Alertés par l'interdiction, en janvier, d'un débat sur la politique d'Israël vis-à-vis de la Palestine, qui devait se tenir à l'École normale supérieure (Paris), plus de 160 universitaires et intellectuels du monde entier, emmenés par Judith Butler (Berkeley), Michael Harris (Paris-Diderot), Natalie Zemon Davis (Toronto) et Joan Wallach Scott (Princeton), adressent une pétition à sa directrice, pour lui demander «de revenir sur sa décision et de restaurer la liberté universitaire».
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Nous les signataires, qui enseignons dans des universités aux États-Unis, en Grande-Bretagne et au Canada, qui pour beaucoup entretenons de longue date des liens avec la France, et qui admirons depuis longtemps le rôle historique de l'École normale supérieure dans la vie intellectuelle et critique de ce pays, ressentons un trouble profond devant les événements qui viennent d'avoir lieu à l'École. Les décisions de sa directrice, Monique Canto-Sperber, qui a d'abord interdit un débat avec Stéphane Hessel, avant de refuser au Collectif Palestine ENS l'autorisation de tenir une réunion dans l'établissement, marquent un déni de ces droits que sont la liberté d'expression et la liberté de réunion. Stéphane Hessel, âgé de 93 ans, est un ancien élève de l'École; combattant de la France libre, survivant de Buchenwald, il fut l'un des auteurs de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l'homme. Dans son best-seller récent, Indignez-vous, traduit en anglais sous le titre Time for Outrage, il critique (entre autres choses) le traitement des Palestiniens par Israël.
L'argumentation de Madame la Directrice et du Conseil d'État, selon laquelle ces réunions constituent une menace pour l'ordre public, ou bien outrepassent la responsabilité de l'ENS de garantir à l'ensemble de ses élèves le droit à la liberté d'expression et de réunion, n'emporte pas notre conviction.
La décision de Madame la Directrice fait exception à la tolérance habituelle de l'École en matière d'activités politiques d'élèves, et c'est une exception qui, en se répétant, vise à réduire au silence l'une des parties dans un débat bien nécessaire sur le conflit israélo-palestinien. Nous estimons que la décision de Madame la Directrice contredit une longue histoire de liberté d'expression politique à l'ENS, telle que la décrit sa propre publicité: «Depuis des décennies, l'École est le lieu le plus prestigieux de la vie intellectuelle et scientifique française. Elle a participé à tous les grands débats intellectuels de la France moderne, depuis l'affaire Dreyfus jusqu'aux mouvements des années 1930, depuis la fondation des sciences humaines jusqu'aux mouvements d'avant-garde des années 1970.»
Nous demandons à Madame la Directrice de revenir sur sa décision, et de restaurer la liberté universitaire, pratique associée depuis longtemps à cette institution prestigieuse.
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Judith Butler, Professor of Rhetoric, University of California at Berkeley
Michael Harris, Professor of Mathematics, Université Paris-Diderot
Natalie Zemon Davis, Professor of History, University of Toronto
Joan Wallach Scott, Professor, School of Social Science, Institute for Advanced Study
Yve-Alain Bois, Professor, School of Historical Studies, Institute for Advanced Study
Edmund Burke III, Professor of History, University of California at Santa Cruz
Noam Chomsky, Professor (retired), MIT
Edwin E. Daniel, F. R.S.C., Professor Emeritus of Health Sciences, McMaster University and University of Alberta
Laurence Dreyfus, Professor of Music, Magdalen College, Oxford
Freeman Dyson, Professor Emeritus, School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study
Morris Halle, Institute Professor, MIT
Malcolm Levitt, FRS, Professor of Chemistry, University of Southampton
David Mumford, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, Brown and Harvard Universities
Jacqueline Rose, Professor of English, Queen Mary University of London
Graeme Segal, FRS, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, All Souls College, Oxford
Ben-Z. Shek, F.R.S.C., Professor Emeritus of French, University of Toronto
Avi Shlaim, Professor of International Relations, St. Anthony's College, Oxford
Richard Taylor, Professor of Mathematics, Harvard University
James L. Turk, Executive Director, Canadian Association of University Teachers
Marina Warner, Professor of Literature, University of Essex
Andrew Aisenberg, Associate Professor of History, Scripps College
Gil Anidjar, Associate Professor of Religion, Columbia University
Sara Beam, Associate Professor of History, University of Victoria
Robert Boyce, Senior Lecturer in International History, London School of Economics and Political Science
Wendy Brown, Professor of Political Science, University of California at Berkeley
Edouard Bustin, Director, Groupe de Recherches sur l'Afrique Francophone, Boston University
Terence Cave, Emeritus Professor of French Literature, Oxford
Jonathan Dewald, Distinguished Professor of History, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
Peter Fitting, Professor emeritus, French and Cinema Studies, University of Toronto
Carla Freccero, Professor of Literature, Director, Center for Cultural Studies, University of California at Santa Cruz
Irene Gendzier, Professor, Dept of Political Science, Boston University
