At the graduation ceremony of New York University Abu Dhabi this May, a student wearing the traditional Palestinian black-and-white keffiyeh scarf shouted “Free Palestine!” as he crossed the stage to receive his diploma, witnesses say. Days later, he reportedly was deported from the United Arab Emirates.

The incident at the graduation comes as the UAE tries to balance its diplomatic recognition of Israel with the ongoing Israel-Hamas war that’s devastated the Gaza Strip. While offering aid to the Palestinians, there have been none of the mass demonstrations that swept the Arab world here in the UAE, a federation of seven emirates that tightly controls speech and where political parties are illegal.

That’s stretched into academic life at NYU Abu Dhabi, where students say activities over the war have been barred, and into cultural events in the country’s capital as well where those wearing the keffiyeh have been stopped from entering.

“I think the government and the laws of the country don’t necessarily align with wanting to create an environment that appeals to the West as well, if we’re talking about freedom of speech and so on,” said one student, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Responding to questions from The Associated Press, NYU Abu Dhabi said it has been “guaranteed academic authority” on campus but that “in none of our locations ... are members of the NYU community immune from local law.”

“NYU has no authority over any nation’s immigration or law enforcement actions or decisions,” the school said. It added it advised students “clearly and repeatedly about expectations, obligations, and boundaries, including the protocols for the NYU Abu Dhabi graduation.”

The Emirati government did not respond to a request for comment.

Before the graduation ceremony, students had been told that “displaying the Palestinian flag anywhere on campus is not permitted and this was strictly executed, even in residential buildings,” said another student, who similarly spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

In total, five students speaking on condition of anonymity described similar circumstances leading up to the graduation affecting those who earlier sought to bulk-buy keffiyehs as a fundraiser and organize vigils for the dead in Gaza.

Jacqueline Hennecke, an NYU Abu Dhabi alumni who graduated in May, told the AP that the university sent an email prior to graduation banning all “cultural attire” at the commencement — including scarves. The student who disregarded the order and yelled “Free Palestine!” on stage ultimately found himself in police custody prior to his deportation, according to the American Association of University Professors which supports free speech and academic freedom efforts.

The university “has been unable to protect students, staff and faculty from being taken into custody and interrogated at government security offices and has failed to prevent the deportation of one academic staff member and a graduate student,” a statement from the organization alleged. It also claimed that staff and students from non-Western countries had been “detained, intimidated, and deported based on surveillance.” It did not elaborate.

This is not the first time NYU Abu Dhabi has faced criticism when trying to balance the ideas of an American liberal arts education in the UAE, which has strict rules governing speech despite being a staunch American ally in the Mideast. Human rights groups criticized the school for using migrant workers to build the campus who they say had been subject to a range of violations including being forced to pay recruitment fees to get their jobs that were never reimbursed, living in overcrowded conditions and being forced to work overtime.

Following the report, NYU commissioned an investigation, which found a number of workers hadn’t been protected by the fair labor practices the school had said would be in place. The school promised reimbursement, though some workers later claimed they never received it.

The journalism department at New York University in 2017 told the school it was cutting its ties to NYU’s Abu Dhabi campus over two professors being denied work visas by the UAE, as well as the school’s handling of the situation.

But NYU Abu Dhabi’s actions come as the UAE maintains its diplomatic ties with Israel, which runs both a consulate in Dubai and an embassy out of Abu Dhabi. Daily flights to Israel have also gone on even as Western airlines were slow to resume flights to Ben Gurion International Airport outside of Tel Aviv. Security officials closely monitored pro-Palestinian demonstrations when Dubai hosted the U.N. COP28 climate talks in November, which the UAE had to allow in the U.N.-controlled “Blue Zone” at the event.

But anger has boiled among the many Arabs living in the UAE, including Emiratis and other nationalities living there, as the war has raged on.

At the recent Abu Dhabi Comedy Festival, an AP journalist saw security guards stop people from entering the event unless they removed their keffiyehs and handed them over. However, one woman shouted “Free Palestine!” during a set by American comedian Dave Chapelle, who called what was happening in Gaza a “genocide.

Source:
https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-uae-protest-nyu-abu-dhabi-cf6827bd74437dee93f755eb3f4919e4

Deport them all
Terrorist sympathizers

Compound fool. Your eye don clear now shebi? Extremist sympathizer, Mtchew

Na them Sabi oo, me I dey find were to eat balance diet I get bread like this but they find beans.

Hjj

Death to all Muslim terrorists!

Very very good

Imagine UAE An Islamic Nation is not even supporting Hamas.. Whereas some useless allah's slaves here in Nigeria want to kill themselves ontop Hamas matter as if they know islam more than those in Arab nations

Good riddance to bad rubbish..


I sell herbs

Can you all see the difference between the USA and some "others".....

I really respect the USA.....

C h a i..







Some people will just yell or support a cause without them even knowing why they did so.

U go another man land go dey pass ur boundary.

Where's freedom of speech

lol

Muslims pandering to a perceived superior power. Cowards. But they will not hesitate to cut your neck if you are a black man

Foolish idiot, e no go pass yolobar Moslem

Even Muslims hate Palestine
Chai
What a religion
Snitches

Go to Iran and free balestine there

She should be deported to Palestine to fight from the front line

Awesome news.

They are not demanding they release hostages but support hamas.

Nigeria and their oversabi
Ask yourselves why not even saudi, Egypt who share a border with Palestine or the Bahrain have accepted any Palestine

Cowardigbos:
Death to all Muslim terrorists!

All Muslims are terrorists.

Lol! Let the crossfire starts.

Most gulf Arab States hates violence and any atom or sign of radicalism is immediately dealt with. They prefer to offer assistance and aides to their fellow Muslims brothers in conflict, to accepting them in their countries as refugees.

Imagine this was Nigeria! Even Egypt the neighbours of Palestine have refused vehemently to have anything to do with it.

They understand the dangers of extremism. Life is too short to turn your home into a warzone in the name of fixing another problem.

lslamVIRGINS:
Imagine UAE An Islamic Nation is not even supporting Hamas.. Whereas some useless allah's slaves here in Nigeria want to kill themselves ontop Hamas matter as if they know islam more than those in Arab nations

Good riddance to bad rubbish. Opportunity wasted

Let all those who disguise as sympathisers under the cloak of love for terrorism in the name of religion continue to deceive themselves UAE has made its position clear on its strong diplomatic ties with Israel.