IHRA antisemitism definition – Islamic Research and Information Center (IRIC)

UK student groups on the brink of ditching NUS union over Israel row

IRIC — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 08:46:46 +0000

A new student campaign has been launched urging student societies across the UK to ditch the National Union of Students (NUS) over the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the NUS’ “failure” to defend pro-Palestine students.

The campaign called “Not My NUS” was sparked following rising tensions between student bodies over the NUS’s perceived lack of support for pro-Palestine activism and students being penalized over protest action.

A public letter to the NUS Board of Directors was published on July 11 which listed the many grievances of student groups against the NUS. The letter was undersigned by over 200 student officers, societies, and groups across at least 55 campuses.

The letter claims that the NUS has remained “neutral” amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza which is a “strategy” which “shields the oppressor.” The letter also details other issues such as the adoption of the controversial IHRA definition of anti-Semitism which equates criticism of Zionist and Israel to anti-Semitism.

The letter warns the NUS that if they fail to support pro-Palestine activism or implement a list of changes mentioned in the letter, that they face disaffiliation by student groups.

The letter has received backing from 10 legal, academic and human rights bodies, including ELSC, CAGE UK, BRISMES, and the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention.

The Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) has informed 5Pillars that they are fully behind the campaign and have issued a call for other societies to abandon the NUS.

Source: 5Pillars

Muslim groups reject push for new Islamophobia definition at Australian universities

IRIC — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 12:15:38 +0000

A coalition of Muslim and Palestinian organizations has rejected a push by universities to adopt a new definition of Islamophobia, arguing it would “shield” the institutions from criticism of their contentious new antisemitism definition, and that a unified standard that rejects all racism is what is needed.

Last month, Australian universities confirmed they would adopt the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism. In response, eight organizations, including the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network and the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, are calling for a unified anti-racism standard that applies to all communities, arguing that separate definitions for racism, like Islamophobia, create double standards.

“The antisemitism definition, soon to be part of university education and complaint schemes, risks suppressing legitimate criticism of Israel,” they said.

“Developing such narrow definitions will result in gaps and a failure to protect all persons from racism, bigotry and discrimination.”

Universities have been consulting with Muslim students and staff as to whether to develop a separate definition for Islamophobia as part of their antiracism commitments, as has been done at Monash University.

The Muslim and pro-Palestinian groups strongly opposed implementing a separate Islamophobia definition, arguing it would “shield” universities from criticism of the antisemitism definition, while also excluding Palestinian voices.

Source: The Guardian