Controversial Campus Poster
The poster to the left is the one that has been causing all the controversy at Carleton University lately, with the administration reportedly having it removed from campus. Later today we’ll have a report from a student who scheduled a meeting with the Provost over the poster, so look here for the “official” story then. For now, here’s my two cents on this poster.
Latuff’s cartoon of an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) helicopter firing a rocket as an unarmed Gazan civilian child holding a teddy bear is a cartoon-rendering of reality for the life of people in Gaza, especially in light of the recent brutal attack on the area. Many know the numbers: nearly 1400 Palestinians killed, over half civilian, the majority of those women and children. Fourteen Israelis were killed, four by their own misconduct. As well, it is well documented by Israeli, Palestinian and international human rights groups that the levels of force measured between rock-throwing Palestinian civilians and the IDF’s US-funded military machine are anything but equal. Yes, Hamas and other militant groups conduct suicide bombings and rocketing that target Israeli civilians. But the death and destruction of Palestinian land and people far exceeds that of Israel, many including Finkelstein, citing it at a ten-to-one ratio.
So this poster is an accurate representation of the political and conflictual realities of the two sides, with the IDF and military might on one side and the death of unarmed Palestinian civilians on the other. That said, I don’t feel it’s a very sophisticated representation, and its incindiary tone may do more to distract than attract to the activities of Israel Apartheid Week. The use of children to play on knee-jerk emotional response is ubiquitous on both sides of the conflict. However, representations that accurately portray the enormouse inequity of the conflict and that show a Palestinian civilian population imprisoned by walls (as the poster does) are important visual signifiers of the ongoing calculated destruction of the Palestinian culture by the Israeli government.
The poster should stay up, even though it may hurt feelings and cause offense in some in the campus community. It clearly targets the Israeli government and the IDF – the agents of the destruction and illegal occupation of Palestine, not Israeli and/or Jewish people.
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Supporting freedom of expression is good policy – always
Dr. Dawg brings our attention to the incident at Carleton chronicled here. Students in a campus group — Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) — wanted to put up this poster:
I can’t say I find the poster that offensive, but I do think it is stupid. Likely, I wouldn’t agree with the members of SAIA about much of anything, except maybe that people getting killed is generally a bad thing. At the same time, we can all recognize that it’s going to offend some people.
But if I were in charge, I’d still say, “Let them put up the stupid poster.”
That’s not what happened at Carleton. The administration informed SAIA that the “image could be seen to incite others to infringe rights protected in the Ontario human rights code” and prohibited them in no uncertain terms from putting the poster up anywhere on campus.
Yes, indeed. The administration called upon “human rights” to justify the suppression of speech.
The parallels between this incident and the one at the University of Calgary are hard to ignore. In that incident, students protesting abortion were forbidden from displaying signs that compared abortion to genocide. They were later charged with trespassing when they ignored the university’s unjust policy and stood up for their freedoms anyway.
I think it’s tacky to compare abortion to the Holocaust. I also think the whole concept of “Israeli apartheid week” is tacky. But that doesn’t really matter. If you’re pro-choice, you should stand behind the students at the University of Calgary, and if you’re pro-Israel, you should stand behind the members of SAIA at Carleton.
Censorship should be opposed. And universities should be shining examples of the benefits that accrue from the unhampered, free exchange of ideas — even bad ideas.
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Carleton University Administration violates free expression – bans and confiscates posters
On February 8, Students Against Israeli Apartheid at Carleton University put up 100 posters for “Israeli Apartheid Week”, a series of lectures and public events that will occur on campuses in over 40 cities around the world. On February 9, these posters were taken down at the request of Carleton’s Equity Services, under the rationale that the posters “could be seen to incite others to infringe rights protected in the Ontario Human Rights code” and are “insensitive to the norms of civil discourse in a free and democratic society”
The poster was created by noted cartoonist Carlos Latuff and depicts a situation – a child being killed by aerial bombardment – that occurred over 430 times in Israel’s latest attack on Gaza according to United Nations reports. We encourage everyone to view the poster: http://www.apartheidweek.org/sites/apartheidweek.org/files/Israeli%20Apartheid%20Week%202009%20poster.jpg. Since it depicts a situation that has a factual basis and its intention is clearly to invite people to a lecture series, the notion that it is an incitement or a violation to norms of civil discourse is preposterous.
