Peace by piece
National Post 
Friday, April 02, 2004 

Re: McMaster Middle East Clubs Make Peace, March 31.

Just when things were looking extremely bleak on the Israeli-Palestinian front, we hear the good news about a pro-Israeli campus club at McMaster University extending "an olive branch to a Palestinian student group that they have been clashing with for months" by a fundraising event that will split the proceeds between Israeli and Palestinian aid groups. While this may be one small step for the McMaster students, one may hope that it will eventually become a giant step for peace in the Middle East.

Maybe peace in our time can come only in pieces -- as the students have said: "Peace by Piece we can create hope."

Mujeeb Rahman, Stratford, P.E.I.
 

****************************

CALL TO ACTION!

March 10, 2004

McMaster University Activists Silenced by McMaster Students' Union 

Mirroring a trend all over campuses in North America, the McMaster Students' Union (MSU) has silenced local Palestine solidarity activists. The McMaster chapter of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, a student-run activist organization that works on a strong platform of human rights for Palestinians, was informed that they were officially being put on probation over the issue of calling Zionism a form of racism. 
Stemming from a picture on the SPHR website of a protester holding a placard stating "Zionism is racism", Cale Zavitz, the MSU Clubs' administrator, has bowed to pressure from Zionist lobby groups and placed SPHR on probation. As a result, all SPHR McMaster pamphlets, meetings, and events must be monitored by an MSU administrator. This is the same punishment that the local Zionist student group received after sending out an email calling Arabs "uncivilized" and "savages". 

Manal Khader, an executive with SPHR McMaster, was dismayed by the decision. "We are being silenced, plain and simple. The MSU has embarked on the wrong path. It is not in their jurisdiction to state what political ideologies can and cannot be argued over on campus." 

SPHR McMaster has already mounted a campaign against the decision-- involving community activists, student groups, and McMaster University professors. 

Ali Cheib, a Hamilton Arab community leader, questions the move. "Zionism is an issue that has affected Arabs deeply. If we are not allowed to question it, then what does that say about free speech?" 

Activists are being asked to email the Clubs' Administrator, Cale Zavitz at clubs@msu.mcmaster.ca or call at (905) 525-9140 (X 24113) to state their concerns about the decision. 

Please forward all of these messages to: 

Peter George, McMaster University President preswww@mcmaster.ca 

Phil Wood, Assistant Vice-President (Student Affairs) woodpe@mcmaster.ca 

Neville Boney, MSU President msupres@msu.mcmaster.ca 

SPHR McMaster mcmaster@sphr.org 

Contact Information: mcmaster@sphr.org or (905) 520-3321 
--
SPHR is a non-profit, student-based organization that advocates on a strong social justice platform to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people in the face of human rights violations and all forms of racism, discrimination, misinformation and misrepresentation.

Your Comments