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February 10, 2006
ACTION ALERT: PLEASE CALL/EMAIL
CONCORDIA PRESIDENT TO DEMAND
ANSWERS!!
CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY SABOTAGES ISRAELI APARTHEID WEEK
Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights Concordia has been banned by the
administration, without explanation or consultation, from using the Samuel
Bronfman Building at Concordia University, to host an upcoming event,
Israeli Apartheid Week 2006.
SPHR booked and received a confirmation to hold Apartheid Week at the
Samuel Bronfman building about two weeks ago. All other venues with
similar capacity (100-200 people), were booked, and Solidarity for
Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR - the organizing group) was left with the
Bronfman as the only respectable venue suitable for the speakers we will
be hosting (Mr. Toufic Haddad, Dr. Ismail Zayid and Dr. Uri Davis).
After receiving the confirmation for the bookings, SPHR began publicizing
the event. On Tuesday night, only 6 days before the start of our event,
SPHR received an email from Mr. Jacques Lachance stating that: 'Samuel
Bronfman Building is not a satisfactory and suitable option, providing no
reason or explanation for why the room is not a suitable option.'
'This decision by the Concordia administration to refuse SPHR, an
organization under the umbrella of the Concordia Students' Union (CSU),
the right to use a space that has already been booked and confirmed,
without any consultation or explanation is a clear act of discrimination
and a violation of our freedom of speech and our right to organize' says
Tania Tabar of SPHR. 'This action contradicts the values of democracy and
freedom of expression that should be upheld in a University environment.
SPHR refuses to accept this act of censorship, and discrimination based on
our political beliefs by the administration .We expect that the Concordia
administration treat SPHR as it would any other student organization. It
is yet another example of the silencing of anti-apartheid voices on
Canadian campuses.'
Israeli Apartheid Week was organized for the first time by the Arab
Students' Collective at the University of Toronto making headlines
internationally. This year the event will be held simultaneously across
various campuses in Toronto, Montreal, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Oxford (UK) from February 13th and 18th (see www.endisraeliapartheid.net ).
This event comes at a crucial time, as Palestinian voters in the West Bank
and Gaza have registered a clear rejection of apartheid in the recent
parliamentary elections. The so-called peace process ushered in by the
Oslo agreements of 1993 has only delivered increased settlement and
annexation of Palestinian land by Israel, the confinement of the
Palestinian population in open air prisons similar to the Bantustans of
Apartheid South Africa, as well as a renewed refusal on Israel's part to
accept its responsibility for the plight of Palestinian refugees.
SPHR is demanding that the Concordia administration allow SPHR the right
to hold our event in the building that was originally booked and
confirmed, the Samuel Bronfman Building. If not, Lajeunesse must provide a
legitimate explanation for the cancellation of the Bronfman room, and we
will hold the event at the DeSeve Cinema, an alternative campus venue.
SPHR is asking for your support during this crucial time. We ask those who
oppose racism, who oppose apartheid, and who oppose the silencing of
freedom of expression, to voice your concern to President Claude
Lajeunesse.
Please call or email the President of Concordia, Mr. Claude Lajeunesse,
and demand that these questions be answered.
1. What are the security concerns specific to the Samuel Bronfman building?
2. Why was the decision not made when we originally booked the room, but
so close to the event as to put it in jeopardy?
3. Why has your reasoning for not letting us use the room changed in the
last 48 hours?
4. Due to the insubstantial nature of the administrations objections, is
there any reason to believe that this intervention was not motivated by
external pressures?
5. If the Universities intentions are honest, why was SPHR not consulted?
Telephone: (514) 848-2424 ext 4849
Email: Claude.Lajeunesse@concordia.ca
For more information contact: Tania Tabar(SPHR) (514)-999-1682
tania@resist.ca
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