NC State administration barred Palestinian-American author Hannah Moushabeck from reading her children’s book “Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine” due to the University of North Carolina system rules on institutional neutrality.

The rule requires all UNC departments and offices — including UNC System universities like NC State — to be neutral on all political and social issues when representing the University. However, these restrictions do not apply to university offices ensuring compliance with specific federal or state laws. The law also says it does not infringe on freedom of speech, meaning that individuals have the right to express their own views as long as they do not claim to represent the university’s views.

Moushabeck said NC State Libraries invited her to speak at a series of events, including an Oct. 18 event previously named “Storytime with Hannah Moushabeck and Habibti Bookshop” in which she would read her book. 

On Oct. 7, she was informed she is not allowed to read “Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine” as it would violate institutional neutrality. In addition, her event “Storytime with Hannah Moushabeck and Habibti Bookshop” was renamed to Celebrating Reading Read-In with Habibti Bookshop.

Originally, Moushabeck was invited to attend Banned Book Week. 

“My book has been systemically banned and censored all over the country, and so I was invited to come speak about these topics,” she said. “Which is highly ironic because I learned last week that university administration has prohibited me from reading my children’s book on campus. They said that the children’s book violates neutrality policies.” She continues.

“Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine” is a picture book that depicts three little girls learning about their dad’s time in their homeland, Palestine.

“They said that the book violates their neutrality policies because it doesn’t show two sides of the story,” Moushabeck said. “Which is so interesting to me, because my book is a memoir picture book. It is just my own lived experience, but they did note that they didn’t believe that there were any Jewish people in my book. I actually don’t identify the religion of any of the characters in my book. So, that is an assumption that they made, based on stereotypes.” She continues. 

In an email to The Nubian Message, NC State Director of Library Communications Chris Tonelli said, “University-sponsored events must be in compliance with State law and the UNC System’s policy on equality. As such, the university must be certain that speakers do not make it appear the university is taking a stance on, supporting or making a statement about a political or social issue.”

When The Nubian Message reached out to UNC System Director of Media Relations Andy Wallace to ask how exactly Moushabeck’s story violated the policy, he responded with a link to the system’s neutrality policy.

“My book is being put under a scrutiny that no other children’s books are being put under, and people are making assumptions about my ethnicity, when my books simply explores my own lived experience, and these assumptions that they’re making are based on racist tropes about Palestinians,” Moushabeck said.

This is a developing story.