This is part of a wider pattern of repression of academic freedom and rights to free expression, especially on Israel/Palestine, on Canadian campuses, including Carleton University. It is accompanied by double standards. When 56 Carleton professors asked President Roseanne Runte to condemn Israel’s bombardment of the Islamic University of Gaza, the President refused. Neither the direct killing of hundreds of children nor the direct bombing of a campus are enough to elicit condemnation, but her administration has decided that a poster inviting people to discuss the conflict ought to be banned. Instead of being lauded by their university, students affirming the humanity of all peoples and the universality of international law have been threatened by Carleton University’s Provost with expulsion.
The Carleton administration had already taken a biased political stand on the Israel-Palestine conflict, and is now violating free expression to prevent alternative views. Both the current and former Carleton Presidents have taken very clear positions on the Israel-Palestine conflict by condemning the academic boycott of Israel out of hand, offering no alternative to this justice-oriented civil-society initiative. Students and faculty at Carleton have requested that the administration hold a public debate on the issue, to allow the Carleton community to determine the most responsible course of action, yet have been repeatedly rebuffed.
Far from defending human rights, the Carleton administration is treating them with contempt. In a memo to students on February 12, the Provost wrote that “all reported incidents of racial or religious intolerance will be investigated vigorously and addressed regardless of the persons or groups involved.” The administration should begin a vigorous investigation of its own behaviour, including its discrimination against students who seek an open debate on a political issue but are being silenced because they happen to disagree with the president’s stand.
That Carleton’s administration is using human rights grounds to violate free expression on its campus is a double insult. Internationally, the movement against Israeli apartheid has been endorsed by hundreds of universities, unions, religious groups and social justice organizations. This campaign is proudly anti-racist, and founded on the principles of opposition to all forms of racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. It draws its inspiration from the global campaign to end South African apartheid and is led by many of the same individuals who were at the forefront of that earlier struggle. By contrast, the administration that banned the poster could not summon enough concern for human rights or the right to education to speak against the bombing of a Gazan university.
SAIA Carleton demands that the Carleton University administration:
1. Immediately lift the ban on the Israeli Apartheid Week poster and publicly apologize for the banning.
2. Explain, publicly and precisely, how the profound error of banning the poster was made and address how to prevent such violations from occurring in future.
3. Sponsor a full public debate– ensuring generous access to the entire university community– on Carleton’s position on the proposed institutional boycott of Israeli academic institutions.
4. Appoint a university/community Commission to investigate the record of the University in relation to democratic discourse and equity around issues of Palestine solidarity.
This attempt to repress free expression will ultimately fail. The Carleton University administration should understand that debates on campuses on some of the most important human rights questions of our times cannot be silenced by administrative rulings.
We call on student organizations, social justice groups and concerned individuals around the world to support students at Carleton and the broader fight for freedom of expression.
Please take the following actions:
- Immediately email the Carleton University President, Roseanne Runte, at presidents_office@carleton.ca demanding that she immediately restore the Charter rights of Carleton students and send a copy of your message of support to Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA Carleton) at saia.carleton@gmail.com
Desertpeace 
Editor said,
February 20, 2009 at 08:26
Copied below is a link to Dom Martin’s prophetic imagery to the 2008/2009
GAZA GENOCIDE. They have a seemingly prophetic parallel with the images
that emerged from the 2008/2009 Israel war on Gaza.
