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<DIV><STRONG>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <BR> <BR>Markham City Council bans
criticism of Apartheid regimes <BR> <BR>May 4, 2011 <BR></STRONG>
<BR>Yesterday, a majority of Councillors from Markham City Council adopted a
motion to censor “Israeli Apartheid Week” that is organized each year in March
by students on Canadian universities. <BR> <BR>Israeli Apartheid Week
(IAW) is a week of lectures and film screenings that takes place peacefully on
campuses each year and hosts prominent academics and community leaders to very
high-level political and academic discussions. <BR> <BR>IAW condemns all
forms of racism and discrimination. It explicitly condemns anti-Semitism,
Islamophobia, anti-Arab racism, and homophobia. Many Jewish students are
involved in organizing IAW. <BR> <BR>This year, for the seventh year, IAW
was held in 95 cities and more than 75 universities on six continents, including
3 cities in Israel and 4 cities in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. <BR>
<BR>Ironically, the motion passed by Markham City Council aims to deny Canadian
students and academics the rights of freedom of expression and academic freedom,
rights that are enjoyed by Israeli students and academics. In addition it
interferes in University affairs. <BR> <BR>The motion creates the absurd
situation where Canadian students and academics are allowed to freely criticize
their own government but are banned from criticizing a foreign government.
<BR> <BR>The motion put forward by Councillor Shore is one of those
several attempts currently being undertaken to censor and suppress public debate
on this subject in order to shield Israel’s actions from scrutiny and criticism.
<BR> <BR>Such actions are an attack on free speech the likes of which we
have not seen since the 1950s McCarthy witch hunts. <BR> <BR>By its
decision, Markham City Council ignored the comprehensive study undertaken by
Toronto City staff that determined the use of the phrase “Israeli Apartheid”
does not promote hatred or discrimination, and does not violate the Criminal
Code or the Ontario Human Rights Code. <BR> <BR>Markham City Council also
ignored the compelling evidence introduced from the Human Sciences Research
Council of South Africa, the Conference of Southern African Christian Churches,
the Association of Civil Rights of Israel and the Legal Centre for Arab Minority
Rights in Israel, that irrefutably proves Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel
are systematically discriminated against and that the situation in the occupied
West Bank and Gaza is reminiscent of apartheid in South Africa. <BR>
<BR>The spectrum of diversity was well-represented by those who spoke against
the motion and in support of free speech and Palestinian rights. Those
presenters included Jews, Christians and Muslims of all ages and gender, and
from various ethnic and racial backgrounds. <BR> <BR>Understandably,
Councillor Shore’s motion placed the other Councillors in a corner. Markham City
Council had unfortunately decided recently to send a trade mission to Israel.
The rejection of Councillor Shore’s motion would have implied that they condone
the labelling of Israel as an Apartheid state and would have placed them in the
awkward position of doing business with an apartheid regime. <BR>
<BR>Regrettably, this politically expedient decision runs counter to the Town of
Markham’s stated mission to recognize and accept the diversity of its residents,
to respect the differences in all peoples and their right to hold different
opinions, to promote the value of human rights, and to oppose racism and
discrimination. <BR> <BR> <BR><STRONG>For information,
please contact: <BR>Khaled Mouammar <BR>CAF National President <BR>416-879-6766
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