On Dec. 11 and 12, Shiraz Dossa, a professor of political science at St. Francis Xavier University
in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, attended the “Review of the Holocaust: Global Vision” conference held in
Tehran, Iran. Although Dossa wasn’t a Holocaust denier himself, several of the conference’s attendees included well-known neo-Nazis and past leaders of the Ku Klux Klan. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has called the Holocaust a “myth” and belives Israel should be “wiped off the map” organized the conference. Dossa has written extensively about the use of the Holocaust to justify the
creation of Israel and as a defense for Israeli foreign policy, and when asked to speak at the conference, he accepted.
The president of St. Francis Xavier University publicly expressed disappointment with Dossa’s decision to attend the conference, and although distancing themselves from Dossa’s endeavours, the university is considering various disciplinary measures. Although Dossa should expect considerable criticism from his academic colleagues at St.FX, the university istration should not punish or discipline him for attending the conference. Despite the nature of the conference’s subject matter and its guest
list, Dossa’s academic freedom must be protected.
Professors require academic freedom, especially when recognizing—rather than ignoring—that these conferences and views exist and need to be addressed. By disciplining him, the university would be denying his right to his own research. You have to wonder about the academic value and legitimacy of a conference attended by former KKK leader David Duke. However, while Dossa’s superiors may disagree with Dossa’s decision to attend, they must uphold his right to do so. If attended for the purposes he states, academic gain could come out of this controversial conference. Although his attendance may have been professional suicide, he had every right to go.
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