Rally and Forum Friday Feb. 29, 10 am Hamilton.
United For Student Rights <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008
08:30:24 -0500
From: "United For Student Rights" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Fact Sheet Related to "Israeli Apartheid" Ban
McMaster Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) & McMaster Muslims
for Peace & Justice (MMPJ) present:
FACT SHEET
ON THE EVENTS RELATING TO THE USAGE OF THE PHRASE "ISRAELI
APARTHEID" AT MCMASTER UNIVERSITY, HAMILTON ONTARIO
Note: SPHR and MMPJ are two distinct and separate organizations, both of
which are McMaster Student Union approved clubs. They have distinct histories,
mandates and members. These organizations separately became involved in the
issue of the usage of "Israeli Apartheid" as a term at McMaster University.
SPHR and MMPJ are issuing this joint fact sheet to clarify the events leading
up to public release of information claiming that the McMaster University
administration has not banned the use of the term "Israel Apartheid" despite
both the offices of the Human Rights and Equity Services (HRES) and the MSU
President, Ryan Moran, communicating that that decision came from the office of
the Provost.
Due to recent statements by the University Provost, Dr. Ilene Busch-Vishniac,
various people have contacted us requesting clarification on this issue. We are
happy to comply, and hope that our statement of facts will shed light on the
matter.
Most people, including SPHR and MMPJ, in writing to the McMaster University
have received a generic email reply regarding this issue stating that the
university has not banned the use of "Israeli Apartheid" but rather the issue
relates to the placement of an inflammatory banner.
For example, in a email sent by the Provost on February 21, 2008 to SPHR, it
was stated that, 'Although there is a rumor circulating that I have banned the
use of the phrase "Israeli Apartheid", this is patently not true. McMaster
University fully supports freedom of speech and we have not abridged this
fundamental principle. The single action we took was to refuse to place a
highly inflammatory and large banner in a very public part of our campus. No
restrictions were placed on any activities associated with Israeli Apartheid
Week.'
MMPJ and SPHR both categorically deny having requested or been refused
approval for a banner, large, inflammatory or otherwise. We do not know what
the Provost is referring to in this statement. However, the following series of
events did take place:
Monday, February 4: MMPJ had a club table in the Student Centre with
literature and a display that had the term "Israeli Apartheid" on them. A small
banner was attached to this table with the term "Israeli Apartheid" on it. HRES
Program Coordinator, Vilma Rossi, visited the club table to inspect the
contents of the literature after students issuing complaints to HRES office.
She collected literature for her review and agreed to contact a group
representative from MMPJ if she found any part of its contents to be
inappropriate or hateful. MMPJ received no communication from HRES about the
content of the literature distributed at the table.
Later that day, MMPJ attempted to get the required approval from the MSU
Design & Copy Centre for a poster with the term "Israeli Apartheid" on it to
advertise for an event later in the week. The manager of the Copy Centre,
Sandro Giordano, told the MMPJ representative that the Head of the MSU
Diversity Services, Sara Cuneo, had anticipated MMPJ would attempt to print a
poster and had requested that she be included in the review of the poster
before it was approved. Mr. Giordano contacted Ms. Cuneo upon MMPJ's arrival
and after reviewing the poster, Ms. Cuneo suggested that the poster be
forwarded to HRES to judge the appropriateness of the term 'Israeli Apartheid'.
The MMPJ representative present was informed a decision would be made the next
day.
Tuesday, February 5: McMaster SPHR attempted to get approval from the Student
Union Clubs Administrator for a required Risk Assessment Form for an upcoming
event (on February 26) titled "End Israeli Apartheid: Break the Siege on Gaza".
The Clubs Administrator informed SPHR that she could not approve the form since
this issue had been 'flagged'. She suggested SPHR should speak to the MSU
President.
Separately that day, MMPJ met with HRES Acting Director, Tim Nolan who
communicated that the public employment of the term "Israeli Apartheid" was
inflammatory and unacceptable. No poster or event could bear the title "Israeli
Apartheid" and we would have to revise the poster to exclude that phrase. He
attributed the decision to the office of the Provost.
Wednesday, February 6: McMaster SPHR met for over 5 hours with the MSU
President and Human Rights & Equity Services. Both offices made clear to SPHR
that 1) the use of the term "Israeli Apartheid" in public promotions and
literature would not be approved and that 2) the decision was taken by the
McMaster Provost, Dr. Ilene Busch-Vishniac.
The MSU did allow the Risk Assessment for SPHR to be approved, but continued
to refuse poster approval so long as HRES did not give their permission.
Specifically, they refused to approve the poster due to the fact that it states
'Guest Speaker: Adam Hanieh, Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid". In turn,
HRES would not approve the poster due to this phrase.
Such verbal communication was also collaborated by written proof in that:
Human Rights & Equity email communication to SPHR President on February 8,
2008 stated: 'I am sending this email in response to your request to have, in
writing, the university's recent decision concerning "Israeli Apartheid Week".
