Robert Carter
Press TV, Sheffield
A Palestinian university lecturer has been suspended from teaching by a university in the British city of Sheffield over old anti-Israel Tweets.
Shahd Abusalama, an activist from Gaza, was appointed as an associate lecturer at Sheffield's Hallam University last month. She's now suspended pending an investigation.
Teary eyed, Abusalama vented her anger at the university's decision to Press TV, but vowed she's ready to fight for her position.
University authorities have not yet specified the group or individuals who filed the complaints which led to the suspension. However, it's suspected that pro-Israel groups are likely behind the move.
Abusalama is a high-profile Palestinian rights campaigner and a vocal critic of the definition of zionism. This isn't the first survival battle Abusalama has faced. She and her family are refugees – ethnically cleansed from their home in what is now Israel by Zionist militias in 1948. Like all other Palestinian refugees, they are barred by Israel from returning to their original homes.
With supporters and some students rallying to defend her, this dispute looks set to become an intense battle.