Clarification Statement of An-Najah National University Regarding Dr. Abd As-Sattar Qassem
07 September 2011
An-Najah National University has continuously worked with strength and determination to meet the aspirations of the Palestinian people in their wish to maintain a distinguished and significant academic presence locally, regionally, and internationally. The University has been widely recognized for its achievements in establishing Palestine’s presence in the academic world and An-Najah’s numerous achievements are well documented on both the regional Arab level and the international level. While the overwhelming majority of the Palestinian people rally around An-Najah University as an outstanding institution of higher education whose achievements, status, and reputation deserve to be celebrated and preserved, there remains a small group of individuals who wish to deny the University its successes and who attempt to divert attention to marginal and peripheral issues out of a motivation for their personal gain and subjective benefit. The actions of such individuals aim for personal gain even if such gain comes at the expense of the University and its academic reputation.
In recent days a number of rumors and unconfirmed and erroneous statements have been circulating regarding Dr. Abd As-Sattar Qassem’s series of comments targeting the University and its administration. Thus, the University wishes to take this opportunity to clarify the matter.
1.) In April 2010, the Deans’ Council suspended more than 20 students based on proof that the students had participated in riots inside of the University campus. 3 of the 20 students were permanently expelled from the University due to their direct responsibility in the events of the riot. The Deans’ Council took this decision in order to preserve the safety and security of the University and its students.
2.) The three students who were permanently expelled from the University presented an appeal according to University regulations to the Deans’ Council regarding the decision taken against them. The Deans’ Council studied their appeal. Following a study of the appeal, the decision of permanent expulsion from An-Najah University was reduced to a three year suspension from the university. If the students wished not to delay their graduation date, the Deans’ Council decision permitted them to continue study during this three year period in any other university.
3.) While an appeal had been filed with the University administration and a decision was offered to reduce the students’ permanent expulsion to a three year suspension from the University with the possibility of study in any other university during such period, the three expelled students brought a case before the High Court of Justice regarding the decision for their permanent expulsion. Although the Appeals Committee of the University had in fact decided to reduce the students’ expulsion to a three year suspension, the students presented the first decision for expulsion to the High Court of Justice for appeal. The decision for expulsion had however already been rescinded by the University Appeals Committee.
4.) The University attorney presented a response brief dated 6/16/2010 to the High Court indicating that the University’s own decision to expel the three students permanently had been rescinded by the University Appeals Committee. In order to emphasize this point, the University President met with His Excellency the President of the Supreme Judicial Council in June 2010 and informed the latter that the University Appeals Committee had already rescinded the decision to permanently expel the three students.
5.) The High Court issued its final decision on 5/16/2011 declining to render decision on the case the students presented before it due to its lack of jurisdiction in this matter.
The above provides an account to this date of all the facts regarding the expelled students and the University wishes to emphasize that it is committed to all the decisions issued by the Palestinian courts. Thus, it is unclear what Dr. Abd As-Sattar is referring to in his comments regarding University disregard.
Given the facts of the situation, the question which arises now is: Why is Dr. Abd As-Sattar Qassem speaking about this subject now? That is, why does Dr. Abd As-Sattar Qassem raise the topic at this specific time? Why has he remembered this subject after more than eighteen months passed? Do Dr. Abd As-Sattar’s recent remarks really stem from his sympathy with the expelled students? If so, one might ask where was Dr. Abd As-Sattar when the University Deans’ Council issued its decision regarding the students eighteen months ago? Why did he not speak in their defense at that time?
In fact, the answer to these questions bears no relation at all to the subject of the expelled students. Rather, the answer is related to a decision the University Deans’ Council took on 5/25/2011 to increase the teaching load of those carrying the title professor from 9 credit hours to 12 credit hours. This decision was taken following a model which is employed in a number of Palestinian universities including Bir Zeit and Al-Quds Universities. The decision was issued by the Deans’ Council according to the authority vested in it by the University Board of Trustees on 5/14/2009 in conformance with resolution III/409. The decision to increase the teaching load does not conflict with Palestinian Labor Law.
The decision to increase the teaching load does not diminish any other benefits enjoyed by those who hold the rank of professor at the University. Indeed, all other benefits remain the same. Amongst the advantages enjoyed by those holding the rank of professor is the An-Najah sabbatical leave which allows a professor to receive two salaries. Specifically, in any year a professor at An-Najah is granted sabbatical, he continues to receive his An-Najah salary in addition to receiving a salary from the university where he spends sabbatical. Dr. Abd As-Sattar Qassem himself was able to benefit from the sabbatical system twice. Additionally, professors also continuously receive an annual raise until the end of their service with the University.
6.) Following the decision of the Deans’ Council to increase professors’ teaching load to 12 credit hours, Dr. Abd As-Sattar Qassem engaged a lawyer to present a judicial complaint against the University. It is Dr. Qassem’s right to raise a case against the University through the judicial system; however, it is not his right to slander the University and to attack its credibility through inflammatory statements such as the statement he made regarding the University’s admission of a failed student into the Faculty of Engineering. The University addressed this issue publicly with the utmost candor and transparency and it does not require Dr. Abd As-Sattar’s statement on the topic given that the University dealt with the topic of said student according to the protocols currently in use in numerous Palestinian institutions regarding the application of rules and regulations.
7.) Based on the foregoing information and in order to preserve its reputation and its name, the University filed a complaint in accordance with Palestinian law before the honorable Attorney General in Ramallah calling for investigation of the accusations directed against it by Dr. Abd As-Sattar Qassem. Based on investigations carried out by the Attorney General’s Office, the Attorney General requested from the court in Nablus that Dr. Abd As-Sattar be detained on 8/25/2011for a period of 15 days for the purpose of investigation. On 8/29/2011 the Court released Dr. Abd As-Sattar on a bail of 3,000 JD pending his trial which is scheduled for 10/10/2011.
In order to protect the University, its reputation, and its stature and due to the serious nature of the accusations presented against the University by Dr. Abd As-Sattar as well as the transgressions he committed against the University, Dr. Abd As-Sattar was terminated from employment with the University on 8/24/2011 and his file was transferred to the disciplinary committee of the Board of Trustees for an appropriate decision to be rendered in accordance with the protocols regarding employees at An-Najah National University.
Finally, the administration of An-Najah National University wishes to emphasize that the University supports freedom of expression and freedom of opinion. The University would never object to a University employee or colleague expressing a personal opinion as long as such free expression did not constitute an attempt to malign the University’s reputation or hurt its resources in the interest of individual personal gain. However, when some individuals attempt to create division in the University, to harm the public good, to risk University security and stability, and to jeopardize the course of thousands of students, the University finds itself obligated to take action to preserve its stability and to continue its mission. The University must continue to take steps forward since to accomplish its mission and to serve its students, it must continually look to future horizons.
Those individuals who seek such personal gain should ask themselves honestly about what they have done to serve the University and its students and how they plan to contribute to future university development instead of using their energy and resources to slander and accuse the University and distort its image.
Finally, in a last word, the University would like to request that the various media outlets whom we greatly respect and appreciate exhibit accuracy and objectivity in publishing on this topic so that their pulpits for free expression do not become pulpits for propaganda.
The University appreciates interest in this matter and hopes through this statement to clarify the facts of the situation and the university position.
An-Najah National University Administration
**Please note, the decision of the High Court can be viewed here in Arabic: http://www.najah.edu/file/Administration/nahah.pdf
