A Salute to Birzeit Students for Expelling the British Consul

by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem

On Tuesday, March 5, 2013, students of Birzeit University expelled the British consul from the university campus. They came through unscathed, and so did their patriotic stance.

The British consul was supposed to deliver a lecture on the Palestinian cause and Britain’s positions on it, but the students, being fully aware of Britain’s role in the making of Israel and the scattering of the Palestinians, decided to make clear to Britain that the dignity of the Palestinian people stands above every diplomatic consideration, and that its ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people are unforgivable — and so they refused to let the consul remain on campus. They reminded him of the Balfour Declaration, and of Britain’s mandate-era policy, and insisted on his departure from the campus, and he left, humiliated and downcast.

This is a great and honorable stance on the part of Birzeit University’s students, and it ought to be the stance of students at every Palestinian university toward visits and courtesies of this kind. Britain conspired against the people of Palestine and continues to do so, and America gives the Zionists every support to prevail over us, and if we truly refuse submission, and possess courage, and are careful of our honor and our cohesion, then we must not bow our heads to invaders, occupiers, colonizers, or conspirators.

Consuls of Western states roam our cities and defile our universities, while the student movement is all but absent. The students of Birzeit University have taken the initiative, and they deserve every measure of appreciation and respect, and students and faculty at every university and educational and scholarly institution ought to adopt similar stances.

All salutes go to the students of Birzeit University.

Source: Translated from the original Arabic, “تحية لطلاب بير زيت لطردهم قنصل بريطانيا” by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem.