[tadamon-l] Montreal: Censorship at Cégep Bois de Boulogne

[Tadamon!]

* Censorship at Cégep Bois de Boulogne
Administration cancels workshop critical of Canadian support for Israel...

http://tadamon.resist.ca/index.php/post/1358

call for solidarity: Montreal, 21 April 2008

ASSÉ, CALEB and Tadamon! denounce the decision of a Montreal college to cancel 
a presentation critical of Canadian support for Israel. The workshop, scheduled 
to have taken place today, was canceled after the administration of Collège 
Bois-de-Boulogne came under pressure from supporters of Israel. This attack on 
basic freedom of expression is all the more disturbing because it occurs on a 
campus.

The presentation, hosted at Bois-de-Boulogne by the Comité d'action pour la 
lutte étudiante boulonnaise (CALEB), was one of a series of workshops taking 
place in Montreal-area CEGEPS throughout April under the title, "Middle East 
Popular Education Project". The workshop series was organised jointly by the 
Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (ASSÉ) and Tadamon! 
Montreal. It is designed to develop knowledge and strategic thinking in 
Quebec.s student sector about the role that Canada is playing in the Middle 
East.

The censorship appears to be the result of a campaign led by a small number of 
pro-Israeli students at Bois-de-Boulogne, who said they objected to the fact 
that the workshop was being held on the Jewish holiday of Passover. This group 
also stated that they had been in touch with the Israeli consulate about the 
workshop. Apparently on their urging, the school administration also contacted 
the Israeli consulate, the Lebanese consulate and Foreign Affairs Canada about 
the workshop.

The decision to cancel was made despite opinion voiced by other students at 
Bois-de-Boulogne, who believed that space should be given to discuss a valuable 
perspective on Canadian foreign policy and the situation in Palestine.

A last minute intervention by the new Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians 
and other individuals was similarly disregarded. Their letter to the 
administration stated, "We write to urge you not to cancel a joint conference 
by Assé and Tadamon! April 21 on Israel and Palestine. Behind this censorship 
attempt appears to be a false belief that critics of Israel are anti-Semitic, 
or anti-Jewish to be precise. The Jewish people in Quebec and Canada are 
divided on the issues of Israel and Palestine. There are many Jewish people 
like us who support open discussion and activities for Palestinian human 
rights, and oppose the Israeli occupation and suppression of the Palestinian 
people."

Full letter at: http://tadamon.resist.ca/index.php/post/1360

The decision by Bois-de-Boulogne administration to censor valid criticism of 
the Canadian government and of Israel is part of a discernible and disturbing 
trend on campuses across Canada. In an important step in building solidarity 
with efforts to confront Israeli apartheid this workshop series is additionally 
being supported by Fédération nationale des enseignants et enseignantes du 
Québec (FNEEQ-CSN).

On being told that they could not hold the workshop inside the school, CALEB 
moved outside and a discussion took place just in front of the school at noon 
today. Sitting on the grass, about seventy students discussed the role of the 
student movement in international solidarity, the historical connection between 
Canada and Israel as settler-colonial states, and the reality of the 
apartheid-like system imposed on Palestinians by Israel, as well as strategies 
to effectively challenge war and racism.

ASSÉ, CALEB and Tadamon! call on all allies to:

Send letters to the Bois-de-Boulogne adminstration protesting their decision to 
censor perspectives critical of Canadian foreign policy and of Israel:

* M. Maurice Senneville, Directeur des Études et des Services aux étudiants et 
au Service des communications du Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne

Téléphone : + 1 514 332 3000 x. 7401
Courriel : maurice.senneville[at]bdeb.qc.ca

Service des communications:
Téléphone: + 1 514 332 3000 x. 6010
Courriel: communications at bdeb.qc.ca
Fax: + 1 514 332 5857

* Copy to the Association étudiante (AGEBdeB) at age[at]age.bdeb.qc.ca.

Forward a copy of your letter to tadamon[at]resist.ca if you would like to make 
your letters public.

Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (ASSÉ)
Comité d'action pour la lutte étudiante boulonnaise (CALEB)
Tadamon! Montreal

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