I am a student at UB University, where we are taught to value equality and diversity. Yet, recent events have shown that these values are not being upheld when it comes to the Arab/Muslim community on campus. We received an email from the university president addressing the Israel-Palestine conflict, which unfortunately sided with Israel without acknowledging the loss of Palestinian lives since the 1940s. This has created a hostile environment for us Arabs/Muslims as we are being viewed as terrorists on our own campus.

Furthermore, posts from some organizations of UB for students stating "don't be afraid of being a Jew on campus" and emails suggesting that students from Israel plan to miss midterm exams due to fear of 'terrorists' referring to Arabs/Muslims is extremely unacceptable.

This is not just about politics; this is about human rights and safety in our educational environment. According to Human Rights Watch, over 5 million Palestinians have been displaced since 1948 (source: Human Rights Watch). These lives matter too and should be acknowledged by our institution.

We demand that UB University takes immediate action by issuing an apology for their biased communication regarding this sensitive issue. We also call upon them to ensure equal representation in their communications moving forward and implement measures that guarantee safety for all students regardless of their ethnicity or religious beliefs.

Please sign this petition if you believe in justice, equality, and safe spaces for all students at UB University.