17th October 2023

Open letter from members of Museum Detox seeking justice for and expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine

Signatures are now closed. Thank you to all those who have responded.

We the undersigned members of Museum Detox, a network for people of colour who work in museums, galleries, archives, libraries, and heritage across the UK and beyond, write to express our solidarity with the people of Palestine, and urgently call on our cultural institutions to speak out against the collective punishment and crimes against humanity we are currently witnessing in Gaza. We reiterate that we oppose the actions of the state of Israel, but this must not be equated with anti-Semitism, which we abhor. We take this opportunity to condemn the killing of all civilians, whilst pointing out that the occupation and ensuing violence did not begin in October of this year.

Museums and cultural institutions in the United Kingdom and around the world have recently been swept by a rhetoric of decolonisation. Yet the question of Palestine is woefully absent from these conversations and otherwise progressive shifts. As cultural workers committed to decolonising our practice, and to working within and beyond institutional parameters to achieve social and political justice, we hear this overwhelming silence and urge the sector to speak up.

Decolonisation, as Unangax̂ scholar Eve Tuck & K. Wayne Yang (2012) remind us, is ‘not a metaphor’. Neither is Palestinian liberation a cultural accessory. Exhibitions, public events, and collecting programmes that fetishise Palestinian resistance, whilst turning a blind eye to the illegal and inhumane treatment of Palestinian peoples themselves, reify colonial models of objectification that have historically characterised museum collecting and display. Such artwashing runs right through to executive levels, as highlighted by the arts and activist collective, Decolonize This Place. To aestheticise the struggles of the Palestinian people in their fight for self-determination misunderstands the meaning of decolonisation.

The Museums Association, the national body supporting museums and museum workers, outlines in their current ‘Supporting Decolonisation’ guidance that they ‘aim to empower more people to take action and lead change as museums address the legacy of British colonialism’. However, in recent years we have seen a definitive clampdown on programming decisions and directorial actions that express solidarity with the Palestinian people, whose present political situation partially arises from the Balfour Declaration of 1917. Given this political climate, our signatories understandably fear reprisals for advocating their support for this letter. We call on the cultural sector to resist the weaponization of Palestinian solidarity and stand up to political attempts to create a ‘culture war’ out of what the United Nations and multiple other humanitarian organisations have rightly identified as a systemic violation of human rights.

There is a clear moral case for the sector to condemn any genocide, including the escalating state-sanctioned crimes against humanity in Gaza, in the same way museums actively vocalised their support against the invasion of Ukraine. The silence, and selective humanity in the sector surrounding recent events indicates that cultural autonomy is seriously under threat. If continued, museums and cultural institutions are at risk of becoming mouthpieces for government propaganda.

Against this climate of political repression, we call on the Museums Association to:

  1. Break their silence and show integrity and leadership by including a long overdue discussion strand on museum narratives and ethical responses to events in Palestine at their next Annual Conference, scheduled to take place 7-9 November 2023 in Gateshead.
  2. Incorporate support and resources for enacting Palestinian solidarity in museums into the upcoming review of the Code of Ethics.
  3. Articulate clear and actionable resources to protect workers from acts of anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim bigotry, and other forms of racism during this time.
  4. Commit to concretely supporting those who speak out on this issue who risk institutional and media targeting.

We stand with our colleagues who are bravely speaking up; the pressure to stay silent and continue working as though this isn’t affecting us takes a heavy toll. We also stand firmly with our colleagues in the cultural sector in Palestine, who have used their positions to speak out, often at great personal and professional risk - sometimes death. In writing this, we urge our workplaces not to bow to toxic political pressure, and to instead join efforts with peer organisations like the Palestine Museum to ‘confront [...] the systemic efforts of erasure directed towards the Palestinian people’ (Palestine Museum, 2023).

We ask those across the cultural sector to sign this letter in solidarity, to use your platform to speak up, and to enact a truer commitment to decolonial practice that fosters peace, justice, and healing for all.

