Friday 29: Get on the Bus to McMaster! Defend Right to Organize!

Friday 29 February: **PUBLIC FORUM AND RALLY AT McMASTER UNIVERSITY **

Defend the Right to Organize on Campus! Two weeks ago, the McMaster Provost office, second in authority to that of the President's office, announced that student clubs were banned from using the term “Israeli Apartheid” (see statement from McMaster students below). On Friday, 29th February, students at McMaster are holding a public forum to protest this unprecedented attack on the right to, academic freedom and the right to organize. They need your support! Free buses will be leaving to McMaster from University of Toronto, Ryerson University and York University to attend this important meeting.

The forum will begin at 10am with a rally immediately afterwards, and buses will return to Toronto around 2pm.

All are welcome (you don’t need to be a university student) and transportation is free. Please RSVP as below.

BUS DETAILS

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UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
Two buses courtesy of CUPE 3903 and OPIRG UofT
Buses Leaving: 8:30am
Place: Hart House, 7 Hart House Circle University of Toronto
See: http://www.harthouse.utoronto.ca/ for directions
RSVP: macbuses@gmail.com
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YORK UNIVERSITY
Bus courtesy of York Federation of Students
Buses Leaving: 8:30am
Place: Meet at Vari Hall
RSVP: vpequity@yfs.ca
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RYERSON UNIVERSITY
Bus courtesy of Ryerson Student Union,
Local 24 Canadian Federation of Students
Buses Leaving: 8:30am sharp
Place: Student Centre, 55 Gould street
RSVP: macbuses@gmail.com
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*** To send a message of support to the students at Mac, email: unitedforstudentrights@gmail.com

*** Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid statement available at www.caiaweb.org

We request that you send letters to the following persons who are responsible for this infringement on the basic democratic rights of McMaster students, faculty and community members:

McMaster University Provost, Dr. Ilene Busch-Vishniac: provost@mcmaster.ca

McMaster University President, Dr. Peter George: preswww@mcmaster.ca

McMaster Student Union President, Ryan Moran: msupres@msu.mcmaster.ca

Human Rights and Equity Services: hres@mcmaster.ca

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STATEMENT BY McMASTER STUDENTS
17 February 2008

United for Student 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". 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