The Middle East - joint statement on our position

The following is a joint statement issued by Professor Malcolm Press, Muslim Chaplain Mohammed Ullah and Jewish Chaplain Rabbi Eliezer Simon about the war in the Middle East and its impact on our students and staff.

At Manchester Met our staff and students come together to form a community of which we can be very proud.

We are proud of the fact that our University continues to work collaboratively in driving forward our commitment to tackling inequalities, actively shaping a more caring, just and inclusive society.

We are committed to being an intentionally inclusive university which creates a culture of belonging, supporting our diverse staff and student communities to thrive and achieve their full potential.

We also want to ensure our University and campus environment is safe, supportive and inclusive for every member of our community.

The situation and loss of life in the Middle East has deeply impacted many people in our community and around the world. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by these events and we hope a solution can be achieved soon to bring the violence, pain and hurt to an end.

As leaders in our University and faith communities, we have been speaking with staff and students. We know there is deep concern and fear – and that stems from the conflict itself, and the increasing number of rallies, protests, social media posts, press interest and debates that are taking place.

We have met to openly discuss these issues, and agree how we can continue to work together to listen to and support our University community.

This is an extremely complex and sensitive situation with deep seated views which many without direct links to the region may find difficult to fully understand or engage with.

What we all agree is that we expect all of our University and campus communities, whether students, staff or partners, to treat others with dignity and respect. We cannot, and should not, accept any form of discrimination, bullying or harassment whether in relation to this situation or in any other circumstances.

We come together to reaffirm our position that all forms of racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, discrimination, or abuse have no place in our community.

Anyone who is experiencing or has experienced, or has witnessed, any form of discrimination, harassment or bullying is encouraged to come forward and tell us so we can give support and advice and take the appropriate investigative and disciplinary action; no act is considered too small to be addressed.