UAE Stifles Campus Freedoms, Persecutes Pro-Gaza Voices, Amnesty Reports
Amnesty International has revealed that during the 2023-24 academic year, UAE authorities collaborated with the administration of New York University (NYU) in Abu Dhabi to suppress academic freedoms and penalize expressions of free speech, peaceful assembly, and association on the campus.
In a statement, Amnesty highlighted that NYU Abu Dhabi’s actions included prohibiting several social, cultural, political, and educational events on campus and restricting various forms of expression during this year’s graduation ceremony.
Additionally, the university reportedly advised students and faculty members that they could face repercussions from the UAE government if they exercised their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.
In contrast, Amnesty International reported that the UAE government’s actions included forcibly returning a student and a teacher to their home countries, along with arbitrarily summoning, interrogating, and detaining faculty members.
According to Amnesty, all documented cases of repression by the university and government were tied to rhetoric concerning the Israeli offensive and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the occupied Gaza Strip.
The UAE’s crackdown on solidarity with the Palestinian cause, alongside efforts to enforce normalization with Israel, extended to New York University Abu Dhabi. One student faced arbitrary arrest and deportation amid severe restrictions on freedom of expression.
Human rights organizations, as reported by Emirates Leaks, have revealed that the leadership of New York University Abu Dhabi colluded with Emirati authorities to suppress freedom of expression and academic freedom, specifically targeting any show of solidarity with Palestine.
New York University Abu Dhabi, a research institution offering liberal arts degrees and part of the global NYU network, has operated since its campus opened in September 2010.
According to sources, the university administration imposed stringent restrictions on both faculty and students, particularly when expressing solidarity with Palestine, which resulted in harsh penalties and political repression.
The leadership was reportedly unable to protect students, staff, and faculty from detention and interrogation by government security agencies, nor could they prevent the deportation of a faculty member and a graduate student.
Instead of defending academic freedom, the leadership at NYU Abu Dhabi has actively suppressed any form of engagement with Palestine on campus, according to reports.
Restrictions have been placed on activities such as organizing pro-Palestine protests, teaching-related classes, hanging banners, posting on social media, and even wearing the keffiyeh.
Several students have faced disciplinary actions for expressing discontent with this restrictive policy. Recent efforts to hold a faculty vote on the administration’s handling of student protests—similar to what many NYU schools in New York have done—were reportedly met with disruption and threats.
The university’s commencement ceremony on May 22, which was meant to honor graduates and award winners, became a highly controlled event under these stringent measures.
A PhD student who expressed support for Palestine on stage was detained for a week and deported. NYU President Linda Mills was on stage at NYU Abu Dhabi at the event.
Rights groups have complained that any prospect of preserving academic freedom at NYU Abu Dhabi has been severely curtailed by the ban on any expression of solidarity with Palestine.
The 2023-2024 academic year at NYU Abu Dhabi has been marked by unprecedented levels of repression, with academic and cultural events related to Palestine requiring approval from the university’s Provost’s Office. Many events, both scholarly and cultural, were arbitrarily canceled throughout the year, even those that did not directly address the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza. This heightened censorship has stifled free expression and academic inquiry on campus.
In addition, an NYU Abu Dhabi administrator reportedly objected to the formation of a Palestinian cultural affinity group for faculty members, despite the existence of other affinity groups on campus.
Students have been prohibited from wearing the keffiyeh in groups and have faced threats of arrest if they engage in active protest.
While the NYUAD administration has enforced silence on political speech through disciplinary actions, NYU President Linda Mills has remained silent regarding the repressive measures taken by the UAE government against members of the NYUAD community.
The most vulnerable members of the university community—staff, students, and non-Western citizens—have been the primary targets of the harshest repression. Many have been arrested, intimidated, and deported, with these actions reportedly based on surveillance of their personal communications, private emails, and social media posts.
