CASAR Student Debates: Gaza and the Africa-Asia Alliance

The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Center for American Studies and Research (CASAR) hosted a debate late February exploring the potential synergy between the African Diaspora and Palestinian social movements, sparking engaging discourse among attendees.

The debate was conducted with the help of Mark Deets, an assistant professor in the History department and director of CASAR. It aimed to raise the issue of the workings of international solidarity and its possible ramifications. 

“At AUC CASAR, well-informed debate is crucial for academic liberty and democracy. The debate focused on connecting Black History Month observances with Palestinian liberation and racial segregation in the southern U.S.,” said Deets. 

The event started with Deets giving a brief introduction on what CASAR is before he introduced the discussion’s moderator and Professor of Practice in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (JRMC), Kim Fox. The discussion examined the impact of international links on social movements in Palestine, South Africa and the U.S.

Around 10 students participated in the discussion, which started after Yasmeen El Ghazaly, assistant director and CASAR adjunct faculty, played a video where Nelson Mandela was talking about Palestine. 

After watching the video, many students gave their input on the matter. 

“There is a racial issue. To support my claim, I will give an example of what was happening between Ukraine and Russia and what is happening now in Palestine. The majority of the world was with Ukraine, and now people are afraid to speak up on Palestine,” said Communication and Media Arts (CMA) senior Naira Tabakh. 

Speaking to The Caravan, Deets explained why this specific subject was considered important in the context of education. 

“Many students may not be familiar with global connections, but understanding these histories can help them consider their future careers in humanities, business, or engineering, as empathy for diverse people can enhance their intelligence,” Deets said. 

Deets commented on the lower-than-usual student turnout at the event.

“We have had more students for previous debates.I think it’s best not to read too much into them. I believe there was another Gaza event at the same time, so I’m sure that event took some folks away from our event. It’s hard to say for sure. But we were grateful for the people who showed up to our event and engaged with our debate,” Deets said. 

Even though the discussion ended without announcing the debate winners, El Ghazaly sent out an email a day later, on February  29, announcing that the winners were Noor Al-Qaimari, an undeclared sophomore intending to major in Political Science, and Aly Abdelrehim, a CMA senior.   

“In terms of the topic, it was insightful. as it was concerning what was happening in Palestine and what has happened historically in South Africa. It was also very mind-stimulating. A lot of points were raised during the discussion. Overall, I had fun participating,” said Abdelrehim.