An-Najah Failed to Implement Its Agreement with Dr. Kassem

by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem

As of the moment of writing this notice, An-Najah National University has not implemented the agreement reached with Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem. The agreement was signed by the mediator, Counselor Osama bin Hassan al-Touri, in the presence of the university president, members of the board of trustees, and Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem, on Friday, September 9, 2011, and was published publicly in the local newspapers, under the university’s own letterhead and at its own expense, as well as on internet networks. This is the text of the agreement:

Given the misunderstanding that arose between Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem and An-Najah National University in recent days, and the various statements issued in the media that followed, and the attempt by some to exploit this misunderstanding, exaggerate the problem, and manipulate it.

And based on the generous intervention of His Excellency Counselor Osama Hassan al-Touri, Secretary-General of the World Encyclopedia of Excellence and Civilization, based in Paris, and out of concern for the academic and administrative interests of the university, Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem announces the halting and ending of all media campaigns and statements, past and future, and on this basis all the problems and disputes that have arisen shall be resolved within the regulations and laws in force.

Signed: Counselor Osama bin Hassan al-Touri

Secretary-General of the World Encyclopedia of Excellence and Civilization

[Under the agreement,] Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem was to halt the media activity related to the matter in dispute, and to withdraw the complaint he had filed against the university staff members who had drafted a statement against him; the university was to rescind the decisions it had taken against him, particularly his suspension from work and the suspension of his salary; and the university president was to drop the complaint he had filed against Dr. Abdul-Sattar in court.

Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem carried out his media commitment immediately, noting that someone had forged a comment in Dr. Kassem’s name on the website of the Palestinian Information Center. The doctor immediately wrote to the website denying responsibility for the comment. On Sunday, September 11 [2011], he withdrew the complaint from the Public Prosecutor’s office in Nablus. The university, however, has not carried out anything to this day. It should be noted that the dropping of the complaint filed against the doctor could take place on October 10, 2011, the date of the court session.

Dr. Kassem has no interest in escalating tensions, given the harm this could cause to the university as a leading Palestinian institution, and what is required is that the university’s officials carry out what they have committed to. Responsibility rests on whoever fails to implement it.

It should be noted that the university president and the members of the board of trustees do not deny the agreement or its details.

Source: Translated from the original Arabic, “جامعة النجاح لم تنفذ الاتفاق مع د. عبد الستار قاسم” by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem.