The words of one of the two professors accused of Islamophobia at Sciences Po Grenoble were "extremely problematic", said the director of the establishment on Wednesday who, however, "very clearly condemns" the posters of which the two teachers were the subject .
The Institute of Political Studies (IEP) is in the grip of a sharp conflict since the posting, Thursday, March 4, of the names of two professors accused of Islamophobia, "insults" for which a judicial investigation was opened on report of the establishment.
"These posters endanger not only the lives of the two colleagues", explains Sabine Saurugger, director of the IEP, "but also all the student communities, teachers, administrative staff".
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At the origin of these accusations in particular, an exchange of vehement emails on the notion of Islamophobia, last November and December, between a German teacher, whose name was mentioned on the posters, and a historian.
This German teacher writes in particular, in extracts that he himself published for a while on his website, that he "does not like this religion very much" which sometimes makes him "frankly afraid", "like her. scares many French people ”.
The teacher disputes the presence of the word Islamophobia in a working group entitled "racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism", seeing in this notion the "(imaginary) persecution of Muslim extremists (and other misguided Muslims)", before recognizing in a e-mail of apologies for having "at times been carried away" in these exchanges.
"I think there is a tone which is extremely problematic in his remarks, with ideas which are sometimes developed a bit quickly, and therefore a call to order and a call for dialogue have been undertaken", by the management , explains Sabine Saurugger.
"Academic freedom"
“Academic freedom is a principle that is central for Sciences Po Grenoble”, continues the director, “and when this academic freedom begins to reach limits which are defined by a regulatory framework, in this case, the director must intervene, and intervened with a call to order ”.
On the other hand, a course given by the second teacher, lecturer in Political Science, was the subject on February 22 of a call for testimony "very problematic" on the part of the main student union of the IEP, according to the director.
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The Union Syndicale Sciences Po Grenoble explained in particular that it demanded the withdrawal of this teaching "of educational models for next year if during this course Islamophobic remarks were given as scientists".
"We must know that today, and since the assassination of Samuel Paty, we are in a situation which is serious, and which can be potentially dangerous for someone who is accused of Islamophobia on the networks", continues Sabine Saurugger, university professor of political science.
Because of this call for testimony, this professor had asked the students of this union "to immediately leave (his) classes and never to set foot again", according to an email which AFP obtained a copy.
This request is “clearly discriminatory” for Sabine Saurugger, despite the decision by the Grenoble prosecutor to dismiss the complaint for union discrimination filed on February 27 by the Union Syndicale.
Visibly tested by several days of controversy, Sabine Saurugger "calls for an appeasement" and "a dialogue" with students and teachers to "rebuild" Sciences Po Grenoble because, "in a way, the survival of an establishment is at stake ".
"The director comments on things, I do not trust these comments, nor anyone, I trust the General Inspectorate", commented in the wake of BFMTV Frédérique Vidal, Minister of Higher Education, with reference to the inspection mission carried out by his ministry.
On the merits of the case she said she regretted the attitude of the student union, whose role she believes is "to be in the mediation, not to throw people in the pasture on social networks".