The Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS) aims to promote and advocate for the advancement of academic knowledge in the social sciences and humanities in the Arab region. As such, an essential part of its mission is to support scholars in the social sciences and humanities in the Arab region particularly and worldwide generally in their efforts to pursue their professional goals, add to knowledge and act as an integral part of their socio-political dynamic environments. The ACSS advocates for a free exchange of knowledge and ideas in an environment free from intimidation and fear.
In this light, the ACSS takes it upon itself to offer support and intervene (where it is able to,) in cases where it is clear that the rights and freedoms of scholars in the social sciences and humanities in the Arab region or those working on the Arab region have been violated or in cases where they have suffered clear abuses to their persons that undermine their human dignity and worth.
The International Bill of Human Rights, which includes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) (1948), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) (1966) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) (1966), all stress the inherent right to human dignity and worth, the right to life, and the right to freedom from torture, cruel or inhumane and degrading treatment as non-derogatory and fundamental human rights. Academics, like journalists and media persons, may find themselves in situations of conflict with governments or state-supported/state-allied institutions, university administrations, or other powerful social, political and economic interests. The ACSS recognizes and advocates for the rights that academics should enjoy given their positions that may make them visible and vulnerable to violations to their human person and can extend to their family members.
These special rights that fall under what the ACSS shall refer to as “academic freedom” extend beyond the rights to freedom of expression and opinion and the rights to freedom of assembly and association. “Academic freedom” shall include the right to research and explore existing knowledge, thought and socio-political dynamics as well as to interact with various social and political actors and defy and question cultural, social and political norms and traditions, among others, without having to suffer from the censure of the state or its affiliated/allied institutions and/or be deprived of state protection against societal stigma and abuse.
Persecution or infringements of academic freedom may include restrictions or refusal to allow scholars to organize or present at academic or public events, conduct scholarly research, publish findings, teach, or travel to international scholarly meetings. It can also extend to forcing academics to be silent on, or manipulate, facts in public events or in the classroom. Persecution or infringements of academic freedom can include the revocation of academic degrees, demotion, dismissal, the denial of a petition to emigrate, travel abroad or return to one’s country of origin or habitual residence, as well as arbitrary arrest or detention, enforced disappearance, denied or unfair trial, and extrajudicial killing.
The ACSS, through its “Ad-hoc Committee on Academic Freedom (ACAF),” intends to stand in solidarity with academics in the social sciences and humanities whose basic rights and freedoms may have been violated and/or who have faced grave abuses to their person or to their family as a result of their work.
ACAF also stands in solidarity with academic and research institutions that may experience unjust and unwarranted monitoring; interference in their research, activities and publications; and denial of necessary permits and closure of premises.
The ACAF is composed of three members of the ACSS Board of Trustees whose mandate is renewed or replaced every two years. ACAF works closely with the ACSS Secretariat and commits to follow the procedures outlined below insofar that they do not cause harm or risk to ACSS’s vision and mission or its work and status in the Arab region. ACAF is responsible for bringing violations of academic freedoms and rights, and its recommendations for the best course of action, to the attention of the ACSS Board of Trustees to collectively discuss and decide on the appropriate response on a case-by-case basis.
ACAF will keep a record of such abuses and violations that are brought to its attention and those that have gained prominence in the media due to their particularly grave nature. The purpose of this monitoring process is to provide insight on practical cases of abuses that academics face in an environment that is highly restrictive. Such advocacy strategies may aid in promoting for a special recognition of the status of academics as ‘special status groups’ in need of special rights and protections by the international community.
To report a violation of academic freedom to the “Ad-hoc Committee on Academic Freedom,” please write to info@theacss.org.
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* Version: June 21, 2016
[1] Grave violations are defined here as violations to the fundamental right to life and the jus cogens norm that protects the right to freedom from torture, inhumane, cruel or degrading treatment.