After several days of heated controversy, the decision of the Collège de France was reached. The establishment has decided to cancel a conference on Palestine which was to be held from Thursday to Friday, “in reaction to the controversy surrounding the outfit” of the event, its administrator announced this Sunday in a press release, reports AFP.
The administrator of the Collège de France explained that, “as head of establishment, responsible for the security of property and people as well as the serenity of events held within the Collège de France”he saw himself forced “to cancel the demonstration”. The institution specified that it “does not advocate, encourage or support any form of activism”affirming its “strict neutrality with regard to questions of a political or ideological nature”.
“Defending academic freedom means defending free, respectful and plural debate”
On X, the Minister of Higher Education, Philippe Baptiste, welcomed this decision, describing it as ” responsible “. Before adding: “Defending academic freedom means defending free, respectful and plural debate. This is the message that I brought to the administrator of the Collège de France over the last few days. »
The conference entitled “ Palestine and Europe: weight of the past and contemporary dynamics »co-organized by the historian Henry Laurens and the Arab Center for Research and Political Studies of Paris (Carep), had been qualified as an event “pro-Palestinian” by several personalities. The International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism (Licra) denounced a “anti-Zionist fair” and mentioned the “misuse of a prestigious institution”.
The event was to bring together several Carep researchers, including its Parisian director Salam Kawakibi. Funded by the Doha Institute and the NGO Qatar Charity, this research institute is presented by several academic sources cited by Le Figaro as “the intellectual spearhead of the Muslim Brotherhood”.
The closing round table was also due to bring together Josep Borrell, former high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and former vice-president of the European Commission, Dominique de Villepin, former Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as Francesca Albanese, United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.
