Dear President George, I must say I am deeply disappointed in McMaster's actions regarding "Israeli Apartheid Week". Where, if not at a University must students be permitted to explore the urgent issues of our day - freely and honestly? Disallowing the "placement" of an "inflammatory" banner using the words "Israeli apartheid" is disingenuous. Diplomacy aside, what is really happening here is that supporters of Israeli Apartheid at McMaster are trying to prevent members of the University community from learning the truth about the on-going everyday oppression and brutalization of the Palestinian people. I could point out legal opinions and charter issues relating to this debacle and confirmations from Nelson Mandella and Desmond Tutu regarding Israeli Apartheid but others have already done that. We are very aware of your involvement with the racist illegal organization the Jewish National Fund http://www.mcmaster.ca/pres/negevdinner.htm , http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-2500957394773313398 and so your actions are not unexpected. I'm not going to try to convince you of the validity of McMaster students' concerns. You've already "chosen sides". What I am going to do is to remind you of the students' charter rights for freedom of assembly and freedom of expression and of the fundamental need for academic freedom in Canada. As President of McMaster University it is your responsibility to uphold these rights. Mrs. Busch-Vishniac, please don't send me a form letter. I have taken the time to raise specific concerns, please respond to my specific concerns. It is sadly hypocritical that on your McMaster webpage you state, "as the Provost and Vice-President [Academic] I was attracted to McMaster for three reasons [...one being] although I have spent my entire life until now as a resident of the U.S.A., I am discouraged by the recent restrictions of academic freedom in the U.S.. By contrast, Canadian universities including McMaster, remain true to the concepts of intellectual integrity and academic freedom." <http://www.mcmaster.ca/vpacademic/bioprovost.html>. I ask you in your capacity as McMaster Provost to explore your own unspoken personal biases and to set them aside to reclaim these principles of intellectual integrity and academic freedom. I would like to know, if the students invited President Jimmy Carter to speak at McMaster would you ban him too? Have you removed his book, "Peace Not Apartheid" from the McMaster bookstore and library?
The oppression of McMaster students in this case has seriously affected my and others' long held respect for McMaster University. In order to rectify this injustice I strongly recommend that McMaster host a forum to debate academic freedom at McMaster. I look forward to your reply. Susan Howard-Azzeh Chair, Niagara Palestinian Association Moderator, Niagara Coalitioin for Peace Suite 112, 111 Fourth Ave., Ridley Square, St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3P5 1919 majority decision written by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr: "there must be "clear and present danger" such as "falsely shouting fire in a crowded theatre and causing a panic" in order to limit freedom of speech." 1969 case (Brandenburg v. Ohio) the phrase "imminent lawless action" became the touchstone regarding limitations to free speech in the USA. ========================================================================================== Ralph Nader's dad to Ralph when he was 10 years old: "So what did you learn in school today? To believe or to think?" --------------------------------- Instant message from any web browser! Try the new Yahoo! Canada Messenger for the Web BETA