South SFV Today

In June, two committees at Stanford University released reports following a seven-month inquiry into the experiences of their respective communities. The Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian (MAP) Communities Committee and the Subcommittee on Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias presented their findings at an event hosted by the Stanford Political Union on October 28.

The discussion, titled "Confronting Bias at Stanford," was introduced by SPU President YuQing Jiang as an opportunity to model constructive dialogue. "We hope this event will show students that not only is it possible, but necessary, to engage in discussions about difficult issues in a constructive manner at college and beyond," Jiang said.

Professor Alexander Key, co-chair of the MAP Communities Committee, explained that the committee's initial focus on Palestine expanded to include broader experiences of Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab communities. The committee provided recommendations aimed at improving these communities' experiences on campus.

Key emphasized avoiding a binary framing of Islamophobia versus antisemitism throughout the event. Jeffrey Koseff and Larry Diamond discussed their work with the Subcommittee on Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias. Koseff noted that while one goal was addressing antisemitism, another was fostering dialogue with Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian communities. "It affects all students at Stanford about how we reestablish the culture, values, and ideals that we believe this university was created for and stands for," Koseff stated.

The panelists shared challenges faced during their inquiries. Natalie Jabbar described difficulties in encouraging people to share experiences with the MAP Communities Committee but noted progress once trust was established. "Once they trust you...they start to open up," Jabbar remarked.

Diamond recounted similar experiences with his subcommittee's listening sessions. He recalled an emotional incident where a Jewish student realized they were concealing their identity from friends: "'No one has said anything antisemitic about me,'” Diamond recalled them saying. “And then the tears start forming."

Both committees made recommendations aimed at broadening learning opportunities for all students about Middle Eastern perspectives. Key warned against oversimplifying complex issues through binary perspectives or neutral frameworks that may inadvertently pressure students to suppress parts of their identities.

Koseff highlighted shared goals across both committees: “We might have different ways of trying to solve it, but we’re talking about the same thing.” Meanwhile, Diamond praised university leadership for efforts promoting dialogue across differences and fostering free expression.

The committees plan to present their findings to the Faculty Senate after meeting with university leadership again in January.