Salaita speaks with a gift for revealing how language, in the hands of illegitimate power, colonizers, can be weaponized to justify white supremacy, capitalism, theft of land and culture, and negation of identity. He comments on the Sioux "water protectors, the significance of the statement, "Water is Life" and indigenous solidarity in the similar yet different conditions, as human beings put their bodies in the path, of State power intent on domination through displacement and exploitation.
Congregation Tzedek - Chicago
This talk occurred as part of Congregation Tzedek's observance of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Judaism. The Rabbi's introduction (off mic) explains why Salaita was asked to teach on what he sees as the central moral issue facing Jews today. The State of Israel falsely claims it speaks for all Jews. This event is an example that it does not.
The first question in the Q&A deals with an observation Salaita made related to the Zionist campaign to stifle criticism of the State of Israel and Zionism, neither of which have anything to do with the religion of Judaism but is also relevant to the nature of the totalitarian interests now attempting to consolidate power by purging universities and media of critics.
The book "Uncivil Rites: Palestine and the Limits of Academic Freedom" provides the full narriative of how Israel/Zionists corrupted President Phyllis Weiss and a majority of the trustees of the University of Illinois/Champaign to prevent Professor Salaita from taking up the tenured position he had been offered and formally (signed contract) accepted. After being exposed as a liar Phyllis Weiss resigned before she could be fired while most Board members were shown to be unethical. Salaita won a settlement for breach of contract. It has been difficult to obtain work in his field since.
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