Uncivil Rites: Palestine and the Limits of Academic Freedom

by Steven Salaita

In the summer of 2014, renowned American Indian studies professor Steven Salaita had his appointment to a tenured professorship revoked by the board of trustees of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Salaita’s employment was terminated in response to his public tweets criticizing the Israeli government’s summer assault on Gaza.

Salaita’s firing generated a huge public outcry, with thousands petitioning for his reinstatement, and more than five thousand scholars pledging to boycott UIUC. His case raises important questions about academic freedom, free speech on campus, and the movement for justice in Palestine.

In this book, Salaita combines personal reflection and political critique to shed new light on his controversial termination. He situates his case at the intersection of important issues that affect both higher education and social justice activism.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, History, Education, Social Justice

264 pages, Hardcover

First published September 21, 2015

About the author

I teach English at Virginia Tech and write about Arab Americans, Indigenous peoples, race and ethnicity, and literature. I live with my beloved wife, my half-blind bichon frise, and my nutty orange tabby in Blacksburg, Virginia. The little fellow in the picture with me is my son, Ignatius, the fiery one.

Reviews

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm truly in awe of Steven and of his latest book. I didn't think he could improve much on his previous book--"Israel's Dead Soul"--which is also amazing, but he did. This is such a beautiful testimony to what kind of human Steven is and the blinders Zionists have that disallow them to see that level of deep humanity. This book is a collection of pieces that range from personal narrative detailing his experience since UIUC fired him to parenting to essays about academia and, of course, Palestine. Much of the book is deeply moving. A great deal is also hilarious--especially his parenthetical comments. If there is an award for the best footnotes in an academic book, the award should go to him. It's also a brilliant book for people interested in how to carefully tear apart or build up a writer's argument; it's great for those interested in rhetoric. Is also just sheer delectable, eloquent prose.

[Justin Podur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a chance to understand what happened to Prof. Salaita from his own, very thoughtful perspective. It is a series of essays, but all are linked through a series of themes - Palestine, colonialism, campus politics, and academic freedom. Salaita comes through as a more complex person and a more complex thinker than his enemies present him. His firing comes through as a very clear cut administrative fiat, overriding any considerations of academic freedom or collegial governance on campuses. He also helps readers think through what is happening on North American universities. Beyond that, there is some very moving and frequently hilarious writing in here. Highly recommended.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely refreshing read. Salaita's writing is insightful, funny and touching whenever and wherever it tries to be, allowing him to effortlessly transition between sections on Palestine, academia, his career, identity, family life, and more, in ways that never feel disjointed.

[Samuel Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a frustrating read. You want to sympathize with the guy because of his wrongful termination and in all honesty he does make some good points in the book. However, he also has this almost smug, sanctimonious, or self-righteous attitude throughout that gets grating. He also has some genuinely bad takes such as: 1) his lack of belief in absolute free speech and academic freedom; 2) his obtuse endorsement of academic boycotts even though punishing literature and humanities professors has nothing to do with disrupting the military industrial complex; 3) his ideological and rhetorical fixation on racial and identity categories to the exclusion of class analysis; and 4) his apparent binary thinking where he really seems to think (or else strawmans) that everyone who does not agree with him must be a Zionist. I also didn’t realize that this book was largely written before his case was resolved, so the overarching narrative and purpose of the book loses its focus.

[Nausheen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In many ways, Israel is a fuller realization of the American dream. Palestine, on the other hand, is an anxiety, one whose existence ensures the survival of the American Indian."

[Bill Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent memoir that combines strong analysis of how the author's victimization relates to academic freedom and free speech rights in general with a lot of insight about Islamophobia, Palestine, indigenous rights in America and the intersections between all these. I knocked it out in a day, highly recommended.

[ACRL]

Anticipated by ACRL Member of the Week Kenny Garcia. Learn more about Kenny on the ACRL Insider blog.