January 2003
Dear Dr. Lowy and Ms.
Vineberg:
I am writing to you on behalf
of the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship. As you know, SAFS
represents a broad cross-section of professional academics, students and
interested others from across Canada, and elsewhere. Together, we
work to maintain freedom in teaching, research and scholarship, and to
maintain standards of excellence within Canadian universities.
In our earlier statement
on the anti-free speech riot at Concordia (September 12, enclosed), we
condemned the violent actions by hooligans who forced the cancellation
of the speech by former Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.
We also stated, AAlthough it is understandable that the senior leadership
would feel that a cooling-off period might be useful, a prolonged moratorium
will send the message that free speech at Concordia University can be hijacked
by thugs. Such an impression must never be given in a free society.
Thus we were pleased to learn
that Concordia’s Board of Governors voted on Wednesday evening to revoke
the moratorium on discussions of events in the Middle East. We urge
you to name a date, as early as possible, on which the moratorium will
be officially over, thus restoring free speech on campus.
In our view, Concordia has
now had sufficient time to make the appropriate arrangements to ensure
both campus safety and reasoned debate on issues concerning the Middle
East. As you know, free speech is the life-blood of universities.
Without free speech, the work of both students and faculty at Concordia
will suffer. We support you in your efforts to make Concordia University
a place where speakers representing numerous points of view, and background,
will be able to speak openly and safely.
As a final note, I would
like you to know that one of our Board of Directors, Professor Harvey Shulman,
is also a member of the faculty at Concordia. Accordingly, he did
not play any role in the writing of this letter. November 2,
2002.
SAFS Letter to Sabine Friesenger,
President of Concordia Student Union
Dear Ms. Friesenger:
We are a national organization
of scholars whose goals are to promote academic freedom in teaching, research,
and scholarship and to uphold the merit principle as the basis of academic
decision-making regarding students and faculty.
Based on our reading of media
reports, we write to denounce the actions of the Concordia Students Union
(CSU) in banning Hillel from normal participation as a club at the University.
As a recognized club, Hillel deserves to be treated fairly, that is,
according to the same rules that are applied to all clubs.
It is our understanding that
the decision to ban Hillel, thus freezing its operating budget and its
ability to use university space, was taken at a hastily called meeting,
attended by only 9 of 27 councillors, who voted at midnight. Further,
it is unclear that the action Hillel was charged with committing (distributing
brochures providing information about volunteering for the Israeli Defence
Forces) is actually an offence or was approved by Hillel itself.
Hillel was also not given a chance to explain itself, and there was no
attempt by the CSU to investigate the matter before the meeting to ban
Hillel was called.
In the context of recent
events at Concordia that include a riot by pro-Palestinian supporters that
led to the cancellation of a scheduled speech by former Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, and the invitation to and appearance by Svend Robinson,
Judy Rebeck and others to speak at Concordia in violation of the administration’s
moratorium on issues dealing with the Middle East, your actions may be
interpreted by many as a deliberate provocation, which will only further
diminish the public’s opinion of the CSU.
The Academy is a precious
entity, the only institution in society whose reason for existence is to
search for truth and communicate what is known about the human condition
and the world in which we live. To subvert the principles of
the Academy — reasoned debate, freedom to associate, and civility
for the CSU’s, or anyone’s, narrow political purpose would be repugnant.
We call on the Concordia
Students Union to revoke immediately its ban on Hillel. December 9, 2002.
Clive Seligman, SAFS President
Help us maintain freedom in teaching, research and scholarship by joining SAFS or making a donation.