Michael Hardt, Professor of Literature, Duke University
David Heap, Associate Professor of French and Linguistics, University of Western Ontario
Ann Jefferson, Professor of French, Oxford
Katherine Callen King, Professor, Comparative Literature and Classics, University of California at Los Angeles
Martin Klein, Professor Emeritus of History, University of Toronto
Cecile Laborde, Professor of Political Theory, University College London
Conrad Leyser, Fellow and Tutor in History, Worcester College, Oxford
Brian Massumi, Professor of Communication, Université de Montréal
Peter Sahlins, Professor of History, Executive Director of the France-Berkeley Fund, University of California at Berkeley
Kate Tunstall, University Lecturer (CUF) in French, Worcester College, Oxford
Wes Williams, University Lecturer, Fellow and Tutor in French, St. Edmund Hall, Oxford
Rabab Abdulhadi, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies, College of Ethnic Studies, San Francisco State University
Mary Louise Adams, Associate Professor, Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston
Sylvat Aziz, Professor of Fine Arts, Queen's University, Kingston
Feyzi Baban, Associate Professor, Political Studies Department, Trent University
Paola Bacchetta, Associate Professor of Gender and Women's Studies, University of California at Berkeley
Ian Barnard, Associate Professor of English, Affiliated Faculty, Queer Studies, California State University at Northridge
Amy Bartholomew, Associate Professor of Law, Carleton University
Micheline Beaudry, Professeure retraitée (nutrition publique), Université Laval
Roger Beck, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto
Dr G. K. Bhambra, Director of the Social Theory Centre, University of Warwick
Mario Biagoli, Professor of Law & Science and Technology Studies, University of California at Davis
Hagit Borer, Professor of Linguistics, University of Southern California
Eileen Boris, Hull Professor and Chair, Department of Feminist Studies, University of California at Santa Barbara
Martha Bragin, Associate Professor of Social Work, Hunter College
Haim Bresheeth, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of East London
Stephen Eric Bronner, Distinguished Professor (PII) of Political Science, Rutgers University
Anne Clement, Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, Harvard University
Lynne Cohen, Former Professor of Photography, University of Ottawa
Rebecca Comay, Department of Philosophy, University of Toronto
Rebecca Coulter, Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario
Stephen D'Arcy, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Huron University College
Miriam David, Professor Emerita of Education, Institute of Education, University of London
Howard Davidson, Interim Director, Aboriginal Focus Programs, University of Manitoba
Chandler Davis, Professor of Mathematics, University of Toronto
Mary Ellen Davis, Part time faculty, School of Cinema, Concordia University
Geneviève A. Dumas, Professor, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston
Peter Eglin, Professor of Sociology, Wilfred Laurier University
Christo El Morr, Adjunct Professor of Information Technology, York University
Nada Elia, Professor of Global Studies, Antioch University, Seattle
Randa Farah, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario
Gordon Fellman, Professor of Sociology, Brandeis University
L. M. Findlay, Professor of English, University of Saskatchewan
Norman Finkelstein, Independent Scholar
Gavin Fridell, Associate Professor & Chair, Department of Politics, Trent University
Mark Gabbert, Associate Professor of History, University of Manitoba
Jack Gegenberg, Professor of Mathematics, University of New Brunswick
Marvin E. Gettleman, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn
Harry Glasbeek, Professor Emeritus and Senior Scholar, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
Sherna Berger Gluck, Professor Emerita of History, California State University at Long Beach
Mark Golden, Professor of Classics, University of Winnipeg
Bluma Goldstein, Professor Emerita of German, University of California at Berkeley
Peter Gose, Chair of Sociology and Anthropology, Carleton University
Allan Greer, Canada Research Chair in Colonial North America, Department of History, McGill University
Julie Guard, Associate Professor and Coordinator, Labour Studies Program, University of Manitoba
Nadia Habib, Department of Humanities, York University
Christian Haesemeyer, Associate Professor of Mathematics, University of California at Los Angeles
Lisa Hajjar, Associate Professor of Sociology, Chair, Law and Society Program, University of California at Santa Barbara
Sondra Hale, Professor of Anthropology and Women's Studies, University of California at Los Angeles
Robert M. Hamm, Professor, Dept. of Family and Preventive Medicine, Director, Clinical Decision Making Program, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Paul Handford, Professor Emeritus of Biology, University of Western Ontario
Jens Hanssen, Associate Professor of History, University of Toronto
Gillian Hart, Professor of Geography, University of California at Berkeley
Amir Hassanpour, Associate Professor, Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations (ret.), University of Toronto
Sudhir Hazareesingh, Fellow in Politics, Balliol College, Oxford
Henry Heller, Professor of History, University of Manitoba
