Rabab Ibrahim Abdulhadi
Born1955 (age 68–69)
Nablus, State of Palestine
Alma materHunter College,
Yale University
Occupation(s)Scholar, activist, educator, editor, academic director
EmployerSan Francisco State University
Known forPalestinian diaspora, Palestinian activism, Palestinian women's studies, Sociology

Rabab Ibrahim Abdulhadi (born 1955)[1] is a Palestinian-born American scholar, activist, educator, editor, and an academic director. She is an Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies, Race and Resistance Studies, and the founding Director of Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies (AMED) at San Francisco State University (SFSU).[2][3] She is a controversial political figure, which is in part due to larger political issues around her field of study.[4]

Early life and education

Rabab Ibrahim Abdulhadi was born in 1955 in Nablus, Palestine, into a Muslim family.[1][4][5][6]

She received a B.A. degree (1994) in Women's studies from Hunter College;[7] followed by a M.A. degree (1995), M. Phil. degree (1998), and Ph.D. (2000) in Sociology, all from Yale University.[8] Abdulhadi's dissertation, under advisor Michele Dillon, was titled, "Palestinianness in Comparative Perspective: Inclusionary Resistance, Exclusionary Citizenship" (2000).[9][10]

Career

From 2004 to 2006, she served as the founding Director of the Center for Arab American Studies, and as an associate professor of sociology at University of Michigan–Dearborn.[5][6][11]

In January 2007, she joined the faculty at San Francisco State University.[5] Since her hire in 2007, Abdulhadi has been the only faculty within her department, much of which has been supplemented by student research assistants, visiting scholars, and lecturers over the years.[5] In 2018, Abdulhadi formally filed a lawsuit and complaints, and has stated she was promised two faculty positions, at her time of hire.[4][5][12]

Abdulhadi has routinely come under fire by Zionist and pro-Israel groups such as the David Horowitz Freedom Center, the AMCHA Initiative, Campus Watch, and the Lawfare Project.[13] Posters at SFSU have circulated multiple times, featuring caricatures of Abdulhadi's likeness in derogatory manner, as well as implying Abdulhadi was involved in terrorist organizations.[5][14] In 2017, the SFSU Associated Students, Inc. (ASI), the General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS), and the Black Student Union (BSU) have stood with Abdulhadi and expressed disappointment in how then-university President Leslie E. Wong, and the on-campus police handled the hate speech.[14]

In 2017, the mayor of Jerusalem was to give a speech on the SFSU campus, and was met with student protests.[2] A group of Jewish students accused the school of encouraging antisemitism, led by Abdulhadi and her "anti-Zionist statements".[2][15] The issue went to court and 2018, a federal judge found no evidence of discrimination.[16] This event rekindled the debate of free speech on college campuses, and made national news.[17]

In 2019, Abdulhadi was co-hosting a zoom software-based talk by Palestinian political activist and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Leila Khaled.[3] Zoom, Facebook, and YouTube all cancelled livestreams of the webinar due to reasons related to policies against providing material support for, or praising acts of violence and terrorism.[3] The United States government considers The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine to be a terrorist organization.[3] The Leila Khaled event added to the tense national news debate on the "boundaries and consequences of freedom of expression",[18] and had SFSU President Lynn Mahoney fielding questions about her support and/or lack of support for the Middle Eastern studies program.[19][20]

Publications

Books

  • Abdulhadi, Rabab; Alsultany, Evelyn; Naber, Nadine, eds. (2011). Arab and Arab American Feminisms: Gender, Violence, and Belonging. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 9780815651239.

Articles and chapters

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Reproductive Rights – Global Feminisms Project". The Institute for Research for Women and Gender (IRWG), University of Michigan. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  2. 1 2 3 Egelko, Bob (2022-03-15). "Tensions over ethnic studies continue at S.F. State as president vetoes faculty decision siding with professor". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Lyons, Jenna (2016-10-18). "SFSU officials condemn posters targeting professor". SFGATE. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  4. 1 2 3 Flaherty, Colleen (March 21, 2022). "Palestinian scholar accuses SFSU of broken contract promise". InsideHighered.com. Retrieved 2023-11-15. Abdulhadi may be an especially easy target, as she's a controversial figure in an already controversial field.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Trent, Paisley (December 1, 2020). "The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict on Campus". Golden Gate Xpress. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  6. 1 2 Pogrund, Benjamin (2014-07-10). Drawing Fire: Investigating the Accusations of Apartheid in Israel. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 175–176. ISBN 978-1-4422-2684-5.
  7. ↑ Habib, Samar (2009-11-12). Islam and Homosexuality [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 485. ISBN 978-0-313-37901-7.
  8. ↑ Meeting of Board of Regents: Agenda. University of Michigan Board of Regents. The Board. May 2004.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  9. ↑ Brown, Nathan J.; Brown, Canada Research Chair in Poetics and Assistant Professor of English Nathan (2003-11-03). Palestinian Politics After the Oslo Accords: Resuming Arab Palestine. University of California Press. p. 305. ISBN 978-0-520-24115-2.
  10. ↑ Leusmann, Harald (2001). "Recent (1999-2001) Doctoral Degrees in Middle East Studies". Middle East Studies Association Bulletin. 35 (2): 279–296. doi:10.1017/S0026318400043960. ISSN 0026-3184. JSTOR 23063529. S2CID 164423046.
  11. ↑ "Yemeni official to address seminar". Detroit Free Press. 2004-06-13. p. 46. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  12. ↑ Gloster, Rob (2019-01-31). "Palestinian SFSU prof's lawsuit alleges discrimination, JCRC influence". J. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  13. ↑ Palumbo-Liu, David. "Marc Lamont Hill and the Israeli lobby on US campuses". Aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  14. 1 2 Murillo, Kelly Rodriguez (September 28, 2017). "Hate speech posters cover SF State, again". Golden Gate Xpress. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  15. ↑ Waxmann, Laura (2018-08-09). "Jewish students renew efforts to sue SFSU leadership over alleged anti-semitism". The San Francisco Examiner. pp. A6. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  16. ↑ Egelko, Bob (2018-10-30). "Judge dismisses suit accusing San Francisco State of anti-Semitism". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  17. ↑ "U.S.-Israel Relations and Middle East Policy, Free Speech Panel". C-SPAN.org. March 2, 2018. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  18. ↑ Allyn, Bobby (November 23, 2020). "All Things Considered: 'Welcome To The Party, Zoom': Video App's Rules Lead To Accusations Of Censorship". NPR. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  19. ↑ Mahoney, Lynn (2020-09-14). "S.F. State president: I condemn hate but cherish a diversity of opinions". J. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  20. ↑ Hoffer, Shira (2021-07-21). "Safe and Free: Envisioning a New Guide for Speakers on Campus". Harvard Political Review. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  • Profile page at Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies (AMED) in the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University
  • Profile page at San Francisco State University Faculty Site
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