Anthropology is a discipline with a deeply colonial history that we as students must recognize and address. Our solidarity with the Palestinian people echoes our solidarity with the Kahnistensera in their mission for truth. The ASA stands firmly against colonial violence and oppression, whether it be in the unceded land of Canada or Palestine.
We have witnessed a horrifying genocide in Gaza over this past month. We mourn the deaths of all the innocent civilians in Gaza and Israel. All of these deaths represent real people whose lives have value and cannot be ignored. As citizens of the McGill community and the world, we recognize the impact of these events on our community. We condemn the siege on Gaza and support the Palestinian liberation struggle.
It is of the utmost importance to recognize the rise of xenophobia in our community, especially towards Arab and Jewish people. Furthermore, Palestinians and their allies face regular harassment on campus, and this is unacceptable. We do not tolerate Antisemitism, Islamaphobia or any other forms of hate. We wish and advocate for a campus environment where every student feels safe and respected.
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Finally, we urge you to vote YES to the SSMU's Policy Against Genocide in Palestine and to approach this topic with thoughtfulness and care. We further encourage you to remain educated on the subject and seek out credible sources. To remain silent is to be complicit, and we refuse to do so. As students, we have the power to create significant positive change when we act as a unified group against hate and oppression.
Update: Following the Fall Referendum, 78.7 percent of non-abstaining students voted "Yes" in favour of SSMU's Policy Against Genocide. Since then, the Quebec Superior Court ordered the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) to postpone the ratification of the Policy Against Genocide in Palestine until a final verdict is reached at a court hearing in March 2024.
To learn more about the situation, here are some recent articles:
- SSMU Policy Against Genocide in Palestine suspended due to B’nai Brith court case (November 28, 2023)
- Students vote in favour of Policy Against Genocide in Palestine, reject SSMU Base Fee increase​ (November 21, 2023)
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