Signed,

Members of Museum Detox

Members of Museum Detox:

  1. A. Shah
  2. Abeer Eladany
  3. Abira Hussein
  4. Alia Alzougbi, Independent Practitioner
  5. Alia Syed, Museums/Project Manager
  6. Amal Khreisheh, South West Heritage Trust
  7. Ameena Hashmi
  8. Andreann Asibey, Curator, Producer & Educator
  9. Aneesa Riffat
  10. Anita Sheth
  11. Antonia Canal
  12. Arike Oke
  13. Arron Singh Gill, Head of Community Engagement, Chapter
  14. Ashley Almeida
  15. Asma Istwani
  16. Ayesha Fuentes
  17. Bhavesh Shah
  18. Chloe Cousins, Social Justice Manager
  19. Danika Parikh, University of Cambridge Museums
  20. Emily Beswick
  21. Faisal Hussain, Artist & Director, True Form Projects
  22. Fatema Zehra, Programmes Manager
  23. Florence Okoye, UX Designer
  24. Gabrielle Zachery, Museum of London
  25. Hajra Williams
  26. Hannah Rustomjee
  27. Irene Aristizábal, Curator
  28. Jasmine Brady, University of Cambridge Museums
  29. Jatinder Kailey, Community Partnership Producer
  30. Jenny Williams, Take the Space
  31. Joyce Treasure, Artist
  32. Khalil Thirlaway
  33. Lateisha Davine Lovelace-Hanson, Artist, Writer, Embodied Social Justice Practitioner        
  34. Latika Gupta
  35. Laura Hampden
  36. Laura Joy Pieters, Science Museum
  37. Laura Summers
  38. Lisa Kennedy, Writer and Researcher
  39. Lois South, National Museums Liverpool
  40. Malavika Anderson
  41. Marwa Ahmed
  42. Melissa Helen Hernandez
  43. Mia Lewis
  44. Mia Roach Penn
  45. Miles Greenwood
  46. Mohammed Z. Rahman, Artist
  47. Molly Richards
  48. Mona Jamil
  49. Nadine Gabriel
  50. Natasha Vasiliki Almeida
  51. Navjot Mangat
  52. Nazeea Elahi
  53. Nicola Leong, ICA
  54. Nusrat Ahmed, Curator
  55. Rabia Begum
  56. Rachada Suesat-Williams, Director, Crab Museum
  57. Rachael Minott, Assistant Director of Engagement, Birmingham Museums Trust
  58. Ranmalie Jayawardana
  59. Reyahn King, independent consultant
  60. Rohini Sharma
  61. Rosa Couloute
  62. Roween Rawat, Natural History Museum
  63. Ruth Lie
  64. RW
  65. Sadia Habib
  66. Sahar Beyad, National Museums Liverpool
  67. Sam Allen, Arts and Heritage Consultant
  68. Sandy AbdelRahman, Skaped
  69. Sarita Mamseri
  70. Shaheera Pesnani
  71. Shaz Hussain
  72. Sheila Asante
  73. Shelley Angelie Saggar, University of Kent
  74. Shuk Kwan Liu
  75. Siemma Fazal
  76. Simon Demissie
  77. Sophie Vohra, The Sensational Museum & University of Leicester
  78. Subhadra Das
  79. Sumaya Kassim
  80. Susuana Amoah, the Black Gallerina
  81. Tamsin Hong, Serpentine
  82. Tasnim Mahdy, Artist, Natural History Museum
  83. Tanaya Basu De Sarkar
  84. Tara Munroe, Curator/Creative Director, Opal22 Arts and Edutainment
  85. Tayba Batool
  86. Umayyah Zaman, Community Engagement Assistant
  87. Umulkhayr Mohamed, the National Museum of Wales
  88. Vandana Patel, Senior Audience & Interpretation Lead
  89. Vania Gonzalvez Rodriguez, Curator (Learning)
  90. Yasmin Khan, Independent Curator
  91. Zaynab Bunsie, Producer
  92. Zeynep Kussan

Arts, Museum & Heritage Signatories:

