Election 2025: University of Melbourne tutor in anti-Israel slur claim
When a Jewish student left the classroom after the tutor allegedly accused Israel of genocide and apartheid, he brushed it off, saying it didn’t matter because the subject co-ordinators were ‘anti-Zionist’.
A University of Melbourne tutor allegedly told a first-year criminology class just two days out from the election that they’d be “f..ked” if Peter Dutton won.
And when a Jewish student left the classroom after the tutor accused Israel of genocide and apartheid, the tutor allegedly brushed it off and said it didn’t matter because the subject co-ordinators were “anti-Zionist”.
In the latest in the saga of politicised teaching at Australia’s elite universities, The Australian has heard from two students – granted anonymity to talk freely – that University of Melbourne criminology tutor Fatih Oguzhan on Thursday offered sweeping political opinions about the Opposition Leader, the Israel-Hamas war, and the university itself.
Mr Oguzhan allegedly addressed the students about recent controversy on welcomes to country and Anzac Day, and told them “if Dutton wins, we’re f..ked”.
He allegedly said it was “bullshit” the University of Melbourne kicked him off campus for pro-Palestine protest activity in 2023 and claimed he was being tracked through the university’s wireless network and security cameras.
Furthermore, he put up the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism and told the class it was “completely f..ked”.
He apparently showed “f..ked (Israel Defence Forces)” footage, claiming it was what was happening in the Gaza Strip.
When a Jewish student left the classroom, it is alleged Mr Oguzhan asked the remainder of the class why the student had left, and when someone suggested it was because the student was Jewish, Mr Oguzhan brushed it off.
“He then said that there’s always one or two students like that every year that complain ‘but nothing ever happens because the subject co-ordinators are also anti-Zionists’,” one student quoted the tutor as saying.
The student told The Australian they thought it was “inappropriate” for Mr Oguzhan to advocate for his political opinions during class.
“As someone in power, as an educator, it’s not his place to push a political agenda,” the student said.
“It was not the first time – but I haven’t really cared before, he does it often – but it crossed a line when it came to pushing his opinions on Israel and the IDF.”
University of Melbourne Provost Nicola Phillips said the university “received a report late on Friday afternoon”.
“The nature of the report is concerning, and we are actively looking into it,” she said.
“We encourage any students who may have witnessed an incident that causes them concern to bring it to our attention through our Safer Community Program, so that we are able to investigate.
“The university stands against all forms of racism, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to combat anti-Semitism on our campuses.
“Staff are expected to comply at all times with the standards and expectations for personal and professional behaviour outlined in our policies.”
The Australian is not suggesting any of the allegations are true, only that they have been reported to the University and are currently being looked into.
Mr Oguzhan lists himself on social media as a casual academic tutor. He is also one of the first names listed on an open letter in November 2023 calling on the University of Melbourne to “stand on the right side of history by condemning Israel’s genocidal attack against the people of Palestine”.
That letter also demanded the university “end its relationship with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which by its own admission supports Israeli forces”.
Mr Oguzhan was also listed on an open letter this year that condemned Education Minister Jason Clare’s decision to ask for an investigation into the taxpayer-backed grant for Macquarie University academic Randa Abdel-Fattah.
The Australian Research Council has since suspended that grant after Dr Abdel-Fattah bragged about “bending rules” for research funding.
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