Write a letter: Don’t let McGill University Silence Palestine Solidarity

The Palestine Solidarity Policy was approved by the undergraduate student body of McGill University, with 71% of the vote! However, the McGill administration has threatened to terminate an agreement with the undergraduate student union that would withhold its funding after the student union adopted the Palestine Solidarity Policy in its campus referendum.

Read the full Palestine Solidarity Policy:  https://bit.ly/MGillPalestinePolicy

Subsequently, McGill University has threatened to terminate its Memorandum of Agreement with the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU).

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network joined with Roger Waters, Richard Falk, John Dugard, Libby Davies, Yann Martel, Chris Hedges, as well as several hundred other academics, artists, lawyers and activists, and many civil society organizations have signed a letter already. Join with them in sending your letter directly to McGill Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier. See the letter below.

More than 25 universities across Canada have passed BDS oriented resolutions. Over the last few weeks, motions have been passed at five universities including McGillConcordiaUBCSimon Fraser and University of Toronto.

Write your own letter HERE

The Letter

Dear McGill University Principal & Vice Chancellor

We are alarmed to learn that McGill University has threatened to terminate its Memorandum of Agreement with the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) following students voting to adopt a “Palestine Solidarity Policy”. Your threat is both anti-democratic and anti-Palestinian.

Endorsed by 71% of students in a referendum, the Palestine Solidarity Policy calls for SSMU to divest from and boycott “corporations and institutions complicit in settler-colonial apartheid against Palestinians.” The vote essentially commits SSMU to take a stand against Israel’s system of racial discrimination. The Palestine Solidarity Policy aligns with a growing consensus among human rights researchers, from Amnesty International to Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem to Al-Haq, that have concluded Israel is practicing apartheid against Palestinians. It’s also not dissimilar to measures students promoted in the 1980s – opposed by administrators then – targeting apartheid in South Africa.

In opposing students’ democratic choice, the McGill administration claimed the Palestine Solidarity Policy encourages “a culture of ostracization and disrespect due to students’ identity, religious or political beliefs.” But, the policy does not mention ethnicity or nationality. It only targets institutions complicit in oppression.

In effect, your administration is seeking to silence debate on Palestinian dispossession and block McGill students from protesting Israel’s abuses. McGill students should be commended, not condemned, for pushing their Student Society to uphold its mandate to “commit to demonstrating leadership in matters of human rights and social justice.”

By threatening to terminate the agreements by which SSMU receives its fees, the McGill administration has threatened student democracy and is undermining the Palestinians quest for liberation.

We call on you as Principal and the Administration to not take any action against the SSMU for freely expressing their views democratically.

Sincerely,

Write your own letter HERE

Organizations

Africa4Palestine, South Africa

ِAl Harah Theater, Palestine

Al-Haadi Musalla, Toronto

Al-Quds Committee, Toronto

Australians for Palestine

Baladi Center for Culture & Arts, Bethlehem – Palestine

Bathurst Street United Church, Toronto

Boycott from Within (Israeli citizens for BDS)

Boycott Israel Network (UK)

Canada Palestine Association Vancouver

Canadian BDS Coalition

Canadian Foreign Policy Institute

Coalition against Israeli Apartheid, Victoria, BC

Edmonton Small Press Association, Edmonton, AB

Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), USA

Global Peace Alliance Society, BC

Hamilton Coalition To Stop The War

HR4A Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK

Just Peace Advocates/Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste

Justice For All Canada, Toronto

Justice for Palestinians

Knowledge Track Inc.

Let Kashmir Decide

Niagara Movement for Justice in Palestine-Israel (NMJPI)

Oakville Palestinian Rights Association (OPRA)

Palestine Solidarity Alliance, South Africa

Palestine Solidarity Campaign – Cape Town

Palestinian and Jewish Unity, Montreal

Palestinian Youth Movement – Greater Toronto Area

Peace Alliance Winnipeg

PPSWU Palestine

Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies (RCHRS), Palestine

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network

Solidarité populaire Estrie, Sherbrooke

The Australian Friends of Palestine Association

The Muslim Youth Movement of South Africa

Toronto Raging Grannies

UJFP, Paris

Youth Political and social forum YPSF, Palestine

Individuals:

Ahmad Al-Dissi, Professor

Ahmed Abbes, Research Director in Paris

Alan Wolinski , Retired Civil Servant

Alexander Kuilman, Ex- lawyer

Anand Pillay, Academic

Andrew Brook, Retired Academic

Angus Geddes, Agricultural Economist (Retired)

Anne Bryce, Retired Health Service Manager

Anne Gardner Remley, Writer-journalist retired

Anne Henderson, Filmmaker

Annick Suzor-Weiner, Academic

Bill Skidmore, Retired professor

Bill Walton, Retired

Bruce R. Allen, Paralegal

Candice Bodnaruk, Writer and Activist

Carmel Conway, Human Rights Advocates

Carmen Aguirre, Theatre artist and author

Cathy Gulkin, Filmmaker

Charlotte Kates, International coordinator, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network

Cheryl Gaster, Lawyer (Retired), Chartered Mediator, Adjudicator

Chris Hedges, Journalist

Christine McMillan, Retired teacher and tax officer.