  1. Aaisha Akhtar
  2. Abdenour Bouich, University of Exeter
  3. Abigail Baker, Researcher
  4. Adiva Lawrence, International Slavery Museum
  5. Afifa Sana Khan, Research Assistant (Archaeology), University of Cambridge
  6. Aiysha Sheth, Imperial War Museum
  7. Aleena Akbar Khan, Artist
  8. Alexandra Creighton, National Museums Liverpool
  9. Alex Fitzpatrick, Museum Researcher
  10. Alexandra F. Morris, Museum Education Roundtable
  11. Alia Alzougbi, Independent Practitioner
  12. Alia Syed, Museums/Project Manager
  13. Alice Keane
  14. Alice Procter, Writer
  15. Aliki-Anastasia Arkomani, Reference Specialist
  16. alyssa ali
  17. Amber Marshall Callaghan, Public Programme
  18. Ameeta Lodhia
  19. Amelia Fay, Curator
  20. Amie Kirby
  21. Amie Kirby, Sheba Arts
  22. Amina Ali, Curator and Researcher
  23. Amy Daneel
  24. Amy Hetherington, Director, Surface Impression
  25. Amy Shakespeare
  26. Anaïs Walsdorf, Science Museum/University of Warwick
  27. Andrea Low, Associate-Curator Contemporary World, Auckland War Memorial Museum
  28. Andrea Potts
  29. Andrea Wallace
  30. Aneeka Shezad, Senior Library Assistant
  31. Aneesa Dawoojee, Artist / Photographer/ Educator/ Fellow
  32. Angie Lee
  33. Annabel Gee
  34. Anna Freed, MA Student, Sainsbury Research Unit, UEA
  35. Anna Jackson, Collections Management Professional
  36. Anna Roberts, Digital Medical Artist, Liverpool John Moores University
  37. Anna Ruchalska-Pineda
  38. Antia Dona Vazquez, Churches Conservation Trust/ Wandsworth Council
  39. Arianna Salili-James, Natural History Museum
  40. Ayesha Keshani
  41. Ayesha Sureya Patel, Artist
  42. Barinur Rashid
  43. Bayryam Bayryamali, Education Manager, Magnum Photos
  44. Bea Macdonald
  45. Ben Paites, Curator
  46. Beth Atkinson
  47. Bethany Skuce
  48. Bethany Slater
  49. Beth Askham
  50. Brodhie Molloy, University of Leicester
  51. Camella Ramjet
  52. Carine Harmand, Curator
  53. Cas Bradbeer, Strawberry Hill House & Garden
  54. Cat Ayres
  55. Cat Dunn, Curator
  56. Cecilia Levratto, Archaeological Collections Manager, Museum of London
  57. Cesare Cuzzola, Researcher
  58. Charlotte McReynolds
  59. Cheryl Jones
  60. Chloe Trainor
  61. Christian Algar
  62. Chris Wardle
  63. Cina Aissa, Artist educator
  64. Claire Mead
  65. Claire Whitbread, Exhibitions Manager
  66. Clara Low 
  67. Clodagh Lavelle, Artist
  68. Colleen Morgan, Senior Lecturer in Digital Archaeology and Heritage, University of York
  69. Cordelia Cembrowicz, Artist
  70. Curstaidh Reid, Archivist
  71. Cym Henry
  72. Daniel Salinas-Córdova, Museum Enabler
  73. Daniela Vasco
  74. Danielle Carbon-Wilson, Central Saint Martins
  75. Daniel Lowe, Curator
  76. Daniel Salinas-Córdova, Museum Enabler
  77. Danny Birchall
  78. David Lally, National Museums Liverpool
  79. David Newton
  80. Dena Ettehad
  81. Dhelia Snoussi, Curator
  82. Domenico Sergi, Curator, Museum of London
  83. Duha Dkeidek,The Palestinian Museum
  84. Eden Plummer
  85. Eleanor Armstrong
  86. Elena Carter, Archivist, Wellcome Collection
  87. Elissavet Ntoulia
  88. Elizabeth Bailey, Programme Coordinator
  89. Ella Alalade, Archivist
  90. Ellie Field
  91. Ellie Ikiebe
  92. Ely Nott, the British Library
  93. Emilia Betty Terracciano, Manchester
  94. Emma Bryning, PhD Researcher and Heritage Practitioner
  95. Emma Morgan, Community Engagement
  96. Enrica Inversi, Assistant Collection Manager, The British Museum