The drawings are from Dom Martin’s series, ‘Palestine’s Wailing Wall’,
which were created in 2004, and were first printed in his book of poems
titled: “COEXISTENCE: Humanity’s Wailing Wall”, (2006). Some of the
drawings were subsequently reprinted in his current volume of poems:
“GENOCIDE: The New Order of Imperialism”, (2008).
http://www.propheticimagery.com
Human compassion is progressively in solidarity with Palestine’s
incarcerated grief and suffering, as well as with all grief and suffering
brought on by the yoke of imperialism.
Trusting in universal concurrence on this.
Kindly spread the message, for the realization of greater enlightenment
and healing.
The Editor
http://www.PropheticImagery.com
Gaza » Blog Archive » CANADIAN UNIVERSITY BANS ISRAELI APARTHEID WEEK said,
February 20, 2009 at 11:38
[…] Creative-i wrote an interesting post today on CANADIAN UNIVERSITY BANS ISRAELI APARTHEID WEEKHere’s a quick excerptSource. Posted in Activism, Apartheid, Canada, Cartoons, Censorship, Gaza, Israel, Palestine, People’s Art, zionist harassment […]
D. Richards said,
February 20, 2009 at 17:53
I’d like to know where this idea came from that only about half the casualties in Gaza were civilian. The doctors in the Gaza hospitals were pretty unanimous that 99% of the Israeli victims were civilian.
heidilore said,
February 20, 2009 at 19:01
Whatever happened to freedom of speech?
Oh, it died while we were sleeping.
DJ Particle said,
February 20, 2009 at 19:09
Typical…..the admins just don’t get it. By trying to shut down this event, all they have accomplished is making sure EVERYONE knows about it even without the posters.
Ain’t internet grand? 😉
D. Richards said,
February 20, 2009 at 20:18
I sent the President of Carleton an email letting her know what a disgraceful outrage her censorship is. I hope everyone else does the same.
Iain Yuile said,
February 20, 2009 at 20:48
nonono…no censorship in my country….nope, no way!!! No Zionist
influence on acedemia….on politics…in the media…no way, just
doesn’t happen here!!!
northerntruthseeker said,
February 20, 2009 at 21:03
Actually freedom of speech died in Canada back in the early70’s with the passage of our so called “Hate Laws”. Look at what really happened to Ernst Zundel as an example of how “free” Canada really is!
Next, the government in Ottawa will try to suppress the last bastion of freedom left in Canada, the Internet! Federally controlled,and censored by “thought police”, the internet will soon be what they only want you to see. Sites like this one will disappear from Canadian eyes, under the guise and lie of being a “Hate Site”.
Freedom is not free unless people take up the fight for it. Liars and criminals control Canada. Maybe its time for us to take back our country.
D. Richards said,
February 20, 2009 at 21:36
Here is the response I got from the office of Carleton’s president:
Carleton University’s response to SAIA’s accusations:
Fact: The University did NOT ban this event.
Fact: The posters removed did not have the necessary approval for posting.
Fact: The posters removed did not contain information about any specific events planned at Carleton.
Fact: Carleton University’s Equity Services determined that the posters removed could incite infringements of the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Fact: Should other posters be created, they can be submitted for approval and posting.
Fact: The University promotes free speech and debate in a context of respect and dignity.
Moonboy said,
February 21, 2009 at 06:36
The Zionists control our government including our universities, what do you expect from fascists.
spread the truth
the awakenning is growing everyday and the dark lords are losing power.
Spread the peace, truth and love
2012
The Golden Age has already begun
WHATREALLYHAPPENED.COM FEBRUARY 20 2009 | SUDBURY NEWS said,
February 21, 2009 at 07:47
[…] CANADIAN UNIVERSITY BANS ISRAELI APARTHEID WEEK Tags: […]
Ahmad said,
February 21, 2009 at 09:11
It is well established that North America is brutally controlled by zionist gangs. So it is not a surprise that some university decides to take down a cartoon which offends zionist barbarians. To hell with FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION here. The very same dubious authorities and Freedom of EXpression champions will not allow suppression of free speech if the poster was insulting and attacking Muslims and Islam. Because in such case freedom of expression must prevail.