Claude Brasseur              , Activist

D Neibert, Hospital Administrator,  Systems Engineer,  R.Ph.T.

Daina Z. Green, Alumna McGill

Daniel Slapcoff  Graduate Student

Dave Bleakney, trade unionist

David Cannon, Chair of Jewish Network for Palestine UK

David Fairn, Teacher

David H. Finke, Retired printer; Quaker minister

David Low, Clergy

David Peters, Human Rights Advocate

David Swanson, Author

Deborah Jackman, Artist

Desmond Sequeira, Multi-Faith Chaplain (Retired), Ex-Jesuit Priest

Diana Chaplin, Palestinian supporter

Diana Neslen, Concerned grandmother

Dorar Abuzaid, Academic Support Staff

Dorothy Field, Artist, writer

Dr. Barry Heselwood, Academic

Dr. Don Crewe, Academic

Dr. S.Sayyid , Academic

Dr. Dwyer Sullivan, High School teacher of Social Justice and World Religions

Dror Warschawski, Academic

Ed Lehman, President, Regina Peace Council

Elena Putley, Artist

Elizabeth-Anne Malischewski, Community activist

Emilio Alvarez, Artist

Enver Domingo, Activist

Eric Mills, Editor

Father Robert Assaly, Former McGill Faculty Lecturer

Frances Baskerville, Artist

Frances Combs, United Church of Canada clergy

Francis Collins, Human Rights Advocate

Frank Roles, MD PhD FRMS, emeritus professor Ghent University

Frank White, retired

Garry Potter, Professor

Genie Silver, Ph.D., Academic

Gerry Hobden, Human Rights Advocate

Glenn D Tarver, Human Rights Advocate

Glenn Michalchuk, Peace and human rights activist

Gordon Doctorow, Ed.D, Retired academic

Hassan Husseini, Labour Negotiator

Helen Marks, Secretary, Liverpool Friends of Palestine

Henry Zaccak, CEO

J.W.Freeman, Mathematics Lecturer, retired

Jake Javanshir, Human Rights Advocate

Jalal Kawash, Academic

James Benham, Lawyer

James Dickins, Human Rights Advocate

James Prothero, Artist

Jan C Steven, Human Rights Advocate

Jane Collier, Academic

Jean Gagne, Supporter, Independent Jewish Voices Montreal Chapter

Jeff Winkelaar, Retired

Jennifer Whitfield, Human Rights Advocate

Jim Mitchell, MDCM 1964

Joe Modeste, Retired teacher

John Coates, Professional Engineer

John Dugard, Former Judge ad hoc Int  Court  of Justice

John Garrett, Academic (retired)

John Grant, Retired Adviser

John Greyson, Film/video artist

John Liss, Lawyer

John M. Darling, Archivist

John Molgaard, Retired academic

John Philpot, Lawyer

John Porter, IT specialist

John Price, Emeritus Professor, University of Victoria

John Steinmeyer, Independent Researcher

Jonathan Rosenhead, Academic

Jooneed Jeeroburkhan, Writer & Human Rights Activist

Judi McCallum, Retired librarian

Judith Cravitz, Exec member, Jews for Justice for Palestinians (UK)

K & S Selfop, Solidarity Activists

Karen Evans, Human Rights Advocates

Karen Platt, Jewish retired college instructor

Karen Rodman, Exec Director, Just Peace Advocates

Kate Chung, Retired, grandmother

Kate Langton, Research manager

Kate Randle Hardy, Academic

Kathleen Von Riesen, RN

Ken Stone, Treasurer, Hamilton Coalition To Stop The War

Kevin Gould, Academic, Dept of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University

Khaled L. Mouammar, Former Member, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Larry Grand, Retired, taxpayer, citizen

