Message of Solidarity from the International Teacher's Working Group of the ILPS to the President of the Islamic University of Gaza

February 4, 2009

TO: Dr Kamalain Sha'ath

President, the Islamic University of Gaza

The Teachers' Working Group of the International League of Peoples' Struggles (ILPS) declares its solidarity with the employees and students of the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG) and other educational institutions in Gaza. We firmly condemn the bombing of the IUG and other schools, and all the crimes against humanity committed against the people of Gaza.

The Islamic University of Gaza was one of the first targets of bombardments committed by Israeli state forces against Gaza in December. The University was destroyed as students were preparing to under go examinations. The ILPS Teachers' Working Group is responding to the  IUG President's request for international condemnation of this large scale crime against humanity to educators in particular.

The ILPS Working Group on Concern #11 was formed as a result of the Workshop on Concern #11 held at the Third International Assembly of the ILPS in Hong Kong on June 19, 2008. The ILPS is an anti-imperialist alliance dedicated to building strength through unity towards the common cause of defeating imperialism and changing the the course of the world for the best reasons.

As we expressed in our study sessions at three International Assemblies of the ILPS and reaffirmed in our statement for World Teachers' Day, we stand in solidarity with teachers, researchers and other education personnel in their struggles for better working conditions and the advance of research and education for the people and the planet.

The ILPS as a whole has released a series of statements opposing the attacks on Gaza. Since its beginnings this decade, the ILPS member organizations have passed resolutions in support of the national liberation struggle of the Palestinian people and against the state of Israel's aggression and domination. The ILPS is mobilizing forces around the world to express condemnation of the assaults on Gaza and defend the rights of the people in Gaza. Here is a quote from the ILPS Chair's, Professor Jose Maria Sison, statement of January 4, 2009.

We, the International League of Peoples' Struggle, reiterate in the strongest terms our condemnation of the US-supported war of aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza and once more declare our solidarity with and support for the entire Palestinian people in their resistance against Zionist Israel and its US imperialist master.

In this regard, we also criticize and condemn those governments in the Middle East that collaborate with the US in supporting Israel directly and indirectly, delivering the oil resources of the region to the US oil giants and suppressing the resistance of the Palestinian, Arab and other peoples in the Middle East. It is a shame that the overwhelming numbers of Arab people are prevented by their governments from extending the most effective support to the Palestinian people.

We, the International League of Peoples' Struggle, stand in solidarity with the Palestinian, Arab and other peoples of the world in the struggle against US imperialism and Israeli Zionism. Once more we call on all member-organization s and allies of the ILPS to initiate as well as join protest mass actions and other activities that express and gather militant support for the resistance of the Palestinian and Arab peoples against US imperialism and Israeli Zionism.

The ILPS Teachers' Working Group invites anti-imperialist forces to gather and discuss imperialism in August, 2009 so as to improve understanding and build unity. The Group invites academics, scholars, researchers, education and social activists and progressive intellectuals to an international conference on "Education, Imperialism, and Resistance," to be held in Taipei, Taiwan on August 10-11, 2009.

 The conference aims to bring together academics and social activists to put forward a progressive critique of imperialism and education. It will discuss three themes: education and imperialism, education and markets and education, oppression and resistance. For further information, go to http://ilps11. webng.com.