  97. Esther Lisk-Carew, Heritage Trustee
  98. Fahema Begum
  99. Faisal Hussain, True Form Projects
  100. Fiona Slater, Science Museum Group
  101. Florence Tyler
  102. Gaurav Kalyani, Digital Archive Manager
  103. Gaylene Gould, Artist/Curator, Studio Gaylene Gould
  104. Georgina Orgill, Archivist
  105. Gillian Boll, Archivist
  106. Gin Jacobucci
  107. Gina Schwarz, Digital Lead, National Museums Liverpool
  108. Hannah McLean, University of Glasgow
  109. Hannah Redler-Hawes
  110. Hannah Tyler
  111. Hanna Whiteman, Designer
  112. Hanouf Al-Alawi, the British Museum
  113. Hasina Dabasia, Programme Producer
  114. Hazem Jamjoum, Curator
  115. Helena Jaeschke, Conservator
  116. Helen Wakely
  117. Henny Shaw, Artist
  118. Inbal Livne
  119. Isabel Greenslade
  120. Isabella Librando
  121. J.S.K. Starr
  122. Jaanuja Sriskantha, Museum of London
  123. Jade Chao
  124. Jaime Diaz, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
  125. Jake Blackavar
  126. Jamie Parkinson
  127. Jamila Prowse, Artist and Writer
  128. Jamila Squire, British Library
  129. Jane Henderson, Professor, Cardiff University
  130. Jasmine Soliman, Archivist
  131. Javier Rodrigo Montero, Activist Consultant, Transductores
  132. Jay Drinkall, Writer and editor
  133. JC Candanedo
  134. Jeffrey J. Burnett, Michigan State University
  135. Jessica Rayner, Programme Producer
  136. Joanne Kirton
  137. Jo Capper, Grand Union
  138. Joe Goulding, National Museums Liverpool
  139. Joel Fagan
  140. John Hunnex, National History Museum
  141. Josiah Moktar
  142. Joyce Voegler, Programme Manager
  143. Judith Stewart, Artist and educator
  144. Julia Morgan, Collections Officer
  145. Kabir Singh, Graphic designer
  146. Kanwal Hussain, Gallery Assistant
  147. Karen Goodlett, University of Southampton
  148. Karin Kierstead, Programs Manager, Association of Nova Scotia Museums
  149. Karl Bassil
  150. Karl Jenkins
  151. Kate Faccia, Archaeologist, MOLA
  152. Kate Wilkinson
  153. Katherine Elizabeth Cornelius-Frend
  154. Katherine Lloyd, National Museums Liverpool
  155. Katy Jackson
  156. Katy Smith
  157. Kayleigh Crawford
  158. Kirsty hassard, Curator
  159. Kirsty Kerr
  160. Korantema Anyimadu, Curator
  161. Kyle L. Jordan, Ashmolean Museum & Pitt Rivers Museum
  162. Lakshmi Nagaraj, Artist and Communications Manager
  163. Laura Blair
  164. Laura Jones, Artist
  165. Laura Joy Pieters, Science Museum
  166. Laura Owen
  167. Layla Hillsden, Archivist and historian
  168. Liberty Ip, Digital content manager
  169. Ligaya Salazar, Curator
  170. Lil Green
  171. Lilia Prier Tisdall
  172. Lily Crowther
  173. Lisa Cazzato, Senior AV Producer, Museum of London
  174. Lisa Nash, Artist & Curator, Social Practice
  175. Lisa Palmer, De Montfort University
  176. Livvy Murdoch
  177. Lizzie O’Halloran, Evaluator
  178. Louise Brook, Visitor Experience Assistant
  179. Louise Fowler, Archaeologist
  180. Louise McAward-White
  181. Lucy Moore, Curator and Wikimedian
  182. Madeleine Woodhouse
  183. Mahalia Changlee, Museum of the Home
  184. Mai Musie, Swansea University and Oxford University
  185. Margaret Middleton
  186. Mariam Hussein, Media Officer, Museum of London
  187. Mark Liebenrood
  188. Maryam Sarah
  189. Matthew Jones
  190. Maude Willaerts
  191. Maymana Arefin
  192. Megan O'Mahony
  193. Meghan Backhouse, Curator
