While Queen’s was involved with Eracism Week, things of an entirely different nature were occurring at the University of Toronto.
First, there was the postering. Across U of T’s campus, flyers appeared characterizing Muslim students as “evil” and suffering from “mental lethargy.” According to the U of T Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) website, the overall impression left of Muslims was that they are a murderous bunch incapable of reasoned dialogue.
The Toronto Star reported that the MSA approached the university istration for in removing the posters only to be told the university would not intervene. David Farrar, U of T’s vice-provost (students), told the Star they cannot denounce the flyers because the University is “not in the business of censorship.”
On March 7, a fourth-year U of T Muslim student (who requested she not be named) was physically harassed in a Hart House washroom. One of U of T’s campus newspapers, the Varsity reported that the female assailant also yelled at the victim and the victim’s friend to “go back to [their] fucking country and bomb it.” A t investigation was accordingly begun by U of T police, the Office of Community Safety, and the Office of Anti-Racism. Toronto Police have since become involved in the investigation as well.
The next morning, a group of Muslim women participating in activities for International Women’s Day were pelted with eggs while they attempted to inform other U of T students about the attack. Among the victims was U of T’s Students’ istrative Council VP Equity Shaila Kibria.
On March 19, a young Muslim man was taken to hospital after being hit by a car on campus. After the male suspect allegedly uttered racial slurs at four Muslim men, calling them “fucking niggers,” the suspect then allegedly attempted to run down the group as they crossed the street. One man was hit and taken to hospital and later released.
U of T’s istration made the decision not to label this a hate crime. According to the Varsity, Farrar called it merely “a road rage kind of incident.” Some U of T students felt otherwise.
On March 21, the International Day for the Elimination of Racism, students held a rally protesting the istration’s apathy. The Varsity reported that about 150 students attended the peaceful rally.
What makes U of T’s inaction inexplicable is its previously excellent record in dealing with hate crimes on campus. In November 2005, U of T reacted very strongly to combat anti-Semitic literature that had appeared on campus. Farrar told the Varsity that “the University of Toronto condemns hatred in all its guises.” The istration notified the U of T Police Service and Toronto police and promised to cooperate fully, assuring its students that “there is available to them in coping with the naked hatred these brochures display.” The University did everything in its power to deal with the racism that had reared its ugly head. This put the fears of many other minority students at ease, assuming the University would protect all groups from racism. However, that sense of security has been severely damaged with the recent string of Islamophobic incidents on campus.
Commenting on recent events, Farrar told the Toronto Star: “My sense is that some of the Muslim students are feeling hurt in a number of these incidents, but here at the university, it’s not a climate that’s anti-Islamic.”
These are despicably weak words from a man who only months ago seemed perfectly aware of the impact of racism on a university campus.
That U of T so often prides itself on being a diverse university is disgraceful in light of the hatred being flaunted on its campus. A university that prides itself on the makeup of its student body, but does nothing to ensure that each and every student in its community feels safe on its campus, deserves to be severely censured. This is the kind of hypocrisy that we should be capable of recognizing and criticizing.
Recently, at a discussion entitled “Unmasking the ‘Other’ at Queen’s: Experiences of Institutional Racism,” our own Principal Hitchcock gave the impression that Queen’s is currently taking the lack of diversity on this campus very seriously.
When asked about the University’s plans to improve its reputation among local high school students of colour, Hitchcock informed the audience that the istration has already begun to look into new policies that will increase enrollment from nearby metropolitan centres.
This is a commendable gesture on the istration’s part, but it’s important to realize that increasing the amount of diversity on campus will not ensure that Queen’s is, in fact, a welcoming university. Increasing diversity on campus and respecting diversity on campus are two entirely separate issues. The recent incidents at U of T prove this.
Anti-racist initiatives cannot and must not be limited to letterhead pieties and seminar rhetoric. The political plotting of a few higher-ups in backrooms means little to university students when policies do not translate into things concrete, things like the right to a safe learning environment, without (as UN Resolution 2142 insists) “distinction on grounds of race, colour, or ethnic origin.”
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