SPSP, We Need to Talk
Dear Members of the SPSP Executive and Organizing Committees,
We need to talk. The letter you are reading is from SALAAM, Scholars and Allies for Leadership and Advocacy for Arabs and Muslims in Psychology. We are community members in social and personality psychology from all academic ranks, representing Arabs, Southwest and South Asians, North Africans, and Muslims—those who are racialized as the Arab-Muslim-other*, and constitute a diverse population of identities exceeding 30% of the world’s population (World Bank, 2024). We are also a large and growing population within the United States and Europe. We share our perspectives on the systematized oppression of Arabs and Muslims within SPSP that have taken on new urgency in the context of its selective action and inaction from the past year, which have included (i) systematized anti-Arab and anti-Muslim violence, not only on display at the 2024 SPSP convention, but in the Society’s responses as well, and (ii) the Society’s engagement with the ongoing escalation of violence in Palestine.
*While the authors of this letter vary in their religious beliefs, or the lack thereof, and in their national/ethnic backgrounds, we are racialized as the Muslim-Arab-other by the “unity of the [white-western] gaze” (Garner & Selod, 2015, p. 17; see Said, 1978). This incident represents a shared-racialized subjectivity that individuals of our backgrounds navigate in society and within our capacities as psychologists.
Thus, this letter is not just about a racist poster. Rather, people from our communities have faced long-standing, systemic exclusion and harm from SPSP. Whether it be the exclusion of our community members within positions of power, or the Society’s complicit silence on Israeli apartheid and the ongoing genocide in Gaza—the most recent escalation of the century-long, ongoing ethnic cleansing of people of Palestine. In the spirit of renewed learning and unlearning, we hope the executive committee will join us in an effort to identify and rectify blind spots that allow for systemic oppression of Arabs and Muslims to persist within the Society.
What Happened
As our colleagues enjoyed the conference proceedings, many Arab, Southwest and South Asian, North African, and Muslim members, and our Allies, contended with the committee’s disheartening action to platform a violently anti-Muslim poster—by an author whose writings informed a White supremacist manifesto by a racially motivated mass shooter who killed Black shoppers in Buffalo, NY. A poster whose central premise was to “question in fact whether Islam is a religion of peace” and ended with a polemic, “When they write America’s obituary, perhaps soon, the cause of death likely will be reported as national suicide, anyway, with assistance coming from hostile forces eager to accommodate.” This poster targeted our communities and blatantly reinforced long-standing harmful stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims as savages, backwards, and most certainly terrorists (Shaheen, 2003).
During the conference, we tweeted, reached out to executive committee members, and reported harm via the newly-created ombudsperson position. While receiving emails from SPSP that were praising the promotion of a discrimination-free environment, we wondered why we experienced racialized violence within that very organization. Similarly, allied scholars from historically marginalized backgrounds witnessed and recognized this contradiction.
What We Know Now
Although the poster was initially rejected as a single author podium submission, it still reached “the threshold [of scientific rigor]” to be included as a poster session. The platforming of these harmful messages forced us to reckon with the systematicity of Anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination within the Society. The recent statement made by SPSP on February 29, 2024 only compounds our view as it describes the poster’s lack of scientific merit but fails to address the poster’s anti-Muslim content.
Disavowing the poster due to a lack of scientific rigor without acknowledging the attempt to scientifically justify systematized dehumanization (e.g., the explicitly Islamophobic language of the submission), sets a precedent to legitimize racist research within SPSP.
Our goals in creating dialogue are the following:
Acknowledge that SPSP, its larger entity, APA, and even social psychological science has never been apolitical—be it in their virtues or their vices. Social psychology’s roots are in research devoted to understanding dehumanization in the face of the atrocities committed against the Jewish community during the Holocaust in the context of World War II (e.g., Adorno and Milgram). One should also consider APA’s political statements regarding national security and the so-called “war on terror.” For a Society that emphasizes dismantling systems of inequality, how does one engage in this endeavor in a manner that is decontextualized? Robust discussions and research presentations on this very topic took place at the 2024 convention.