The university has taken the position that literature which refers to "Israeli
apartheid" and activities promoted under the banner, "Israeli Apartheid Week"
are unacceptable. The university takes the position that this phrase is in
violation of the university's efforts to ensure that all people will be treated
with dignity and tolerance.'
Similarly, SPHR has the signed meeting minutes with MSU President, Ryan
Moran, where he states in the February 6 meeting that: 'The controversy over
the use of Apartheid in describing the State of Israel in McMaster Muslims for
Peace poster had gone to Human Rights & Equity which was then forwarded to
Provost for the final decision. It was agreed upon that the use of language
(Apartheid) is not only inappropriate, but also destructive in achieving
overall positive results amongst the parties involved. This rule by the Provost
was communicated to me through Human Rights & Equity and the MSU has decided to
abide by this recommendation.'
Thursday, February 7: MMPJ held their event, as part of Israeli Apartheid
week, featuring the screening of the movie, "The Iron Wall" and invited Khaled
Mouammar from the Canadian Arab Federation to lead a discussion after the film.
During the event, MMPJ followed the guidelines of HRES and did not use the
phrase "Israeli Apartheid" throughout the event and instructed Mr. Mouammar not
to use the term at any point during his talk or during the question and answer
period, to which he complied. In attendance at this event were members of the
Hamilton Muslim-Jewish Dialogue committee, HRES representatives, Detective
Chris Kiriakopoulos who is head of the Hate Crimes Unit of the Hamilton Police,
as well as a Police Sergeant.
Friday, February 8: SPHR spoke to the McMaster Provost Secretary Barb Agro
explicitly requesting a written notice of the decision taken by the Provost
regarding this issue. This request was repeated in written communication
through email on Friday, February 15, and in many subsequent emails. The
Provost has yet to comply with this request except to deny the decision
attributed to her office by HRES and the MSU.
The administration's denial through the Provost, Dr. Busch-Vishniac, is even
more confusing given an email she sent to Mr. Gerofsky, which is posted at
www.israpundit.com/2008/?p=180. This email states:
"Dear Mr. Gerofsky,
I learned of just this morning of the table occupied by a student group,
named Muslims for Peace and Justice, who widely displayed Israel Apartheid Week
literature. We regret this incident greatly and never condone hate-mongering in
any form. We have met with a representative of he student group, explained to
them that their banner will not be permitted, and told them in no uncertain
terms that their activities must show respect and tolerance for everyone or we
will take further actions.
I thank you for voicing your concern and agree that this is an ugly incident.
Hateful behaviour has not place in our community."
Further, parts of this email were quoted by the Jewish Tribune in an article
available online at: www.jewishtribune.ca/TribuneV2/content/view/391/37/
Wednesday, February 20: MMPJ met with the McMaster Provost and Andrea
Farquhar, McMaster's Director of Public & Government Relations after MMPJ
requested the meeting earlier in the day. During the meeting, the Provost
confirmed that in fact she wrote the email cited above addressed to Mr.
Gerofsky, but described the email as simply a personal communiqué outside her
capacity as a university official. She reiterated that she did not ban the use
of the term "Israeli Apartheid" and only intervened to prevent a large banner
in the Student Centre that prominently displayed the term "Israeli Apartheid"
by SPHR, though there is no record of SPHR ever requesting such a banner. This
meeting was the first time that MMPJ had heard of any such banner. The next
day, the provost sent the following email to MMPJ affirming her stance and
acknowledging the Gerofsky email on Thursday February 21, 2008:
"As I reinforced at our meeting, McMaster University fully supports freedom
of speech. This is a fundamental principle of the University and it is the
appropriate means of promoting dialogue on difficult subjects. While there is
considerable confusion and misinformation being circulated, we have not
abridged freedom of speech. The single
action the University took was to prevent the posting of a banner of a
different student group in a very public place on the grounds that it would be
unduly inflammatory. We have not restricted any activities associated with
Israeli Apartheid Week; nor have we banned the use of the phrase "Israeli
Apartheid.
I appreciate that you came to me to clarify these issues as there is
considerable confusion on this point owing to the public posting of an email I
sent that included personal views on the issue. I assure you that my personal
views are irrelevant to this matter."
Both MMPJ and SPHR continue to be in contact with these offices but with no
real resolution. It is the view of both organizations that this matter has
become highly speculative and inconclusive due to the lack of both due
processes followed by the related bodies on this matter. Both organizations
are perplexed by the claims of the Provost that the decision to censor the term
"Israeli Apartheid" is the result of a severe breakdown in communication and
that both the MSU and HRES, effectively, had lied to us. In turn, we do not
know what banner she is referring to. MMPJ and SPHR call on all these bodies to
participate in the Public Forum this Friday, February 29 at 10:00am being
organized by the ad-hoc committee, United for Student Rights so that everyone
can be properly informed to make a decision on this issue. Both groups will be
participating and making public statements at the forum.
==========================================================================================
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?"
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