That tells much about western democracy and freedom of expression. Plain Racism.
For Peace said,
February 22, 2009 at 21:34
Free freedom of speech!
Mitchell said,
March 5, 2009 at 04:42
I have read the various postings here and waited to finish before offering my comments. With all the rhetoric and banter in these comments there is not a remnant of logical and objective thought demonstrated. Posters? Walls? Zionist Gangs? When did free speech die? Would you people listen to yourselves? I would like to here anyone speak to the real facts. Can you even open your eyes to form an opinion outside of what the media sells? If you accept the legal validity of the U.N. then you must recognize that the modern state of Israel was redefined May 14, 1948. On that day just hours after it’s birth Israel was attacked by four of it’s Arab neighbours. There was no wall and there were no gunship attacks. What was that about? The definitive answer is that it was about Jews! The very existence of a Jewish state in “thier” midst is an abomination. This fact can not be ignored, it is neither rhetoric or banter or opinion. From the day Israel came to be it has had to defend itself from lethal attacks great and small. Israel’s babies have been murdered for years. Where are your cries for just in that? Long before any buffer zones were created and any occupation across the green lines existed there were inoncent civilian Israeli’s (ARAB ISRAELI’S INCLUDED) being murdered in cold blood. Where are your protests for them? I don’t see any protests against the murder of gays and lesbians in these area (of course Isreal has no such incidents but we don’t hear about that) Why are Jewish students harrassed, threatened and assaulted here in Canada on your campus today? Did they launch the attacks? I don’t see any Muslim students being screamed at and threatened for being terrorists. Enough.
If you truly want to do something to help the situation here then why not establish positive dialogue between the Muslim and Jewish communities here? We are all people. We are all tired of being on the attack and on the defence. We are in Canada where we have peace and no rockets flying around us. We can talk with one another and develop functional relationships with each other. Stop the raving, pointing of fingers, and posturing. Stop the harrassment and intimidation. Say hello to someone on the “other side” and ask them to speak. Check your agendas at the door and engauge in untainted dialogue. This is far more difficult than holding a sign in a crowd and shouting popular slogans. This could be the greatest achievment since Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. Anyone interested in being part of that?
Very respectfully,
Mitchell
Rockford said,
March 8, 2009 at 04:33
There was a satire published later year (on April Fool’s Day) which skewers the hypocrisy of those who say they favour free speech and open discussion but who try to shut down any speech or discussion that is critical of Israel’s actions. It’s called Free Speech and Acceptable Truths and its at http://www.connexions.org/SafeLearning.htm
Akhtarman said,
March 11, 2009 at 15:01
Anti-semitism is the new McCarthyism. Anyone who criticizes Israel or anything Jewish is immediately branded with this cheap label that tries to automatically to destroy the validity of any argument by stating that all critics who disagree with anyone or anything Jewish is a Nazi.
Look at the facts in Gaza, the recent slaughter of civilians, the Jews-only roads, the collective punishment of Palestinians but not fanatical Jew settlers, the laws against intermarraige, the laws against non-Jews buying land, etc. If a white-Christian country did it in South Africa, they were practising Apartheid. When white Jews do it, they are “VICTIMS” of anti-semitism???
Give me a break!!!!! No more Jewish Censorship!
MuzzleWatch » Censorship and Intimidation Canadian style, part 1. said,
April 4, 2009 at 17:46
[…] “The interim Provost and Vice President of Carleton, Feridun Hamdullahpur, circulated a letter to the entire Carleton community in which he threatened indefinite expulsion for anyone contravening the code; although vaguely worded, the letter alludes to “harassment and intolerance which can take the form of inappropriately challenging or questioning a person’s race or beliefs.” One has to wonder how this stock anti-war graphic can be seen as “inappropriate,” unless Carleton is concerned to protect Israel’s image rather than the rights of its students to free exp… […]