Affaire Hessel à l’ENS : une pétition internationale pour la liberté d’expression

Une pétition à Monique Canto-Sperber, directrice de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris. Nous, soussignés universitaires américains, canadiens et britanniques ayant de nombreux et prolongés contacts avec la France, et qui avons longtemps admiré le rôle historique de l’Ecole normale supérieure dans la vie intellectuelle de ce pays, sommes consternés par les récents événements au sein de cette école. L’action de la directrice, Monique Canto-Sperber – l’interdiction d’une conférence de Stéphane Hessel d’abord, puis le refus d’autoriser le Collectif Palestine ENS de tenir une réunion sur le campus, constitue un déni des droits de la liberté d’expression et la liberté de réunion. Hessel est, à 93 ans, un ancien élève de l’ENS, un membre de la Résistance, un survivant de Buchenwald, et l’un des auteurs de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme et du récent best-sellers Indignez-vous!, dans lequel il critique (entre autres choses) le traitement des Palestiniens par Israël. Nous ne sommes guère convaincus par le raisonnement de la directrice et du Conseil d’Etat, qui estiment que ces réunions constituent une menace à l’ordre public ou qu’elles tombent hors de la responsabilité qu’a l’ENS de garantir à tous les étudiants la liberté d’expression et le droit de réunion. L’action de la directrice constitue une exception à la tolérance qui est d’usage dans cette Ecole à l’égard de l’action politique des étudiants, et il s’agit d’une exception récurrente, visant à faire taire unilatéralement l’une des positions d’un débat nécessaire sur le conflit israélo-palestinien. Nous pensons que les actes de la directrice vont à l’encontre d’une longue tradition de liberté d’expression politique au sein de l’ENS, telle que décrite dans sa propre publicité : « L’École normale supérieure fut pendant des décennies le haut lieu de la vie intellectuelle et scientifique française. Elle a participé à tous les grands débats d’idées qu’a connus la France moderne, de l’affaire Dreyfus aux mouvements des années 30, de la fondation des sciences humaines à l’avant-garde des années 70″. Nous appelons la directrice à modifier ses décisions et à restaurer la liberté académique, une pratique longtemps associée à cette institution reconnue. Les pétitionnaires : 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 Yves-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 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 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 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 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