On May 2nd, in an agreement to end the 4-day encampment launched by the Students for Justice in Palestine and Endowment Justice Collective, the Rutgers-- New Brunswick administration committed to implementing eight of the ten demands put forward by the student protesters. As part of this agreement, the administration committed to ‘develop a plan for the creation of a new cultural center [for Palestinian and other Arab students] with designated physical space and a hiring plan for administrators and staff by the start of Fall 2024 semester.’ This commitment marked a significant step towards fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment for Palestinian and Arab students at Rutgers.

The last known poem written by Refaat AlAreer ended: ‘If I must die, let it bring hope, let it be a tale.’ AlAreer was a Palestinian writer, academic, and poet known for his work on the life of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation, particularly in Gaza. He was an English literature professor at the Islamic University of Gaza before the Israeli occupation bombed and destroyed the university during the ongoing genocide. Tragically, on December 6th of 2023, AlAreer was targeted and killed by an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza. By naming our cultural center after this distinguished educator and academic from Gaza, we believe we will not only honor the martyrs who inspired this initiative but also stand as a beacon of hope for our community, embodying the spirit of resilience and remembrance.

In July, a committee formed by the University invited students, faculty, and staff to organize details for the Arab cultural center. However, despite the committee’s interest in naming the center after Refaat AlAreer, the administration communicated that Rutgers policy only allows for the naming of campus institutions after Rutgers alumni, and with a large monetary donation. We, the Students for Justice in Palestine and future students of the Arab Cultural Center, are calling on the administration to allow us to name the center after our martyr Refaat AlAreer. We call on our fellow Arab students and community members to advocate for naming our center after AlAreer. Please contact the administration using our Action Network letter campaign. From now until forever our center will be named after him: AlAreer Center For Arab Life (ACAL).