On October 8, 2013 the University of Calgary's Palestinian campus club brought in the virulent anti-Semetic speaker Miko Peled to present to about 200 students and non-students. This talk was hosted in part by the charitable organization "CJPME" which doubles as an Israel-defamation group. At his talk, Miko Peled repeatedly stated that supporters of Israel are "racist" and IDF soldiers are "terrorists". He also stated that:
The club that brought Peled to speak also runs the aggressive Israel Apartheid Week campaign and won "Student Advocacy Club of the Year" in 2013.
Approximately 2 months ago, a former member of the Palestinian club stated to a supporter of Israel "it's too bad the Nazis didn't finish off your family". We contend that this rhetoric is a direct symptom of the kind of rhetoric and activity that has a home on University of Calgary campus.
We have asked the university repeatedly to protect supporters of Israel on campus from all speech that exposes this class of persons to hate. This speech is harassment and it is defamatory. This speech creates a scary environment on campus.
We are requesting the University of Calgary protect supporters of Israel on campus from rhetoric and action on campus that expose us to hatred, and we are asking to be provided with a safe environment that is conducive to our academic success.
The only repeated response we have received is that "we value...free and open debate" and "should you believe the speaker espoused hate speech, [we] encourage you to contact Calgary Police to share your concerns".
"Free and open debate" is a misrepresentation of what is happening on campus. The response is belittling, dismissive and unbecoming of the institution we hold so high. The response is also not aligned with the "Eyes High" strategy implemented recently that speaks a great deal about "integrity".
We are exploring legal recourse. To be continued...
- Israel puts fecal matter into the drinking water of Palestinians
- The IDF's purpose is to kill off Arabs in Israel; their goal is to kill civilians systematically; they are a terrorist organization
- Israel runs a campaign of ethnic cleansing and is an apartheid regime
- "If you wrap yourself in an Israeli flag you are supporting a racist regime that shoots to kill innocent civilians and denies children water rights, even though they live in the desert"
- Jews manage to raise $14 million in one evening of fundraising for Israel; they have a lot of money to fight with
The club that brought Peled to speak also runs the aggressive Israel Apartheid Week campaign and won "Student Advocacy Club of the Year" in 2013.
Approximately 2 months ago, a former member of the Palestinian club stated to a supporter of Israel "it's too bad the Nazis didn't finish off your family". We contend that this rhetoric is a direct symptom of the kind of rhetoric and activity that has a home on University of Calgary campus.
We have asked the university repeatedly to protect supporters of Israel on campus from all speech that exposes this class of persons to hate. This speech is harassment and it is defamatory. This speech creates a scary environment on campus.
We are requesting the University of Calgary protect supporters of Israel on campus from rhetoric and action on campus that expose us to hatred, and we are asking to be provided with a safe environment that is conducive to our academic success.
The only repeated response we have received is that "we value...free and open debate" and "should you believe the speaker espoused hate speech, [we] encourage you to contact Calgary Police to share your concerns".
"Free and open debate" is a misrepresentation of what is happening on campus. The response is belittling, dismissive and unbecoming of the institution we hold so high. The response is also not aligned with the "Eyes High" strategy implemented recently that speaks a great deal about "integrity".
We are exploring legal recourse. To be continued...