MEAA condemns Adelaide Festival’s decision to drop Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah

MEAA condemns Adelaide Festival Board’s decision to cancel a scheduled appearance of Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah at Adelaide Writers’ Week. The union fully supports all members who have withdrawn from the festival in solidarity.

Adelaide Writer’s Week has long been a place for bold ideas and freedom of expression.

The Festival Board’s suggestion that the mere presence of a Palestinian novelist who has expressed pro-Palestine political views “would not be culturally sensitive” in the wake of the Bondi tragedy betrays these principles.

Excluding a worker based on their ethnic background and political opinions is unacceptable and undermines the festival’s stated goal of fostering social cohesion.

Linking Dr Abdel-Fattah to an act of terrorism to which she is no way connected is deeply racist and offensive. By singling her out individually, it exposes her to abuse and vilification. This is a serious dereliction of duty on the part of the Adelaide Festival’s board to uphold a duty of care for participants’ health and safety at work.

MEAA stands against racism, intolerance and censorship in the media, entertainment and arts industries.