Sami Hermez, Visiting Fellow, Centre for Lebanese Studies, St. Anthony's College, Oxford
Elizabeth Shakman Hurd, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Northwestern University
Viqar Husain, Professor of Mathematics, University of New Brunswick
Radha Jhappan, Professor of Political Science, Carleton University
Suad Joseph, Professor of Anthropology and Women and Gender Studies, University of California at Davis
Louis Kampf, Professor Emeritus of English, MIT
Ilan Kapoor, Professor, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University
Michael Keefer, Professor of English Literature, School of English and Theatre Studies, University of Guelph
Assaf Kfoury, Professor of Computer Science, Boston University
Rashid Khalidi, Professor of History, Columbia University
Muhammed Ali Khalidi, Associate Professor of Philosophy, York University
David Klein, Professor of Mathematics, California State University at Northridge
Ann Hibner Koblitz, Professor of Women and Gender Studies, Arizona State University
Neal Koblitz, Professor of Mathematics, University of Washington
Dennis Kortheuer, Department of History, California State University at Long Beach
Clarice Kuhling, Lecturer, Department of Sociology & Department of Contemporary Studies, Wilfred Laurier University
Ailsa Land, Emeritus Professor of Operational Research, London School of Economics
Robert V. Lange, Professor Emeritus of Physics, Brandeis University
Paul Lauter, Allan K. and Gwendolyn Miles Smith Professor of Literature, Trinity College
Richard Borshay Lee, Professor of Anthropology, University of Toronto
Winnie Lem, International Development Studies, Trent University
Margaret Little, Professor of Gender Studies and Political Studies, Queen's University, Kingston
David Lloyd, Professor of English, University of Southern California
Yosefa Loshitzky, Professor of Film and Cultural Studies, University of East London
Andrew Lugg, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, University of Ottawa
Rashmi Luther, Lecturer, School of Social Work, Carleton University
Arthur MacEwan, Professor Emeritus of Economics and Senior Fellow, Center for Social Policy, University of Massachusetts Boston
Moshe Machover, Professor Emeritus of philosophy, King's College, London
David McNally, Professor of Political Science, York University
Dr. John McTague, English Faculty, Oxford
William Messing, Professor of Mathematics, University of Minnesota
Haynes Miller, Professor of Mathematics, MIT
Kevin Moloney, Faculty, Dept of Languages, Linguistics & Literatures, York University
Karen Bridget Murray, Associate Professor of Political Science, York University
Karma Nabulsi, Fellow in Politics, St. Edmund Hall, Oxford
Mary-Jo Nadeau, Lecturer, Dept. of Sociology, University of Toronto Mississauga
Joanne Naiman, Professor Emerita of Sociology, Ryerson University, Toronto
Maire Noonan, Assistant Professor of Linguistics, McGill University
Richard Ohmann, Benjamin Waite Professor of English, Emeritus, Wesleyan University
Patricia Palulis, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa
Charles Posner, Institute of Education, University of London
Garry Potter, Associate Professor of Sociology, Wilfred Laurier University
Trevor Purvis, Assistant Profesor of Law and Political Economy, Carleton University
Aneil Rallin, Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Writing Studies, Soka University of America
Denis G. Rancourt, Former Professor of Physics, University of Ottawa
Rush Rehm, Professor of Drama and Classics, Stanford University
Steven Rose, Emeritus Professor of Biology, The Open University
Jonathan Rosenhead, Emeritus Professor of Operational Research, London School of Economics
Marty Roth, Emeritus Professor of English, University of Minnesota
E. Natalie Rothman, Assistant Professor of History, University of Toronto
Leila Rupp, Professor of Feminist Studies, University of California at Santa Barbara
Claire Schub, Lecturer in French, Tufts University
Alan Sears, Professor of Sociology, Ryerson University, Toronto
Lynne Segal, Anniversary Professor of Psychology & Gender Studies, Birkbeck College, University of London
Eric Smoodin, Professor of American Studies and Film Studies, University of California at Davis
Metta Spencer, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Toronto
Brian Stock, Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature, University of Toronto
Bernard Sufrin, Fellow Emeritus in Computation, Worcester College, Oxford
Abdel Razzaq Takriti, Junior Research Fellow in Political History, St. Edmund Hall, Oxford
Winnifred Fallers Sullivan, Director of the Law and Religion Program, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
Oliver Taplin, Emeritus Professor of Classics, Oxford
Vladimir Tasic, Professor of Mathematics, University of New Brunswick
Barrie Thorne, Professor of Sociology, and Gender and Women's Studies, University of California at Berkeley
Eric Urban, Professor of Mathematics, Columbia University
Richard A. Walker, Professor of Geography, Co-director, Global Metropolitan Studies, University of California at Berkeley
Seth Wigderson, Professor of History, University of Maine, Augusta
Howard Winant, Professor of Sociology, Director, UC Center for New Racial Studies, University of California at Santa Barbara
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