ANU academic Alam Saleh lashed for Iran remarks

An alliance of academics has criticised Australia’s national university for being ‘resistant’ to addressing anti-Semitism on campus, after an ANU academic suggested Iran should consider ‘serious nuclear measures’ to counter Israel.

Australian National University lecturer Alam Saleh appears on Al Jazeera.

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An alliance of academics has criticised Australia’s national university for being “resistant” to addressing anti-Semitism on campus, after an ANU academic suggested that Iran should consider “serious nuclear measures” to counter Israel.

After the comments by ANU’s senior lecturer in Middle East studies, Alam Saleh, emerged, Australian Academic Alliance Against Anti-Semitism director Greg Rose has urged the prestigious university to adopt the definition of anti-Semitism agreed to by the sector.

Dr Saleh clarified on Thursday that his remarks on Al Jazeera had been “analytical”, that he did not support any country having nuclear weapons, and he was warning Israel that escalating military actions against Iran would compel the Islamic Republic to ramp up its nuclear ambitions.

ANU has defended the senior lecturer from its Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, saying while it does not condone violence, it recognises the “importance of robust discussion and debate and academic freedom”.

ANU chancellor Genevieve Bell has come under fire for her response to anti-Jewish sentiment on campus, with the Canberra-based national security institution still to adopt the definition of anti-Semitism agreed to by other vice-chancellors.

“The ANU has an anti-Semitism problem that it is institutionally resistant to addressing, which has caused frustration for some of its staff and students,” Professor Rose said.

“It is the only university in Australia that has explicitly and publicly refused to adopt the Universities Australia definition of anti-Semitism, which was formulated by the Group of Eight, of which it’s a part.”

Professor Rose said while his organisation supported Dr Saleh’s freedom to broadcast his “anti-Israel analysis”, it was vital that ANU take action to address rampant anti-Semitism on its campuses.

“The Australian Academic Alliance Against Anti-Semitism defends academic freedom including Dr Saleh’s freedom to air his anti-Israel analysis,” he said.

An ANU spokeswoman said academic freedom grants its academics the ability to “express their opinions and beliefs, and to contribute to public debate, in relation to their subjects of study and research”.

“ANU does not condone, nor support advocacy for, violence in any form,” she said.

“While adhering to that commitment, ANU also recognises the importance of robust discussion and debate, and academic freedom underpins our research and teaching activities at ANU.”

Opposition education spokesman Jonathon Duniam said lecturers should consider their choice of words against the backdrop of a “highly sensitive conflict”.

“Academics should be careful on their language and commentary at times of highly sensitive conflict and an explosion of anti-Semitic rhetoric and activity,” he said. “All community leaders, including those in teaching positions, should remember this.”

A translation by press-­monitoring organisation Memri TV of Dr Saleh’s remarks portrayed Dr Saleh warning that the ceasefire following the Iran-Israel war would be “fragile and temporary” if the Jewish state did not face the risk of “suffering greater defeats”.

Dr Saleh defended his comments as an “analytical ­observation” about how nations responded to security threats, including using atomic weapons as the “ultimate means to prevent attacks”.

“First, I categorically oppose the development or possession of nuclear weapons by any country, including Iran,” he said.

“I have repeatedly stated that Iran does not have a nuclear bomb, and it should not have one.

“I do not advocate or encourage Iran to develop nuclear weapons. On the contrary, I believe the proliferation of nuclear arms in the Middle East would be profoundly destabilising and should be prevented.”