Lawrence Sutherland, Activist

Les Levidow, Academic

Lesley McGorrigan, University staff

Libby Davies, Former Member of Parliament

Lilian Patey, Clergy

Louise Seidel, Disabled Theatre Artist

Marilyn Hay, Human Rights Advocate

Marina Barham, Human Rights Advocate

Marion Davis, United Church of Canada clergyperson

Marlena Santoyo, Member, Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom

Martin Fontaine, Agent de pastorale

Maruf Dewan, Human Rights Advocate

Mary Brown, Human Rights Advocate

Mary Lou Jorgensen-Bacher, Government Worker

Maryanne Stone-Jimenez, Lactation Consultant

Maureen, Retired Teacher

Michael  A. Lebowitz, Professor emeritus of economcs, SFU

Michael Wilde, Retired Lecturer

Michal Sapir, Writer and musician

Miguel Figueroa, Human Rights Advocate

Mike Cushman, Academic

Miko Peled, Author/activist for Palestine

Nadege Couamin, Human Rights Advocate

Naheed Gilani, Human Rights Advocate

Nahla Abdo, Professor of Sociology/Carleton University

Nora Lester Murad, Writer, educator

Norma Rantisi, Academic

Odette Dabit, a proud Palestinian

Ofer Neiman, Israeli citizen

Omer Aijazi, Academic

P. I. Gomes, Sociologist

Paul Waley, Academic

Paul Wimpeney, former Assistant Director, Hopwood Hall College, Rochdale, Greater Manchester

Peter Eglin, Professor Emeritus, WLU

Peter Jackson, Acoustic Engineer and Technical Director (Retired)

Peter Purich, Retired

Phyllis Creighton, Retired adjunct faculty, Trinity College, Faculty of Divinity, Toronto

Pouya Valizadeh, Professor

Prof. Haim Bresheeth-Zabner, Author, filmmaker, academic researcher

Prof. Emeritus Bob Brecher, Retired academic

Professor Gregory Philo, (Emeritus) Academic

Professor Megan Povey

Professor Richard Seaford, Academic

Rabab Abdulhadi, Director and Senior Scholar, Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies, San Francisco State University

Rabbi David Mivasair, Parent of two McGill graduates

Rachel Reesor-Taylor, Academic

Rajesh Ravisankar, Human Rights Advocate

Ralph Carl Wushke, Clergy

Rasha Soliman, Academic

Rashmi Luther, Retired professor, School of Social Work, Carleton University

Razan AlSalah, Academic

Reem Kelani, Singer, musician, broadcaster

Regina Birchem, Ph.D.

Renee Nunsn-Rappard, Retired nurse

Reuben Roth, Professor Emeritus, Laurentian University

Rev. Dr. Robin Wardlaw, retired United Church minister

Rev. F. Mark Mealing, Ph.D. retired academic Folklorist, unretired Anglican priest

Rev. Steve Berube, Human Rights Observer Palestine/Israel

Richard Falk, Professor of International Law Emeritus

Rina King, Human Rights Advocates

Robert Boyce, Academic

Robert D. Kent, Emeritus Professor, Computer Science, Academic

Robert Fantina, ِAuthor and journalist

Robert Gowenlock, Retired

Robin Boodle, Concerned Canadian

Roger Waters, Musician/Activist

Ron Benner, Artist, Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Visual Arts, Western University

Roz Isaac, Concerned citizen

Ruth Ballardie, Academic

S.L. Bondarchuk , NPO Administrator, Artist

Sally Campbell, McGill BA 1968  Lawyer/Mediator, Retired

Samuel Halévy, Artist

Sara Traub, Human Rights Advocate

Sasha Lofquist   Human Rights Advocate

Sherry Ann Chapman, Academic

Sheryl Nestel, Independent Scholar

Sid Shniad, Member, Independent Jewish Voices Canada

Stephen Aberle, Performing artist

Stephen Tiller, Human Rights Advocate

Susan Czarnocki , Retired

Susan Stout, Retired

Suzanne Riddell, Human Rights Advocates

Sylvat Aziz, Academic

Tamara Lorincz, Academic

Thomas Brown, Professor Emeritus, Mathematics

Tony Greenstein, Writer and journalist

Trevor Goodger-Hill, Writer and Poet

Victor Woods, Research Human Health

W. T. Beckett, Human rights activist

Wael Hallaq, Avalon Foundation Prof. Columbia Univ.

Wendy Gichuru, Social activist

William – known as David Berryman, University Chaplain, UK

Wolfe Erlichman, Member, Independent Jewish Voices

Yann Martel, Author

Yom Shamash, Teacher

 

Campaign initiated by

Canadian Foreign Policy Institute (CFPI)

Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU)

Just Peace Advocates (JPA)