Several dozen people disrupted the Master’s graduation ceremony at AUB Friday evening to protest against the awarding of an honorary degree to Donna Shalala due to her support for engagement with Israel.
Shalala, president of the University of Miami in Florida and a former U.S. secretary of health, has three honorary degrees from universities in Israel, and does not support a cultural boycott of the country.
Around 40 protesters heckled Shalala as she began her speech of thanks, shouting “boycott Israel.” Some held a large banner that read “Boycott Zionist Shalala.” Source
5 Responses to AUB students demonstrate against Donna Shalala during commencement
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Why are AUB Students protesting against Donna Shalala? - Blog Baladi -
June 24, 2012
[…] against giving a certain Donna Shalala, whose from Lebanese descent, a honorary degree. I found the video this morning and looked up Donna Shalala to see what this is all […]
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Lebanon: Protesting Shalala’s Honorary Degree · Global Voices -
June 24, 2012
[…] Rami reported and posted a video of demonstrators who disrupted the Master’s graduation ceremony at the American University of Beirut to protest against awarding an honorary degree to Donna Shalala. The demonstrators protested Shalala's support for engagement with Israel. Tweet Rami reported and posted a video of demonstrators who disrupted the Master’s graduation ceremony at the American University of Beirut to protest against awarding an honorary degree to Donna Shalala. The demonstrators protested Shalala's support for engagement with Israel. […]
part of having a blog is not to post news we can get other sources, it is to state your opinion about it! where do YOU stand? that’s what we care about.
You’re totally right.
If you constantly follow my blog, you probably know that I rarely write anything related to politics, and if I do, then I prefer not to express my opinion about it.
And I actually published this post just to show the protest on video because not so much people were aware of it.
Anyway, since you asked for it, I support this protest and boycotting not only zionist people but also the “friends” of Israel.
Some people are claiming that this is AUB at the end, and they’re free to do what they want because they’re Americans. But how about these Americans start respecting our culture and the stuff that upset us? There are hundreds of people who deserve to be honored for their achievement and the things they did for Lebanon, Shalala is not one of them.
Wherever you go in this world, you’re always expected to respect what people living there might find offensive, it’s part of culturally adapting to the place you live in, and AUB is no exception.
Bravo to these students.
This really upsets me because a university in Lebanon should not be honoring zionists – but what the hell? This is AUB anyways and it is not really “Lebanese”…
Sad.