George Washington University apologizes for Palestinian flag removal

After Palestine Legal wrote to George Washington University (GWU) demanding that the warning letter that was issued to Palestine-American student Ramie Abounaja be withdrawn, the student finally received an apology on December 10 from university president Steven Knapp.

Palestine Legal welcomed the university’s apology to Abounaja for the discriminatory removal of his Palestinian flag that was hanging outside his dorm window.

“I have personally apologized to the student for this unfortunate incident and assured him that the university’s actions were in no way a response to his expression of his beliefs or opinions,” said President Knapp in a statement.

The warning letter that was issued to Ramie by the university was removed from his file. In addition, the university has agreed to revise its policy so that it can be ensured that this policy is applied in a consistent manner in the future.

Students for Justice in Palestine had started a petition calling on the university to apologize for their actions. It received over 1,300 signatures.

SJP also released a statement after the apology.

“We are very pleased that President Knapp apologized and rescinded GW’s warning letter to Ramie Abounaja. We appreciate his willingness to work with students to address concerns, and are glad the University ensured that in the future, pro-Palestinian expression will not be unfairly targeted in a different manner than the political speech of their peers,” it said.