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In an incident that sparked controversy on social media, the dean of the Faculty of Science in Ben M'sik, Casablanca, refused to hand over an award to an outstanding student at a graduation ceremony because she was wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh.
This refusal angered the attendees, and when the student refused to remove the keffiyeh, the dean left the ceremony. The director of the school then stepped up to the podium and handed the award to the student amidst applause from the audience.
The local branch of the National Syndicate for Higher Education and Scientific Research at the Higher School of Technology issued a statement condemning the incident, describing it as «serious». They added that «the hall, professors, employees, and students rose up against this act, forcing the dean to leave the hall so the ceremony could continue».
The union stated that «this irresponsible behavior within the university space left deep resentment among all those present, especially since it came just hours after a new terrible massacre carried out by the brutal Zionist entity in the Khan Younis camp in Gaza». They expressed «strong condemnation of the dean's reckless behavior» and «unconditional solidarity with the outstanding student, considering her wearing the keffiyeh as a source of pride for her and her family in addition to her academic excellence».
Denouncing the incident
The office called on all professors to be more vigilant in countering normalization with Israel.
The student office at the Higher School of Technology also issued a statement strongly denouncing the incident. «We witnessed an unfortunate and unacceptable situation from the Dean of the Faculty of Science in Ben M'sik, who refused to hand over the award to an outstanding student because she wore a Palestinian keffiyeh, considering it a political issue», the statement said.
«This behavior is an insult to the academic and humanitarian values on which our educational institutions are based», the student office continued. «Wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh is an expression of solidarity with the Palestinian people and their just cause, a right guaranteed by the Moroccan constitution and international human rights conventions. We emphasize the need to respect the rights of students to express their opinions and beliefs in a peaceful and civilized manner».
They called on «all officials in educational institutions to adhere to the principles of integrity, justice, and respect for the rights of students» and «demanded an urgent investigation into this incident and appropriate measures to ensure that such behavior is not repeated in the future».
The office affirmed its «full solidarity with the student and her right to be honored and recognized for her efforts and academic achievements». They renewed their commitment «to defend the rights of students and their freedom of expression and effective participation in their national and humanitarian issues».
It is worth mentioning that students at many Moroccan universities have recently intensified their efforts to pressure their universities to cancel agreements signed with Israeli universities.
