CENSORSHIP FROM COAST-TO-COAST-TO-COAST
Recently, the University of Ottawa administration has doubled down on censorship in regards to Palestinian activism. Medical Resident Dr. Yipeng Ge spoke out against the genocide that’s taking place in Gaza. A professor took notice, shamed Ge on social media and soon after, Ge was issued a suspension.
And I’m angry. I’m really angry, but not just at the University of Ottawa. I’m angry at my country. Over these past two months, there has been abhorrent and constant censorship all over the place.
Oct. 10 – CTV News directed its journalists to avoid using the word ‘Palestine’ stating that “Palestine… does not currently exist”.
Oct. 21 – York University threatened to terminate its agreement with three student unions for issuing statements of support for a free Palestine. York University justified this threat by declaring that freedom of speech in Canada is “not absolute.”
Oct. 23 – Member of Provincial Parliament for Hamilton Centre, Sarah Jama was kicked from the Ontario NDP caucus and censured for issuing a statement of support for Palestine.
Oc. 26 – Four Palestinian-American artists received a notice from the Royal Ontario Mueseum (ROM), two days before their exhibit is set to open to the public; they are informed to change their exhibit to exclude the word “Palestine”. The artists refuse and after an 18-hour sit-in, the ROM reverses its decision.
Nov. 20 – 38 per cent of McGill’s Student Union voted on a referendum to pass a “policy against genocide in Palestine”. The McGill administration threatened to terminate its agreement with the Student Union if the policy is adopted. The policy passed with 78.7 per cent of the vote and despite the student body emphatically declaring “yes”; the Quebec Superior Court immediately halted the adoption of the policy the very next day.
If I wanted to turn this article into a whole book, I could tell you every single case of censorship that exists. But alas, our editor-in-chief tells me to keep my opinion pieces short and to the point.
As the York University administration declared: freedom of speech is in fact, not an absolute right. In fact, it’s not a right that we have at all. Instead, we have something called ‘freedom of expression’. We, as Canadians, have the right to have opinions.
We’re told that apparently we have the right to express said opinions, but it’s pretty hard to believe that nowadays. Not only are our opinions suppressed but they are ignored.
But more and more, the censorship is being questioned. A petition started to reinstate Dr. Yipeng Ge received over 90,000 signatures.
According to recent polling, 64 per cent of Canadians believe that Canada should be either neutral mediators or not involved at all in the Israel-Hamas war.
100,000 people marched to Parliament Hill last weekend to express solidarity to the Palestinian people.
Canada was one of only seven countries in the United Nations to vote against a motion condemning illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian territory.
We need to continue to use our voices to announce to the world that unlike our government; we will not be complicit in genocide. They will try to censor our voices, we cannot succumb to their empty threats.
Our strongest weapon is our collective voice. They can silence a few voices; but it’s impossible to silence all of us. We must continue to be loud. Turn-out to demonstrations, use your social media platforms, use any and all means you have to send your elected representatives this message: we aren’t going away and we won’t be quiet.
