An Arab for Israel

By: Hashem Hamdy    Posted: Fri, 05/03/2010 - 1:32pm
Post to Facebook Post to Twitter

It is Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) at Ottawa’s universities right now and at many others around the globe. IAW is organized by those who argue that Israel is an apartheid state — a country with officially separate legal status for inhabitants based on race, religion, or ethnicity. The term itself originated in South Africa, and those in support of IAW frequently make that comparison. It is an event endorsed by many groups in Canada, including the Canadian Arab Federation. In my experience, many Arabs support the event or at least the sentiment behind it, and the keffiyeh, the Arab headscarf, is omnipresent on university campuses as a show of solidarity with their Palestinian brothers. In all fairness, Arabs and non-Arabs alike wear it now, but it has taken on this meaning within the Arab community.

Having Arab heritage (even an Arab name), it wouldn’t be out of place for me to support IAW. Israel and Egypt (my father’s place of birth) were enemies from Israel’s inception through to the 1970s, and hatred of Israel is commonplace in Egypt (much like the rest of the Middle East). However, I must differ with my Arab brethren. I support the state of Israel.

My opinion has raised a few eyebrows at the very least, and definitely a few tempers. On campus I’ve been called a “race traitor,” and various other disgusting racial epithets. Regardless, I see no conflict between my heritage and supporting Israel or a two-state solution.

4.26087
Your rating: None Average: 4.3 (23 votes)
Keywords:

Chat room to courtroom

By: The Charlatan    Posted: Fri, 05/03/2010 - 1:31pm
Post to Facebook Post to Twitter

A United States prosecutor has the opportunity to set a necessary precident and press criminal charges against a former American nurse for assisted suicide in the death of Carleton student Nadia Kajouji.

Minnesota police have identified William Melchert-Dinkel as the man behind the online persona, Cami D — a young, female nurse who encouraged Kajouji to hang herself in front of a webcam shortly before the 18-year-old student’s body was found in the Rideau River in April 2008.

Assisting or counselling suicide has long been outlawed in both Canada and the United States. Under Minnesota’s criminal code, Melchert-Dinkel could face up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $30,000, or both. But this would mean breaking new legal ground since most cases involving the statute so far have involved someone who has provided a suicidal person with something physical, such as a weapon or vehicle.

0
Your rating: None
Keywords:

Advice from a charlatan

By: The Charlatan    Posted: Fri, 05/03/2010 - 1:30pm
Post to Facebook Post to Twitter

There’s never been a good time to enter the newspaper business, but the last decade has been particularly vicious.
So we met the founding of The Levellerlast September first with bemusement, then incredulity.

Yet despite the odds, the tenacious little tabloid has managed to survive. And it is now poised to receive $13,500 in annual funding — that is, if Carleton graduate students approve a referendum question to grant the paper a $1.50 per student levy.

While it’s always encouraging to see a publication take root in a community, The Leveller needs to learn a lesson or two about responsible publishing before becoming accountable to student stakeholders.

5
Your rating: None Average: 5 (2 votes)
Keywords:

SAIA seeks justice

By: The Charlatan    Posted: Fri, 05/03/2010 - 1:27pm
Post to Facebook Post to Twitter

RE: “No heroes or villains in Palestine,” Feb. 25 – March 3, 2010.

Does the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign seek “the ultimate destruction of the state of Israel?” Hardly.

Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) — Carleton’s investment campaign and the broad BDS campaign are grounded in respect for principles of international law and fundamental human rights and do not challenge Israel’s continued existence.

They are also a product of the frustration with the “peace process” that has actually helped to make a viable Palestinian state impossible. The empty dialogue has done nothing to stop the construction of the wall Israel is building, which was declared
illegal under international law. Similarly, it has not ended the construction of
the settlements that — also illegal under international law — are constantly
expanding within Palestinian territory.

0
Your rating: None
Keywords:

No heroes or villains in Palestine

By: Chelsea Sauvé    Posted: Fri, 26/02/2010 - 5:16pm
Post to Facebook Post to Twitter

Boycott. Divestment. Sanctions. These three terms are at the heart of the current campaign led by Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) Carleton. BDS is a campaign that seeks to impose broad boycotts of Israeli products and initiate divestment against Israel, until Israel meets the demands of the movement.

As a believer in a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, two states for two peoples, I strongly disagree with the fundamental values associated with the BDS campaign. Prior to delving into the factors that influence my opinion on the subject, I would like to state clearly that the position I have taken is not compelled by a desire to protect Israel from criticism. Instead my objection to the BDS movement is driven by my belief in the art of dialogue both in the Middle East and on campus, an element which is not tangible in advocating BDS.

SAIA is calling on the Carleton University Board of Governors and Pension Fund Committee to develop a socially responsible investment (SRI) policy which would divest from the following companies: Motorola, BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, L-3 Communications and Tesco. SAIA has suggested that these companies support Israel through investments in the production of weaponry used in warfare and therefore violate human rights and possibly break international law.

5
Your rating: None Average: 5 (7 votes)
Keywords:

Primary Navigation

Secondary Navigation

Standards Compliancy

Contact Us