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Dr. Mohamed Elmasry, appearing on national TV, clearly stated that it was in order to kill Israelis over the age of 18. It does not matter if they are civilians, it does not matter if they are doctors, or teachers or students It does not matter who they are — they are all legitimate targets for assassination. In Vancouver, we were reminded by Imam Younus Kathrada that Jews are “descendants of pigs and monkeys.”
In the midst of it all, in Montreal, Dr. Frederick Lowy, president and vice chancellor of Concordia University, writes that the security and safety of speakers can no longer be guaranteed at a Canadian university — that is, if they are pro-Israel.
Several years ago, we sounded the alarm in Montreal when a Student Handbook was disseminated that called for civil disobedience and glorified violence. It was a document that could well have served the interests of those who want to destroy Canadian life.
We said, at that time, that Concordia would become the prototype for militants who want to intimidate administrations and take control of the campus, and life for Jewish students would become more difficult. We were like a soft, gentle voice in the wilderness.
Twenty-four hours before the Concordia riots, we warned that violence was possible and advised the university to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of students and guests. We also said that failure to do so would merely lead the way for other campus groups in Canada to use coercive tactics to silence the Jewish voice.
Indeed, we have seen an increase in intimidation of Jewish students on campus and increased difficulties for Jewish students committed to their faith and ancestral homeland, who are harassed on a daily basis both inside and outside lecture halls throughout this great country of ours.
If Dr. Elmasry feels that all Israelis over 18 can be killed, perhaps he would also buy into the philosophy of some of the Islamic Fundamentalist terrorist groups who say Jews throughout the world who form a support mechanism for the democracy known as Israel, should also be considered acceptable targets. Is that the logical next step for Elmasry?
Would Imam Younus Kathrada in Vancouver ascribe the ancestry of pigs and monkeys to Jewish members of Parliament, to Jewish judges, or to Jewish teachers in classrooms in Canada? What about the people who listen to him preach hatred every week? How do they now feel about Jews?
Now, more than ever, we must see decisive measures taken by governments, both provincial and federal, to the outright challenges to Canadian society posed by these two men. In the same way, it is unconscionable that a school with such a great history as Concordia has to admit publicly that it can no longer guarantee security and safety, but just for one segment of our multicultural society — the Jews.
How far have we dropped in our standards? How weak have we become that we are incapable of standing up to militant factions, which advocate terrorism, and want to silence other students and control the universities’ daily life? How far have we fallen when, on national TV, proclamations like Dr. Elmasry’s can be made and an organization such as the Canadian Islamic Congress, which describes itself as “moderate,” will make feeble attempts to rally around him?
It is no longer sufficient for him to resign. Any board who would support such outlandish remarks and try to cover up his words should be disbanded also.
It is imperative that the federal government scrutinize how Elmasry’s words impact on current efforts to prohibit the promotion of terrorism, an area that our Anti-Terrorism legislation was designed to address.
Oh yes, I do recall that Dr. Elmasry was going to lobby to weaken or abolish the Anti-Terrorism legislation. I also remember Dr. Elmasry publicly pronounced that during the last election campaign he was working diligently for one political party, the Liberal Party, to ensure that the Conservatives would not be elected because of their support for a democratic Israel in the Middle East. It seem he has an even wider agenda.
How will the government now deal with this man, who claims to represent the Muslim community in Canada, but at the same time endorses terrorism? How will the government deal with a cleric who spreads poison in this country? Today we are under the magnifying glass as a society. Let us hope and pray that the government acts decisively, using every means at its disposal to respond appropriately to perpetrators of hate in this country.
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