is under increasingly vociferous pressure to show support for academic freedom and resist pressure to silence pro-Palestinian scholars.

A report inThe Australianclaimed that Mr Clare had called for the Australian Research Council (A.R.C.) to investigate Macquarie University scholar DrRanda Abdel-Fattahs four-year grant for research into Arab/Muslim/Australian social justice activism. This followedanother articlein a series of attacks on Abdel-Fattah which quoted the A.R.C. as having significant concerns about her use of the grant.

A spokesperson for Jason Clare confirmed the request:

Handballing that requirement, a spokesperson for the A.R.C. said:

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According toWestern Sydney University Professor of Law,Mike Head, the accusation that she had not followed the rules (which prompted Jason Clares direction to the A.R.C.) was based on remarks Abdel-Fattah made at a Queensland University conference:

Head and members of Macquarie UniversitysRank-and-FileCommittee have documented the campaign against Abdel-Fattah, which began in Februarylast yearwhen calls were made in the media for her to be removed as a speaker at an international womans day event and from a book award judging panel.

In April, Abdel-Fattah's support for a pro-Palestine encampment at Sydney University resulted inThe Australianpublishing the accusation that she was indoctrinating children with vile, hateful, antisemitic slogans and chants.

Last month, Indigenous academicMarcia Langtonsingled out Abdel-Fattah in an opinion piece forThe Australian, saying that university leaders are misusing academic freedom to defend antisemitism.

A group calledScholars Against Political Repressionhas now organised an open letter to Mr Clare, condemning his decision to request the A.R.C. investigate Randa Abdel-Fattahs grant funding.

The letter, published on theOverlandjournal website, stated:

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The open letter has been signed, to date, by 400 academics. It asks Mr Clare [to guarantee] the independence of the Council and [to defend] the academic freedom of scholars in the face of political attacks.

TheJewish Council of Australias chair, DrMax Kaiser, has also issued anopen letterto Mr Clare, urging him to reject the coordinated and malicious campaigns by Israel lobby groups to interfere with the academic freedom of Palestinian and First Nations scholars.

At the same time, members of the Macquarie University Rank-and-File Committeeissued a statementsupporting Abdel-Fattah.

The Committeestated:

Another Rank-and-File Committee, at Western Sydney University, alsoissued a statementin support of Abdel-Fattah, demanding:

The Scholars against Political Repression open letter to Jason Clare notes the terrible irony of Dr Abdel-Fattahs speech at an anti-racist conference sponsored by the First NationsCarumba Instituteat the Queensland University of Technology being used to attack not only her but also ProfessorChelsea Watego, who is also facing accusations of antisemitism.

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The magazine'Overland'has been targeted for its solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

The open letter states:

Professor Headhas writtenabout the most recent assault on anti-war dissent, freedom of speech and basic democratic rights, which intensified at last weeks Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, chaired by Labor MPJosh Burns.

Grilling the Macquarie University vice-chancellor,Bruce Dowton, Mr Burnsaskedif disciplinary action had been taken against Abdel-Fattah:

Professor Head writes:

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Rosemary Sorensenis an IA columnist, journalist and founder of the Bendigo Writers Festival.