Academics claim ‘political repression’ in review of research funding

Hundreds of academics have complained of ‘political repression’ in the review of an $870,000 taxpayer grant to a researcher who bragged of ‘bending the rules’.

Hundreds of academics have signed an open letter in support of anti-Israel activist Randa Abdel-Fattah, pictured speaking at a pro Palestine protest at Macquarie University in Sydney. Picture: Richard Dobson

Hundreds of academics have complained of “political repression’’ in the review of an $870,000 taxpayer grant to a researcher who bragged of “bending the rules’’.

The Australian Research Council is reviewing its grant to anti-Israel activist Randa Abdel-Fattah, of Macquarie University, who used an anti-racism symposium to attack fellow academics as “cowardly white supremacists” and “pseudo intellectuals”.

More than 300 academics have now signed an open letter on academic freedom, condemning the decision of federal Education Minister Jason Clare to ask the ARC board to investigate the grant as a priority.

The letter, published on the Overland literary journal website, says Dr Abdel-Fattah and other academics who spoke at the Queensland University of Technology conference are “facing concerted attacks and political repression’’. It names QUT conference organiser Professor Chelsea Watego, who led a chant of “shame’’ against a Jewish academic accused of leaking material to the media.

The letter also defends Monash University PhD student Tasnim Mahmoud Sammak, who celebrated the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, as “anti-racist practice’’, as well as Jewish Council of Australia executive director Sarah Schwartz, whose controversial presentation mocking “Dutton’s Jew’’ prompted a public apology from QUT vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil.

“The attacks on courageous scholars is a blatant attempt to silence academic critics of Israel and anti-racist research more broadly,’’ the letter states.

“Palestinian academics, along with First Nations academics and other anti-racism scholars, have been subjected to particularly damaging campaigns that aim to end their careers, and silence their criticisms of Israel’s violence.”

Dr Abdel-Fattah is the lead investigator of an $870,000 ARC Future Fellowship to research the history of Arab and Muslim Australians’ social projects since the 1970s.

In a closed-door speech to the QUT conference in Brisbane last month, she said: “I refuse to cite anybody who has remained silent over Gaza, no matter how authoritative and big they are in their respective fields … they are deficient human beings.” She also said “I look for ways to bend rules, and refuse and subvert them’’.

Mr Clare, who changed the ARC rules last year to remove ministerial powers to veto grants except in cases of national security, has asked the ARC board to investigate the grant as a “priority’’.

Professor Sheil has ordered an independent inquiry by retired Federal Court judge John Middleton KC into QUT’s National Symposium on Unifying Anti-Racist Research and Action.

A former ARC chief executive, Professor Sheil has revealed that she alerted Macquarie University vice-chancellor Professor Bruce Dowton about Dr Abdel-Fattah’s provocative speech, after it was reported in The Australian.

“I just wrote to the VC in case he wasn’t aware,’’ she told The Australian. “I said, ‘Dear Bruce, I’ve been made aware these comments may have been made at the symposium and as a former CEO of the ARC I would expect that you would look into it.’.’’

Queensland University of Technology vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil.

A spokeswoman for Macquarie University said it could not comment on matters that “could impact the privacy of its staff’’.

“We are aware of recent comments attributed to a Macquarie staff member and are working closely with all relevant parties to ensure the proper management of the grant,’’ she said.

An ARC spokesman said it is “engaging directly with Macquarie University to ensure, as the administering organisation, it is properly managing the grant and is actively complying with the terms of the agreement’’.