Sid RYan, CUPE and Anti-Semitism

[BlueSky]

So how is sid Ryan's call to ban Jewish profs from Ontario universities not a hate crime? Why is Ryan not being called on the carpet by the Human Rights Commission? If this is not promoting hatresd of a group, then I don't know what is?

How would this be different from what was done to different ethinc groups during the word wars?

[Huggy85]

What's the big difference between Ryan's stand and the position taken by Canadians and the rest of the international community on Bush and the American actions in Iraq?

Just that Israel and the Jews weren't involved, as far as I can see. Why should Israel be immune from criticism just because its population is Jewish?

[mags]

Could it be because Ryan is siding with Hamas a terrorist organization?
Wanting to deny academics positions and or access to Canadian Universities if they support Israel is ludicrous.
Ryan has said nothing concerning a prof who denounces the holocaust.

[BlueSky]

The difference is, we allow Muslims who support the terrorists' actions academic freedom. The issue here is, Sid wants to persecute Jews simply because they won't condemn Israel's actions.

Why not suggest a ban on Palestinians in our universities who will not condemn Hamas for their actions?

[Huggy85]

Could it be because Ryan is siding with Hamas a terrorist organization?
Wanting to deny academics positions and or access to Canadian Universities if they support Israel is ludicrous.
Ryan has said nothing concerning a prof who denounces the holocaust.

But it isn't Hamas that is suffering the most from Israel's actions - it is the Palestinian people. When everyone squawked abut the US invasion of Iraq were we siding with those factions that wanted to keep the US out of Iraq?

The world was concerned about what was happening to innocent civilian populations in Iraq, not siding with the Shiites, Al Qaeda and all the other organizations in Iraq. Why should we not feel the same outrage at what is happening to the innocents in Palestine - whether or not it is a country by our definition.

[BlueSky]

I do not think there is anything wrong with being outraged at the suffering of innocents whether they be Jewish or Palestinian. But there is a difference between experiencing outrage and expressing differences with Israeli or Hamas actions, and becoming racists in our actions i.e. discriminating against Jews and Muslims here in Canada. THAT is the issue that concerns me.

[NewCasa]

I do not think there is anything wrong with being outraged at the suffering of innocents whether they be Jewish or Palestinian. But there is a difference between experiencing outrage and expressing differences with Israeli or Hamas actions, and becoming racists in our actions i.e. discriminating against Jews and Muslims here in Canada. THAT is the issue that concerns me.

Hmm...Israel vs. Palestine. Seems to me that, regardless who the original attacker was anyone who willingly takes either side in the conflict in any way is being racist, don't you think? I mean, what's worse - denying a person of a given race a job, shooting them or blowing up their family?

I think this fascination with finding fault in this conflict is silly. How about trying to find solutions instead? The main trouble with conflicts like this is that everyone keeps looking backward, not forward. You can't change the past, only the future.

[BlueSky]

But you all seem to be sidestepping a question. Let me be a bit more direct. Do you support Sid Ryan's call for a ban on all Jewish profs at Ontario universities.

[NewCasa]

Aplogies for seeming to sidestep - guess I had my own point to make in your thread In truth I thought I was pretty direct. Taking sides is wrong, therefore condemning one side and not the other is wrong.

I'll make it simple: In a word, no I do not agree with the man. If I thought it would take people even a single step further toward peace I would be totally behind him, but I think it's a punative move, not a restorative one, so again no.

[BlueSky]

Sometimes, in the profundity (or is it fecundity?) of our words, the answer goes lost.

[Westender 3]

Bluesky,nowhere in the news release does it say Jew or Jewish.It clearly states Israeli professors.Anti-Israeli maybe,anti-Semitic,not so much.

http://www.cupe.on.ca/doc.php?document_id=658&lang=en

[BlueSky]

Good catch. However, there is a LOT of buzz about this on talk radio, and the consensus is that this IS anti-Semitic.

[Westender 3]

I would expect that to be the consensus on right wing radio.But,we know from the climate change threads that consensus means nothing.

[mags]

I don’t agree with Israel’s actions against Palestinians in Gaza. They are deplorable. But Ryan’s call to ban academics is just wrong.

[BlueSky]

I would expect that to be the consensus on right wing radio.But,we know from the climate change threads that consensus means nothing.

Surprisingly, I have heard this from a few left-wingers as well. ANd I heard Michael Coren disagree.. although he is Jewish. but he admitted he was friends with Sid Ryan, and therefore biased.

[BlueSky]

The president of the province's largest union has apologized for comparing the bombings of academic institutions in Gaza to actions perpetrated by the Nazis.
"I made some remarks (about) the actions of the Israeli army and that was a stupid statement for me to make," CUPE Ontario president Sid Ryan said yesterday. "I unequivocally apologize."
He said he was "caught up in the emotion" when he made the comments.



http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/563537