Jewish students at Concordia University in Montreal held a protest Chanukah-candle lighting ceremony this past Thursday, claiming, "We will not be silenced!" The act came in partial response to a decision a few days before by the Concordia Student Union (CSU) cutting off funding to the Hillel organization and restricting it from distributing literature or holding activities on campus.
The CSU had voted that Hillel was in violation of Canadian law in distributing literature for the IDF's Machal volunteer unit. The Council stated that this contravenes Canada's Foreign Enlistment Act, because armed forces from other countries are not allowed to recruit in Canada. Hillel members, however, say that this is simply a mistake in reading comprehension, as the law applies only to recruitment for armies currently at war with Canada or with a Canadian ally, thus that Hillel had violated no law.
"The CSU is not going after us over one issue," Hillel co-president Noah Joseph told CBC News. "They've been trying to get us for a while, and they've found something with which they can pounce on us." CSU spokesman Ralph Lee denies this, saying, "Unfortunately they're handing out an illegal pamphlet. We brought it to their attention, they refused to do anything about it, and we were forced to take action."
Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson notes, however, that this statement contradicts statements made by the CSU Chairperson during the session at which the ban was voted on. Chairperson Omar Badawi, who was the lone vote against the ban on Hillel's right to free expression, said that Hillel had not been forewarned. This bothered the other eight CSU members less than the fact that they might be blamed themselves: "If we don't do anything about this, how do we know we won't be held responsible?" asked President Sabine Friesinger. Click here for an on-line petition against the CSU decision.
Concordia was also the site of violence when former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu arrived this past Sep. 9 to deliver an address. The pro-Arabs' violence was sufficiently disruptive that the speech was called off. The university then called a moratorium on all events concerned with the Middle East conflict, but Hillel charged that Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, the chief organizer of the Sep. 9 "demonstration," was not abiding by the moratorium. "Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights has on numerous occasions been allowed by the administration to violate the [ban on Middle East conflict-related activities] with impunity," Hillel leaders wrote to University Rector Frederick Lowy.
The CSU had voted that Hillel was in violation of Canadian law in distributing literature for the IDF's Machal volunteer unit. The Council stated that this contravenes Canada's Foreign Enlistment Act, because armed forces from other countries are not allowed to recruit in Canada. Hillel members, however, say that this is simply a mistake in reading comprehension, as the law applies only to recruitment for armies currently at war with Canada or with a Canadian ally, thus that Hillel had violated no law.
"The CSU is not going after us over one issue," Hillel co-president Noah Joseph told CBC News. "They've been trying to get us for a while, and they've found something with which they can pounce on us." CSU spokesman Ralph Lee denies this, saying, "Unfortunately they're handing out an illegal pamphlet. We brought it to their attention, they refused to do anything about it, and we were forced to take action."
Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson notes, however, that this statement contradicts statements made by the CSU Chairperson during the session at which the ban was voted on. Chairperson Omar Badawi, who was the lone vote against the ban on Hillel's right to free expression, said that Hillel had not been forewarned. This bothered the other eight CSU members less than the fact that they might be blamed themselves: "If we don't do anything about this, how do we know we won't be held responsible?" asked President Sabine Friesinger. Click here for an on-line petition against the CSU decision.
Concordia was also the site of violence when former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu arrived this past Sep. 9 to deliver an address. The pro-Arabs' violence was sufficiently disruptive that the speech was called off. The university then called a moratorium on all events concerned with the Middle East conflict, but Hillel charged that Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, the chief organizer of the Sep. 9 "demonstration," was not abiding by the moratorium. "Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights has on numerous occasions been allowed by the administration to violate the [ban on Middle East conflict-related activities] with impunity," Hillel leaders wrote to University Rector Frederick Lowy.