Palestinians Call to Boycott “Islamic Archaeology Conference” Normalizing Israeli Apartheid and Genocide

November 2, 2024

Good morning. Remember that every day is a good day to take action in support of Palestinian liberation.

LEARN. The BDS [Boycott Divest Sanction] movement is calling for a boycott of the “Islamic Archaeology Conference” scheduled to be held at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, November 7-9, 2024. Read about it here.

NOTICE. What comes up in your body and/or emotions when you read this sentence about the conference, which clarifies that the organizers aren’t concerned about the erasure of Palestinian voices, “…it not only centers the Israeli speakers as ‘experts’ in the field of Islamic antiquities and sites, but also features primarily those who work for the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA)”? Do you feel outrage, anger, despair, grief, or something else?

ACT. Learn more about the importance of preserving Palestinian voices, scholarship, history and culture through coordinated academic boycotts, here.

SHARE. Forward this to anyone you know who might have interest in or connections to the fields of archaeology or Islamic history, such as history and sociology teachers and professors, authors who write about history (fiction or non-fiction), librarians, archivists, genealogists, and people who work in museums or art restoration.

ASK. What other kinds of actions do you want to take but need more information about to start? Please reply to this email (or, if you are reading this online, leave a comment below) to let us know.*

In solidarity for Palestinian liberation,

Kay Coughlin, on behalf of the Shades of Anger collective

Click here to read online or listen to the audio version of this post:

*You can also continue the conversation with us in the Speaking Up Network, a private social media platform co-created by Animah Kosai, one of the leaders of Shades of Anger.

Shades of Anger was created by a global collective of women to raise awareness and inspire action to free Palestine. We chose the name of our collective to honor the poem, “Shades of Anger,” by Palestinian-Canadian poet Rafeef Ziadah. We also believe in liberation for Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, and all places where systems of oppression are causing immense suffering and crushing the life out humans. We are led by women of the Global Majority/BIPOC. Shades of Anger is for everyone who wants to act for liberation and you can learn more about it here.