Dear NASPGHAN President and Council Members,

We write as concerned NASPGHAN members to express our deep disappointment with the presidential communication regarding Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta’s keynote invitation and the manner in which this situation has been handled.

As pediatric healthcare professionals, we find it particularly painful that the communication acknowledged the suffering of one population while failing to recognize the suffering of others, including Palestinians and the thousands of children whose lives have been lost. We unequivocally condemn violence, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and discrimination in all forms, and we expect our professional society to uphold these values, consistently.

Palestinian lives, Jewish lives, and all human lives deserve equal compassion, dignity, and recognition. We agree with Dr. Bhutta that our collective focus as pediatric healthcare professionals should remain on the impact of conflict on child health and well-being, regardless of geography, nationality, or religion.

We have carefully reviewed the petition calling for Dr. Bhutta’s removal as keynote speaker, along with the referenced articles, video, and NASPGHAN Code of Conduct. Based on our review, we find no evidence of bias or discrimination in his vast body of work that would justify questioning his professional standing or invitation. Rather, his statements reflect evidence-based advocacy for child health, emphasizing diplomacy, international law, and peaceful avenues for change.

For many NASPGHAN members across faiths, nationalities, and backgrounds, the presidential communication has left us feeling hurt, dismissed, and marginalized. Rather than feeling included and represented by our professional society, we feel excluded and unseen. The apparent lack of meaningful consultation with directly affected members or their representatives has only deepened this sense of alienation and undermined our trust in NASPGHAN leadership.

We are also deeply concerned by the manner in which Dr. Bhutta has been portrayed and treated. Decisions regarding invited speakers should be guided by fair, consistent, transparent, and evidence-based professional standards, rather than political pressure, selective scrutiny, or the threat of protest. Academic freedom, respectful dialogue, and the ability to advocate for vulnerable children must remain fundamental principles of our professional community.

We therefore ask the NASPGHAN Council to retract or substantially revise the presidential communication to explicitly acknowledge Palestinian suffering and address the concerns surrounding Dr. Bhutta’s treatment. We further call for an independent and impartial review of the decision-making process, greater transparency, meaningful representation of diverse member perspectives, and clear leadership accountability. These steps are essential to rebuilding trust and ensuring that similar situations are handled fairly in the future.

We raise these concerns not to deepen divisions, but because we care deeply about NASPGHAN and the values it represents. We are all NASPGHAN and we want our society to remain a professional home where every member feels represented, heard, valued, and supported; where principled disagreement can coexist with mutual respect, and where every child’s life is afforded equal dignity, humanity, and compassion.

Sincerely,

Concerned NASPGHAN Members