The war between Israel and Hamas, an Islamist militant group, in the Gaza Strip has increased tension on certain university campuses in Montreal, to the point that some students no longer feel safe there.
“Over the past two weeks, we have both received a record number of communications from students saying they do not feel safe on our campuses,” Angela Campbell and Fabrice Labeau, respectively associate executive vice-principal for equity and academic policies and first associate executive vice-principal for studies and student life at McGill University. “All of these messages come from Muslim or Jewish members of our community, or have been sent to us on their behalf,” continues the document, intended for students and employees of the establishment.
Among the incidents reported, McGill University reports cases of harassment online and in person, “derogatory comments heard in class” and a feeling of “fear of reprisals from people in positions of authority having different political opinions.
Other students deplored a “public glorification of warlike violence” observed since the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7. These left more than 1,400 dead in the Jewish state, which has since bombarded the Gaza Strip daily, where a total of around 5,800 deaths were reported by local authorities as of Tuesday.
Student association criticized
The student association Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR), present on several Montreal university campuses, found itself in turmoil the day after these deadly attacks, after having described them as “heroic against occupation.”
The same day of this publication, relayed by branches of this association based at McGill and Concordia universities, a petition demanding the withdrawal of SPHR from the Student Association of McGill University and disciplinary measures against it was put in place. line. The document has since collected some 2,760 signatures.
Jewish student Claire Frankel, who lost three loved ones to Hamas fire on October 7, was deeply disturbed by this publication, which has since been removed from the Internet. “Throughout this nightmare, SPHR McGill perpetuates narratives that dehumanize, justify, sanitize and glorify our trauma under the guise of Palestinian liberation,” laments in an email to Duty Mme Frankel, who is also vice-president of the Hillel McGill organization for Jewish students on campus.
“The University denounces these odious publications which glorify recent acts of violence and terrorism which have caused the loss of numerous human lives,” said Executive Vice-Principal Christopher Christopher in an email addressed to McGill students and employees. Manfredi, October 10. He thus asked SPHR McGill to remove the name of the university from its description, a request which the student association refused to implement.
“This undemocratic suppression of Palestinian voices is unacceptable,” SPHR McGill responded in a lengthy statement dated October 19. A spokesperson met by The duty last Friday during a pro-Palestine demonstration also assured that he never had the intention of glorifying Hamas violence. “We reject this accusation. We do not celebrate violence or terrorism, we celebrate the prospect of liberation,” said the spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Furthermore, the student association deplores that the university has taken a strong stance in favor of Israel in its recent communications sent to the student community. A situation that was also deplored by McGill students met by The duty Monday.
“What Hamas did was terrorism. But you can’t sympathize with one side without having the whole context. The establishment should not take political sides and alienate Palestinian students,” denounces a Palestinian student who requested anonymity due to the divisive nature of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“I think universities should be neutral ground for everyone and ban one side of the conflict. It’s like saying: “It doesn’t matter what you think,” sighs Muslim student Aariyan Al Mamun.
In an email sent to Duty, McGill University notes for its part that “although freedom of association and free expression are inalienable rights, these freedoms are not absolute, and the words and means we use to exercise them must be chosen carefully. discernment.” She claims to have communicated with her liaison officers who work with Muslim and Jewish students so that they are informed of the “resources made available to them”.
Fear of expressing yourself
A Jewish student at Concordia University, Joshua Schecter, also launched a petition asking the establishment to “ban” the SPHR student association from its campus. It collected more than 1,130 signatures in two weeks.
“I feel like Concordia University should be a place of high education, and the fact that students at this university are taking tuition fees to spread this hatred, I found it appalling and reprehensible and that “something had to be done about that,” the student, who lost a friend in the Hamas attacks, explained on Monday in an interview with THE Duty.
Reached by email, Concordia University did not comment on this petition, SPHR being an “autonomous” group of the university which is associated with the Concordia Student Union. “We sent our community a note on October 11 reminding that violence and hatred have no place at Concordia and asking our entire community to behave with respect in a moment of intense emotion and polarization,” nevertheless wrote the spokesperson, Vannina Maestracci.
With Lise Denis