The Radicalization of College Campuses

"In another world, on university campuses, some Jewish students -- coddled by their administrations -- cite their fear of a protest chant as an indicator that a Second Holocaust is imminent. It's not rational, but understandable."

"They are not feigning: the fear is so real it can conjure the Gestapo in the halls of the Ivy Leagues. Then they are guests on television networks, narrating their harrowing life at the academy."

"You almost laugh but it isn't a joke. It's psychosis."

Mohammed El-Kurd

 

"If Mr. Rosenthal is bent on silencing diverse or dissenting voices, particularly Palestinian voices describing genocidal conditions and western hypocrisy, I'll call that what I believe it is: racist."

"If he's encouraging students to boycott one of the few Canadian Muslim law professors in the country because he doesn't like my opinions or who I retweet, I'll call that what I believe it is: Islamophobia."

Professor Faisal Bhabha, Osgoode Law School

 

"We disguised our political demands  behind religion and multiculturalism, and deliberately labeled any objection to our demands as racism."

"Even worse, we did this to the very generation who had been socialist sympathizers in their youth, people sympathetic to charges of racism, who like Dave Gomer were now in middle-career management posts."

"It is no wonder then that the authorities were unprepared to deal with politicized religion as ideological agitation; they felt racist if they tried to stop us."

"Islamism demanded no less of a root-and-branch overhaul of society. But it was cloaked in religious garb, no one quite knew what to do with it, and people were desperate not to offend."

"There was confusion over whether to define our activism as a cultural identity, an ideology, or a faith. To top it off, Islamism went through a decade of being embraced by both the left and right wings."

"The default liberal position was to embrace the movement as part of multicultural sensitivity: to tell people to stop practicing their faith was imperialism in nineties clothing, a colonial hangover bordering on racism."

"Instead, we were embraced as a new generation of anti-colonial politicized youth."

Maajid Nawaz, Radical: My Journey out of Islamist Extremism

A 'pro-Palestinian' rally Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

According to Howard Levitt, lawyer and journalist, class-action lawsuits are pending against three Canadian universities who for years have nurtured a culture of antisemitism that has resulted in a poisoned environment on campus, one that has become intolerable for Jewish students, a situation that has been exacerbated by the horrific events of October 7 and the aftermath, of condemnations emanating from the left, from unions, and from academia, not of the terrorist group Hamas, but of Israel's response to the terrorist rampage of deadly carnage.

The government-sanctioned woke movement had its origins in universities and professors which have for years been indoctrinating their students into the ideology which began in the United States and moved into Canada, although it was at the University of Toronto that it was taken to another level by the instituting of the BDS movement that then moved onward and upward to the United States. 

According to Mr. Levitt, the reason that the now-famed professor of psychology and author Jordan Peterson left his tenured position as professor-emeritus at University of Toronto was his realization that any student studying their degrees under his tutelage would be penalized by a studied lack of academic prospects. The atmosphere in most colleges and universities now is corrosively left-woke-progressive and Israel appears to be their iconic demon.

Close to three of every four American-Jewish students has had experience of, or witnessed antisemitism in this academic year, according to a study carried out by the Anti-Defamation League jointly with Hillel International. In addition to which more than one in three non-Jewish students reported having witnessed or experienced an incident of antisemitism in the wake of October 7 (some of whom may have been erroneously targeted as Jews; others likely as a result of having indicated no sympathy with antisemitism).

It appears that an Osgoode Law School professor unapologetically in support of the 'Palestinian' cause, which in the current context cannot be separated from approval of Hamas, was seen to have reposted a number of posts seen on the social media platform X with a clear message of anti-Israel, anti-Zionist, antisemitism pathology. This is a professor of law -- Faisal Bhabha -- who obviously teaches students from all walks of life, ethnicities, religions, cultures, and finds it irresistible to single out Jews for personal antipathy.

He would teach legal ethics, a course in civility as an authority of Canada's rule of law. The question occurs how might students of Jewish background cope with their emotions when this professor guides them through the tenets of the legal profession, and then grades their progress? In response to Professor Bhabha's postings, Jonathan Rosenthal, part-time Osgoode professor, Law Society Bencher and Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers took umbrage:

"It is disturbing that as a legal educator you would choose to repost this tweet. Have you no concern for any of  your students? Evidently not" he addressed Professor Bhabha back on X. Professor Rosenthal went on to discourage students from taking any courses Professor Bhabha teaches, leading Bhabha to respond with: "You're a first-class bigot", in a classic response of the pot calling the kettle black. Which led Mr. Levitt to intervene, asking him how he felt Jewish students might react to their fear considered "psychotic" and the characterization as a "pampered, pathologically narcissistic 'community'."

 

A group of York University faculty members, staff and students say they will participate in a walkout of classes Tuesday in protest of suspensions of three employees who were charged for mischief of a Toronto Indigo bookstore. An Indigo bookstore is seen Wednesday, November 4, 2020 in Laval, Que. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

 

This week, York University suspended three members of their staff, one among them a professor, when they were criminally charged with the defacing of a Toronto Indigo bookstore, targeting its Jewish founder, Heather Reisman for her connections with Israel. The three involved had gone out at night geared for mischief, pouring a blood-like substance over posters on the glass frontage of the store, accusing the Indigo CEO of involvement in Israeli 'genocide' of Palestinians.

Another professor at York University, along with a group of professors and students protesting the suspension, issued a statement including "We feel that the administration should be standing up for rights to free expression". Police don't have a habit of charging malefactors with criminal behaviour when they're exercising their rights to 'free expression', a little factoid that may have slipped the attention of these brilliant academics.

All of which leads one to despair over the quality of university graduates that North America is preparing to take their place in society as responsible adults dedicated to uphold the law and the system of justice under a democracy that stresses equality, human rights and freedom from racist discrimination.

"Mr. Bhabha twice asserted that “Zionism is about Jewish supremacy,” which he linked to white supremacy in the United States. The notion that Zionism, which merely calls for Jewish statehood in the Jewish homeland – no different than most other national movements – is a uniquely evil form of “supremacy,” is a false and dangerous allegation."

"Worse yet, Mr. Bhabha also stated that “Accusing Israel of exaggerating the Holocaust could be, for some, a plausible argument.” This is a preposterous canard with no supporting evidence."

"We, the undersigned, demand that Associate Professor Faisal Bhabha no longer teach any “human rights” courses at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School."

"Any version of human rights that does not include a firm rejection of antisemitism is ethically and morally bankrupt. Students at York University and Osgoode Hall Law School deserve better."

B'Nai Brith Canada

York University campus

(photo credit: REUTERS/MARK BLINCH)