A Carleton pro-life group’s club status and funding was revoked by the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) Nov. 11.

Khaldoon Bushnaq, CUSA vice-president (internal affairs), said he informed the club, Carleton Lifeline, via email that they will not be given club status because their constitution conflicts with CUSA’s Discrimination on Campus Policy.

“All they told us was that our constitution violates CUSA [policy],” said Ruth Lobo, Carleton Lifeline president. Lobo said the group had applied for re-certification.

According to the CUSA constitution, a club can be re-certified once it submits its updated constitution, among other credentials.

In a response to Bushnaq’s email, Albertos Polizogopoulos, Carleton Lifeline’s lawyer, said the Discrimination on Campus Policy is in violation of CUSA’s own mandate and constitutional documents. He said it is also in violation of Carleton’s Discrimination Policy and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“There are real problems with that policy, above and beyond that they have gone beyond their own procedures in the manner in which they de-certified Carleton Lifeline. I think they have real problems there,” Polizogopoulos said.

Lobo and other members of Carleton Lifeline were arrested on campus Oct. 4 for attempting to set up a display in the Academic Quad comparing abortion to genocide.

“CUSA is a pro-choice organization,” said Sam Heaton, CUSA vice-president (student services) in an interview Oct. 18. “We do not fund through our clubs any pro-life or anti-choice material,” Heaton said.

Carleton biomedical and mechanical engineering student Kingsley Munu tabled a motion at a Nov. 17 CUSA council meeting to review the policy.

“I encouraged [Munu] to bring it up,” Bushnaq said. “This is democracy in action. If they get majority on council, then they can amend the policy.”

Bushnaq said he was simply following the books when CUSA revoked the club’s status based on the policy.

“This is not my personal view on this issue, this is a policy of this organization,” Bushnaq said. “I have to follow this whether I agree with it or not.”

Carleton Lifeline almost lost their club status Dec. 5, 2006, when CUSA council passed a motion to amend the Discrimination on Campus Policy to support women’s right to choose. Despite this, the pro-life group was able to maintain club status in January 2007.

“I don’t know if it is going to be a rehash of what happened four years ago, or if we will have to take it much further,” Polizogopoulos said, adding that club members will do what’s necessary to regain club status.

The university itself is not involved with the issue and has not and will not take a stand due to CUSA’s status as an independent incorporated organization, said Jason MacDonald, director of Carleton’s department of communications. The university has attempted to accommodate the group’s right to “express themselves,” he said.

“Even though we may have disagreed over where and how they may express elements of their position, we do not dispute their right to hold that view or express it,” MacDonald said.

Polizogopoulos said he has not received a response from CUSA, but is ready to appeal if Carleton Lifeline’s re-certification is denied.

The motion, tabled Nov. 17, will be debated at next month’s meeting.