  194. Michol Stocco, Archaeological Archive Manager, Museum of London
  195. Minsu Kwon
  196. Misty Flores
  197. Molly Skinner, Head of Content
  198. Morgan Bell, Collections Manager, Whipple Museum of the History of Science
  199. Muriel Kahwagi, Writer and curator
  200. Nan Carreira, Artist
  201. Natalie Coe
  202. Natasha Brune-Goodey, Artist-Facilitator and programme officer
  203. Nathan Mudyi Sentance, Head of Collections First Nations
  204. Nayra Zaghloul, Writer, Curator, Researcher
  205. Nicholas Crowe, Culturally Sensitive Collections Liaison, Wellcome Collection
  206. Nick Marro, PCS Culture Group President
  207. Nicky Reeves, Curator
  208. Nicola Cook
  209. Nicola Watkinson
  210. Nishat Alam
  211. Noah Angell
  212. Nolly Aicha Bouameur, Marketing Manager (Arts and Cultural), Factory International
  213. Nuzhat Tabassum, Project Officer of the Explorers Programme, Natural History Museum
  214. Odessa Warren
  215. Oliver Betts, Research Lead, National Railway Museum
  216. Olivia Akabuike
  217. Pardaad Chamsaz
  218. Paul Edward Montgomery Ramirez
  219. Pen Foreman, Senior Inclusive Heritage Advisor, Historic England
  220. Peta Glass
  221. Peter Ashan
  222. Phoebe Evans, Assistant Curator, Victoria and Albert Museum
  223. Polly Bodetto
  224. Pooja Makwana
  225. Rachael Brewer
  226. Rachel Erickson
  227. Rachael Lee
  228. Rachel Jennings, Curator
  229. Rafaela Ricardo, Equity Manager, Crafts Council
  230. Rahela Khan
  231. Raisa Shaikh
  232. Rianna Norbert-David, Museum of London
  233. Richard Sajor, Grant Writer
  234. Rosa Thorlby
  235. Rosie Vizor
  236. Rosie Watts, Creative learning producer, Museum worker
  237. Rowena Dean, National Museums Liverpool
  238. Rubi M, Facilitator
  239. Ruth Lie
  240. Sabrina Ruffino Giummara
  241. Sadie Watson, Archaeologist, MOLA
  242. Sahjan Kooner, Artist
  243. Salma Jreige
  244. Samantha Allen
  245. Sameed Rezayan, Head of Creative Learning, Manchester International Festival
  246. Sara Choudhrey, Kingston University
  247. Sarah Agha
  248. Sarah French
  249. Sarah H. Cho, Curator
  250. Sarah Ledjmi
  251. Sara Kassam
  252. Satakalet Terrilliams, Director, Crab Museum
  253. Sebah Chaudhry, Creative Producer and Curator
  254. Selene Burn
  255. Shaheen Kasmani
  256. Shaheera pesnani
  257. Shaima Abdalla
  258. Shifaa Kay
  259. Shireen Sabanegh
  260. Shivaya Prasad, People’s History Museum
  261. Shreya Gupta
  262. Shreyashi Bagchi
  263. Shruti Chakraborty, Digital Editor, Museum of London
  264. Silai Estatira, Artist and Musician
  265. Simon Demissie
  266. Simone Trumpet, Artist
  267. Siobhán Forshaw
  268. Sophia Nicolov
  269. Stefan McKee
  270. Stephen Allen
  271. Suzie Jones
  272. Tabs Deadman
  273. Tanya Bruzzese Cooley
  274. Tanya Kirk
  275. Tara Okeke
  276. Tara Panesar
  277. Tessa Carr
  278. Tess Machling, Independent researcher
  279. Thamimunisha Fahmy
  280. Theresa Dhaliwal Davies, Curatorial Producer
  281. Tom Jeffreys
  282. Valentina Mirabella
  283. Vanesha Singh, Digital Editor
  284. Vanessa Pace
  285. Wai Hin Wong, Museum of London
  286. Yeoh Wen Fei, Project Assistant, Museum of London Archaeological Archive
  287. Yianni Hadjiyianni
  288. Zakia Jabeen
  289. Zakira Begum
  290. Zeina Ramadan
  291. Zoë Varley, Collections Researcher
  292. Zubaida Umar Baba, University of Leeds

Organisation and Group Signatories:

Signatures are now closed.