Recognize SPSP’s responsibility to call for a ceasefire and an end to the occupation in Palestine. SPSP’s statement in October—its first ever political statement about Palestine—specifically noted an “unprecedented attack.” However, for over a century, Palestine has been the site of an ongoing settler-colonial project—in which millions of Palestinians have been (and remain) forcibly displaced, with 70 massacres occurring in 1948 (i.e., the Nakba). In fact, in 2022, Palestinians in the West Bank experienced their most deadly year since the second Intifada, all before the escalation of violence on October 7th. SPSP remained silent through this horrific misery and loss of life. Since then, 30,000+ Palestinians have been killed—nearly half of them children. The International Court of Justice believes there is plausible evidence of genocide in Gaza. Despite open calls by 300+ social and personality psychologists for an immediate ceasefire, SPSP has failed to acknowledge the 30,000+ killed. Dr. John Kahler, co-founder of MedGlobal, describes the crisis in Gaza as the “worst situation I’ve ever seen.”
We invite the executive and organizing committee to establish an open and sincere dialogue with our communities.
We propose the following diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice initiatives:
A conversation with SPSP leadership about the review processes, the lack of an on-site ombudsperson, and factors that lead SPSP to perpetuate Anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination. Moreover, we propose restructuring the review process such that submissions are screened for justification of racialized violence and those that exacerbate it, under the guise of an authoritative “objective” science. Any reviews flagged for potentially harmful and racist content should then be reviewed by the DEI committee to discuss its acceptance in the conference. We are receptive to other possibilities as this represents a problem for people of all marginalized identities.
2. Against the backdrop of long-standing settler-colonialism and emerging evidence for plausible genocide in Gaza, and support for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. The American Association of University Professors, 71 members of Congress, the European Parliament, the vast majority of UN nations, most United States residents, and 300+ social and personality psychologists have called for a ceasefire. If a ceasefire statement is not issued, an articulation why this will not happen is needed.
Allocation of resources for scholar meet-ups at future SPSP events that provide a forum for students and faculty to discuss navigating academia as Arabs, Southwest and South Asians, North Africans, and Muslims.
The formation of an Arab, Southwest and South Asian, North African, and Muslim task force to address ongoing issues of Anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination. In tandem with SPSP’s primary guiding principle to “dismantle inequitable systems affecting historically underrepresented communities in personality and social psychology,” the group can use the APA Resolution to dismantle systemic racism to disseminate recommendations to SPSP leadership.
The creation of small grant opportunities to explore the systematicity of Anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination in the US and abroad.
An interfaith prayer space for all members, regardless of their religious beliefs.
The inclusion of specific opportunities in post-convention surveys for reporting racist or bigoted behavior.
We believe in SPSP’s mission to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, and offer our perspectives as a community of scholars that have been systematically marginalized. We also remind SPSP of their own support for public apologies, action plans, and accountability changes. A selective implementation of equity and inclusion would suggest these public apologies were merely being used as tools for social influence and reputation building, not as guiding principles. As we proceed from this painful set of events culminating at SPSP 2024 and its aftermath, we believe dialogue must be initiated, with everyone on equal footing, with an assumption of good intent, and the recognition that marginalized communities face vulnerabilities and potential costs in speaking publicly on these matters. We hope the establishment of dialogue with committee members, and the broader community, can begin the healing process. We are hopeful this letter can rebuild SPSP’s standing as an organization that fosters diversity and inclusion. For all members of the community.
Signed,
The Founding Members of SALAAM سلام
Note: We have decided to sign this letter anonymously and remove all previously collected signatures from allies due to concerns over doxxing and harm from those with differing views from our own—that speaks to the ongoing political climate and academic repression. The original 28 founding members are from all academic ranks, along with several members working outside of academia.
A private document that includes all SALAAM members and signatories will be sent to SPSP leadership and will not be available for public view. Signatories can still choose to anonymize their signature for SPSP leadership.
To see the complete document click here.
*While the authors of this letter vary in their religious beliefs, or the lack thereof, and in their national/ethnic backgrounds, we are racialized as the Muslim-Arab-other by the “unity of the [white-western] gaze” (Garner & Selod, 2015, p. 17; see Said, 1978). This incident represents a shared-racialized subjectivity that individuals of our backgrounds navigate in society and within our capacities as psychologists.
