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Letter to Lowy for Karameh Campaign Salaam All, As most of you already know, a campain called Karameh has been launched in Montreal, Canada to respond to the ongoing attempt to criminalize Palestinian solidarity organizing at Concordia University, other universities and communities, throughout Montreal and around the world. The Karameh campaign is composed of many groups, organizations and individuals from throughout Montreal including organizers from Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights and the No One is Illegal Campaign of Montreal. The Karameh campaign has been inspired by Palestinian solidarity organizing in Montreal and is intimately connected to social justice organizing in general. Also the Karameh campaign to defend Palestinian solidarity organizing, has been inspired by the actions taken on September 9th 2002, at Concordia University where 1500 students and allies rose up in opposition to the presence of Israeli war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu at Concordia University in Montreal. The Karameh campaign is committed to values of solidarity, justice, and dignity while standing in opposition to racism, anti-Semitism, sexism and all forms of oppression. The word Karameh means Dignity in Arabic and is also the name of a town from which the Palestinian resistance launched its first effective attack in the effort to reclaim their land and rights. ======================= ====> KARAMEH CAMPAIGN DEMANDS OF THE CONCORDIA ADMINISTRATION: 1) A withdrawal of all charges and sanctions placed by the Administration against students and community members for their participation in the September 9th demonstration against Israeli war-criminal Benjamin Netanyahu. 2) A full inquiry into systemic racism and discrimination at Concordia University with a particular focus on anti-Arab/anti-Muslim racism and discrimination and its relationship to the wider global context. 3) A formal commitment on the part of the University Administration to the rights of students and community members to access and use university space for community organizing and events free from harassment and intimidation in the form of a police presence on the university campus. ====> BELOW ARE THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF THE KARAMEH CAMPAIGN: 1) We reject the attempts of governing institutions to criminalize
dissent and grassroots political organizing that challenges the status quo,
and are particularly incensed by the cynical and inappropriate use of
September 11th to 2) We reject attacks waged by Western governments on immigrant and
refugee rights. We stand in solidarity with those communities who are
subject to the policy of racial profiling, arbitrary arrest and detention.
The rounding up 3) We reassert our fundamental human rights to freedom of assembly, expression and movement and remain committed to popular education, civil disobedience and direct action as completely legitimate and necessary means to challenging the injustices perpetrated by ruling authorities both here, in Palestine and elsewhere. 4) We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people whose decades-long and valiant struggle for their indigenous rights serves as an inspiring example to others advocating for social justice. Palestinian solidarity organizing in Montreal is intimately connected to social justice organizing in general, and is committed to values of solidarity, justice, and dignity, and stands in opposition to racism, anti-Semitism (in the dual sense of the word, as in against both Arabs and Jews), sexism and all forms of oppression. <<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>> Below you will find the draft letter to rector Lowy with the endorsements that have already been made. Please take this letter or the demands to your organizational meetings for endorsements if you have not already. Any major complaints about the text of the letter will be entertained for the next 48 hours. The delegation has been tentatively scheduled to meet with Lowy on April 16 at 10am. If you know of anyone else that can endorse these demands, please send this letter onto them. We will be sending support materials, in French and English, to explain the campaign in follow-up emails. Thanks, Karameh Organizing Collective April 16, 2003 To: Mr. Frederick Lowy, Rector of Concordia University It has come to our attention that the Administration at Concordia University under your leadership has been targeting and sanctioning Palestinian students and supporters actively engaged in organizing and participating in events on the University campus that raise awareness around ongoing human rights abuses being perpetuated against the Palestinian people. As members of the Montreal community, we find your persecutory stance towards those involved in such activities completely unacceptable. The lives of students and community members are being threatened by draconian measures taken by your Administration. Many students who are not Canadian citizens are facing possible deportation due to your Administration's reactionary and discriminatory actions that amount to a crackdown on freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association for some, but not for others. Having spoken to a number of students and community members who have been tried in hearings that lack due process or who have been arbitrarily sanctioned, we note with dismay that their concerns and appeals for redress have gone unheeded. As a result, concerned individuals and community organizations have come together to mount a campaign called Karameh, "Dignity" in Arabic. We demand of the Concordia Administration the following: 1) A withdrawal of all charges and sanctions placed by the Administration against students and community members for their participation in the September 9th demonstration against Israeli war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu. 2) A full inquiry into systemic racism and discrimination at Concordia University with a particular focus on anti-Arab/anti-Muslim racism and discrimination and its relationship to the wider global context. 3) A formal commitment on the part of the University Administration to the rights of students and community members to access and use university space for community organizing and events free from harassment and intimidation in the form of a police presence on the university campus. We expect that the university will make a formal response to these demands within the week. There is broad support for an inquiry into systemic racism and discrimination as evidenced by the overwhelming vote of support by the General Assembly of the Concordia Student Union on March 5th and the Administration has yet to respond to that call. We are also aware that some students charged for Sep. 9 have already had their requests for appeals and dismissal of charges refused. We refuse to allow the Administration to continue with its criminalization campaign against Palestinians and their allies on campus. There is strong community support for the demands we have listed above and a failure to comply will be met with further community mobilizations, including, but not limited to, various legal actions. Endorsed by, Al-Najah University Students' Union - Palestine |
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