February 18, 2008

United for Student Rights to hold public forum to address banning of "Israeli Apartheid" by McMaster administration


United for Studnt Rights (U4SR) is holding a Public Forum to discuss the
recent shocking decision by McMaster Student Union (MSU) and administration
to unequivocally ban on campus the usage of the phrase "Israeli Apartheid".

Rights & Responsibilities in Political Discussion on Campus:

Who Speaks for McMaster?

Thursday, February 28, 2008 at 12:00pm

This decision was first passed by the McMaster Provost office, which is
second in authority only to that of the President's office. It has been
accepted by McMaster Human Rights & Equity Services (HRES) and, in turn, the
MSU. This information was communicated to Solidarity for Palestinian Human
Rights (SPHR) and McMaster Muslims for Peace & Justice (MMPJ) early in
February 2008 by the MSU and HRES. Due to this decision, these MSU approved
clubs have not been able to get approval for various initiatives related to
Israeli Apartheid. It is the MSU that is directly enforcing this decision,
as it is the only campus body with jurisdiction over student clubs. MSU
President, Ryan Moran, explained that though the MSU is not bound by this
decision, it has chosen to implement it none the less. U4SR is calling on
the MSU to rescind this decision immediately as part of opening up the
discussion for all to decide.

Statement of Human Rights & Equity Services:

"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."

According to the statement of HRES, banning Israeli Apartheid organizing is
a matter of dignity and tolerance. In the view of those who use the term,
opposing Israeli Apartheid is a matter of dignity and tolerance for the
peoples of the Middle East and world over who are fighting for justice and
for human rights. Clearly, there is a contradiction of a political nature
between these two views.

U4SR considers this decision unacceptable especially given that the recent
decision of the Provost is in keeping with consistent efforts by the
McMaster administration, MSU and even Hamilton Police to repress Palestinian
solidarity work over the last six years. At every point, Palestinian
solidarity views have been presented as anti-Semitic and a matter of hate
crimes. The most recent decision by the Provost is a ramping up of
longstanding attempts to criminalize the views of students who oppose
Zionist violations of the human and national rights of Palestinians. Such
efforts overlook the importance of political engagement and discussion on
university campuses, while making political issues a matter of policy and
decisions taken behind closed doors by various offices of the university.
This history provides an important context for understanding that the
banning of terms diverts from the violation of the political and human
rights of students attempting to defend a just peace for Palestine.

These are not simple matters to be decided arbitrarily and in private. They
are related to profound questions of rights and responsibilities on campus
and in society at large. It is unjust to require that the students most
affected should submit to this decision or simply engage in an unequal
private dialogue with the administration.

A Matter for All to Decide

It is important to note that the administration has an obligation to society
to respect the basic legal and moral rights of the university community.
Despite all its efforts to claim that the university can act like a private
corporation, McMaster is a public institution that plays a central role in
the development of youth and intellectual thought. In turn, Human Rights &
Equity Services is mandated to defend and elaborate issues of human rights
on campus, and this function has ramifications for all of society.
Similarly, the MSU plays an important role in supporting and intervening in
society, as the organized front of students. In sum, the functioning of all
these parts of the McMaster University and their recent decision are a
matter that concerns all students, faculty, and the general Hamilton and
Canadian society.

For this reason, U4SR is holding a public forum so that everyone's views can
be heard. We are inviting the administration and MSU to be part of this
discussion and no longer use their positions of power to impose their views
on the conscience of students. We are also calling on all students, faculty,
staff and members of the Hamilton community to join the discussion.
Organisers will ensure that everyone's participation and comments are
respected.

We, as Canadian students, are taking up our responsibility to society. We
are working to end the marginalization of the McMaster community and
Canadian polity at large from the decision-making processes that affect
their lives and the political orientation of our society. This struggle at
one university campus is a converging point for all those who believe that
Canadian society should decide political matters in a public and transparent
way. Join us!

United for Student Rights is an ad-hoc committee of McMaster University and
Hamilton community members that was formed to facilitate public involvement
in this issue. For information please contact:
unitedforstudentrights@gmail.com

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