Students’ unions at Lancaster and Durham courageously act to sustain pressure on NUS
Students’ unions at Lancaster University and Durham University have taken action to sustain pressure on the National Union of Students (NUS) after a series of scandals rocked the national student body.
In an open letter to the NUS leadership this week, the Lancaster University Students’ Union said that it was “deeply disappointed and hurt by the way the Jewish community have been engaged with and treated this year,” making specific reference to the recent scandal involving the inflammatory rapper and activity Kareem Dennis, known as Lowkey.
The letter went on to say that “Our Jewish students have legitimate issues and questions about decisions made by the NUS leadership, which we feel need to be addressed,” in regard to the Lowkey affair, in which the controversial figure was invited to headline the NUS’s centenary conference and the concerns of Jewish students’ were dismissed before media pressure brought about Mr Dennis’ withdrawal from the event.
The letter further noted that “NUS has an uncomfortable history with antisemitism,” and that it is “disconcerting” that individuals who have in the past been “embroiled in allegations of antisemitism” and were disqualified from office “ever felt welcome at all.”
Observing that “Antisemitism is a major issue within the student movement” and that NUS “keep[s] failing the Jewish community,” the letter lamented that “Too many Jewish activists have been pushed out of the student movement, from fear, anxiety, hostility, an environment that encourages antisemitic dialogue, and blatant antisemitic comments and/or actions.”
“The Jewish community,” the letter continued, “has been let down time and time again,” and its authors “look forward to seeing a clear communication of the changes you will make,” as “the Lancaster University Students’ Union Full Time Officer team will not sit back and watch the community go through endless trauma caused by NUS.”
Meanwhile, at Durham University, the Students’ Union put out a statement at the end of March affirming that “Jewish students have legitimate questions about decisions made by NUS in planning their National Conference, and the poor response that came when those decisions were challenged. There has been, unambiguously, a failure to recognise the risk and the reality of antisemitism.”
The statement insisted that “We can only bring about the changes we want to education and society if we do it collectively, through NUS. We’re stronger together. But when some students are excluded from NUS, we are all made weaker.” It concluded by saying that “When we’re at NUS Conference this week, we’ll insist that the NUS leadership recognise the problems they’ve created. We trust in their ability to reflect, and to make changes in partnership with Jewish students and their representatives. We’ll hold them accountable for making our national student movement welcoming for Jewish students.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors the adoption of the International Definition of Antisemitism by universities.
If any students are concerned about antisemitism on campus or need assistance, they can call us on 0330 822 0321, or e-mail [email protected].
