Concordia Student Union fans the flames

September 24, 2001

For Immediate Release

B’nai Brith Canada today lamented that the Concordia Student Union (CSU) continues to fan the flames of hatred, particularly in light of the recent terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. The organization denounced the 2001-2002 student calendar/agenda prepared by the CSU and distributed last week to students, as an “aggressive ‘call-to-arms’, a pro-Palestinian propaganda tool, filled with distortions.”

Entitled "Uprising" the 312 page booklet reprints on page 1 a chant that includes the following: “intifada. out of your houses and into the streets. intifada. hear the calls, the cries, the voices screaming. drums beating. pulse of your heart. body dancing-intifada. take arms for revolution.”

The calendar refers to May 15^th, which is the anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel as "Al-Nakba (The 1948 Palestinian Catastrophe)"

A column entitled "Arabophobia" by CSU Vice President Laith Marouf, who was suspended by the University for anti-Israel graffiti and allegedly making threats to campus security refers to University Rector Fred Lowy as the “Jewish Rector” and talks about “Zionists controlling the North American media.”

There is also a page called "Essentials" with information on defying the police.

Amos Sochaczevski, National Chair of B’nai Brith’s Institute for International Affairs commented, “As the world is coming to terms with the events of the last few weeks, people should reflect on the words they use. Words that incite hostility or hatred should have no place in today’s society, as they are the seeds that provoke irrational acts.”

Professor Stephen Scheinberg, National Chair of B’nai Brith’s League for Human Rights and Chair of Concordia’s History Department who was named in one of the articles took exception to B’nai Brith being portrayed as ‘anti-Arab’. “B’nai Brith was the first to call for tolerance of muslims in the wake of the Gulf war and the recent events.”

Quebec Regional Director Robert Libman encouraged Concordia students to rip the cover off their student agenda, as well as pages 1, 60, 135, 140, 141 and all other offensive pages in the book, in an effort to denounce the intolerance of the CSU.

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For more information:
Amos Sochaczevski 995-2375
Stephen Scheinberg 848-2401

B’nai Brith has been active in Canada since 1875 as the community’s senior human rights organization. In its 125 years of service, it has worked to respond with practical aid to many disaster situations around the world.