The Palestinian teacher Ali Muasi was fired 3 weeks ago from his teaching job by the Baqa al-Gharbiyye municipality, his direct employer, after screening the Palestinian Oscar-nominated movie “Omar” to 11^th and 12^th graders. 

On Thursday the 17th of March the court hearing against the Baqa municipality took place. The court gave the mayor of Baka until March 22nd to reverse the dismissal decision. If this will not happen, the court announced that the school will be obliged to pay Muasi’s salary until August and that the ministry of education will have to find a new teaching position for him.

According to Muasi, "his dismissal is part of a political deal between Mursi Abu Moch, Baqa al-Gharbiyye’s mayor and the Salafist movement Hedaya. Hedaya claimed that the film contains passages that are violating Islamic values.

Two weeks after screening the movie, he was assaulted by two brothers affiliated with Hedaya. Muasi filed a law suit against them and succeeded in getting a restraining order issued that prohibits the brothers from approaching him and the school.

Muasi’s suspension and dismissal aroused criticism in the Arab community in Israel. Two Palestinian parties, Balad and Jabha, published statements in support of him.

The Mossawa Center strongly condemns the violence against and dismissing of Muasi. In the Past he cooperated with Mossawa’s culture department and we now stand in solidarity with him.