Novel Addresses Academic Ethics and Activism
Palestinian-Australian author and academic Randa Abdel-Fattah's novel, "Discipline," features a Muslim academic, Dr. Ashraf Magdy, who accepts government funding for a deradicalisation and social cohesion project during an Israel-Gaza conflict to advance his career. His PhD student, Jamal, faces university disciplinary action for social media posts, including "Zionism is racism" and chanting "from the river to the sea." To protect his grant, Dr. Magdy distances himself from his student, viewing his academic position as a way to strengthen his small corner within a larger structure. Abdel-Fattah, a Palestinian Muslim academic herself, considers the character Ashraf Magdy a "contemptible sellout."
Early Life and Advocacy Against Islamophobia
Born in Sydney in 1979 to a Palestinian father and an Egyptian mother, Abdel-Fattah grew up in Melbourne. She experienced Islamophobia as a young woman wearing a hijab, including being spat at and called derogatory names during the first Gulf War (1990-91). In 1998, at 18, she wrote a letter to then-prime minister John Howard expressing concerns about anti-Muslim sentiment after Australia committed troops to Iraq. Her debut novel, "Does My Head Look Big in This," published in 2005, explored the experiences of a hijab-wearing Muslim girl in Australia. She has authored 14 books, including for children and young adults, receiving literary awards. Abdel-Fattah holds a law degree, worked as a solicitor for over a decade, and now researches Islamophobia, race, feminism, Palestine, and activism in academia.
Post-October 7 Activism and Public Statements
Following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Abdel-Fattah updated her social media profile picture to an image of a paraglider in Palestinian flag colors. She later removed the image and apologized to ABC News, stating she was unaware of the death toll at the time and does not support the killing of civilians. In a Guardian podcast, she described her initial post as "a celebration of a symbol of freedom" representing Palestinians breaking out of their blockade. On the one-year anniversary of the attack, she wrote that there was a "glimmer of hope" that was "palpable, real, and exhilarating" on October 7, alongside acknowledging "confusion, fear, and expectations."
As Israel's military actions in Gaza intensified, Abdel-Fattah continued her protest. In 2024, she posted statements asserting that Zionists have no claim to "cultural safety" and that it is a human duty to "deny you a safe space to espouse your Zionist racist ideology" and to "ensure that every space Zionists enter is culturally unsafe for them." A UN commission of inquiry has described Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide, a charge Israel denies.