Internationally recognised as an advocate for the rights of Palestinians, Professor Farid Esack says an academic petition calling for French universities to stop a ban on his lecture has had a major impact. Three hundred global academics have signed a petition demanding that French universities not succumb to pressure from Zionist groups to censor the anti-apartheid activist from raising awareness on Palestine during France’s Israeli Apartheid Week. Islamic scholars have come out, calling for the continuation of his lectures.

Speaking to VOC Drivetime, Prof Esack, who is the chairperson of the BDS movement in South Africa, said that other than Germany, France is home to the strongest Zionist lobby. He said there has been an intensification of solidarity with the Palestinians, rivalled by growing Islamophobia.

Esack has been accused by local Israeli lobby groups of being responsible behind the violence during BDS SA’s protest action against Woolworths and is considered anti-Semitic due to his stance on the Israeli-Apartheid. The above reasons were forwarded to universities from the local lobby groups, in an attempt to have the academic’s lectures banned.

“I am apparently a ‘dangerous character’ to have at French Universities. The irony is because of the hold of the Israeli lobby in Israel, this particular university which I was speaking at, at its gates might I add, was a host to more than a million people in defence of freedom,” Esack said jokingly.

A number of South African cabinet ministers have signed the petition to support the call for Esack to freely speak in France.

“People must never think that these petitions are inconsequential. It has had a major impact. I am grateful for the petition but this is more than just support for me. It is about the right to freely speak on Palestinian justices and the right to defy the Israeli Zionist lobby that wants to determine who may speak and who may not speak in different parts of the world,” Esack said. VOC