Two Harvard Medical School student groups are sponsoring a speaker series this month that frames events in Gaza through the lenses of “genocide, racism and health,” according to material promoting the programs.
Titled “Genocide, Racism and Health in Sudan and Palestine,” the three-part series is sponsored by the Harvard Medical School Alliance of Medical and Dental Students for Palestine, and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine Arab Medical and Dental Student Association.
The programis being described as “examining genocide, racism and violence through a health lens, with a focus on how conflict in Sudan and Palestine shapes patient care, health-care systems and the responsibilities of medical professionals.”
The first session, scheduled for Jan. 21 in the Tosteson Medical Education Center, is titled “Understanding Anti-Palestinian Racism.” According to the flier, participants will be joined by “The Institute for the Understanding of Anti-Palestinian Racism a consortium of researchers, physicians and communications experts.”
The session description states that organizers will explore “the roots and present-day impacts of anti-Palestinian racism, and how racialized narratives normalize violence against civilians and healthcare workers.”
The Jan. 21 program lists three speakers: Toni Biskup and Lama Rimawi, founding board members of IUAPR; in addition to Merrie Najimy, co-chair of the organization’s education committee. A former president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, Nejimy founded an MTA subgroup called “MTA Rank and File for Palestine.”
Both fliers include a disclaimer that the views expressed by the student organizations and their members do not represent the official views of Harvard. Alan Garber, the university president, recently announced a ban on Harvard taking official positions on political issues. JNS sought comment from Garber and Harvard Medical School.
“This speaker series is hosted by two student organizations and not by Harvard University or Harvard Medical School,” according to the school. “These events are not part of any educational courses, and as noted, the views are the students’ own and do not represent Harvard Medical School or the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.”
