In the wake of various media publications, the Faculty Board and Dr. Younes Saramifar jointly state that the allegations of classroom surveillance of Dr. Saramifar, of censorship of Dr. Saramifar's teaching content, and of disciplinary labour sanctions against him, are incorrect.
The Faculty Board and Dr. Saramifar are committed to developing course descriptions that are attractive to students, that respect academic freedom and social safety in the classroom for Dr. Saramifar and all members of the academic community. This is consistent with VU Amsterdam's commitments to strive for connection, for the prevention of polarization and for the fostering of inclusiveness. We realize that within the academic community different opinions about the situation in the Middle East exist. We seek the exchange of points of view and dialogue in such a way that community is fostered at VU Amsterdam and marginalized voices are included.
The Faculty Board as well as the Executive Board of VU Amsterdam are concerned about Dr. Saramifar's safety, which has been jeopardized due to misrepresentations by the media. The Faculty Board and Dr. Saramifar support each other in practising academic citizenship.
The Faculty Board and Dr. Saramifar acknowledge the emotional and political complexities around this issue and jointly call for forbearance. The Faculty Board is worried by some messages that have put the social safety of staff members, the Faculty Board and the Executive Board at risk.