Jacqueline Perlin
Assistant News Editor
TV and radio personality Michael Coren’s March 8 visit to York University was met with allegations of homophobia and ended with a student being escorted out of the presentation by police.
Coren came to Keele’s Curtis Lecture Hall L to speak about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East. In the engagment, arranged by the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center For Holocaust Studies, Coren specifically promoted an event called the “Talk Peace Stop Hate” campaign, which, according to the event’s Facebook page, is dedicated to the idea that lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians can only be brought about through peaceful means.
However, news of his arrival to Keele campus was immediately met with opposition. Political science student Mandi Moyer said she organized a protest to the event called “Protest Michael Coren at York University!” in response to Coren reportedly making a number of homophobic slurs.
“He is relatively homophobic and bigoted to other groups of people, so that was the initial reason for planning the protest,” she said, adding that since Coren was being given a public platform to speak, she felt it was her duty to publicly oppose his platforms.
During his speech, Coren maintained he was not homophobic, explaining Israel lets homosexuals be free and open, while the Palestinian authority does not allow people to be openly gay.
“I’m a Christian. That would be gruesome,” Coren countered the allegations, adding he took a moral standpoint against same-sex marriages.
Other students, like York student Jesse Zimmerman, attended in support of the Centre of Women and Trans People at York University (CWTP), who released a statement expressing their opposition to the event.
The CWTP statement explained the organization did not support using homosexual rights to “perpetuate violence against Palestinians and to legitimize an apartheid state,” while pointing out they did not support the notion Israel is tolerant while Palestine is “homophobic” and “backwards.”
Zimmerman agreed Israel is not exactly tolerant of homosexuals.
“A lot of people from the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community and elsewhere on campus feel that Israel uses the LGBT struggle as an excuse to say ‘look what a good place Israel is for the queers.’ But if you go to some of the more conservative settlements in the West Bank, I don’t think it’s a very gay-friendly place,” said Zimmerman.
Corrections
The March 16 letter to the editor in response to “Students protest Michael Coren’s York visit” titled “Equal vigour” was incorrectly attributed to Edward Corrigan. In fact, the writer was Kevin Leung.
Students protest Michael Coren’s York visit
About the Author
Did anyone read the paper?
Michael Coren (non-Jew) called Jesse Zimmerman (Jew) a ‘filthy anti-semite’.
Absolutely disgusting.
Michael Coren actually IS Jewish you tit.
“You tit” Wow, really…quite mature of you.
He chose to be Catholic though. He also defended Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitic ranting. So let’s see…Mel Gibson = forgiveable, Nelson Mandela = a filthy anti-Semite.
Would it have been better if he cleared a path by first calling him a hypocrite, then an anti-semite?
Zimmerman is not a Jew. He has recently converted to Islam.
Everything you said is false.
A) Jesse Zimmerman is not a jew.
B) Coren didn’t call Jesse Zimmerman an anti-semite. He said if you beleive the Israelis want war you are an antisemite. Jesse raised his hand. He said I am not asking you to raise your hand if thats what you think. Jesse goes ape shit.
uh guys, I’m an agnostic. I have very mixed European heritage. There is likely Jewish there, and I used to semi-identify as Jewish as I grew up thinking I was part Jewish, but I don’t now as I don’t have proof and haven’t grown up in a Jewish community (although I used to work in a snyagouge, but that’s another story!) Anyway, that’s out of the way.
Michael Coren is an extremist. He once called for Iran to nuked. He defended Mel Gibson’s drunken tirade (so much for his concern about anti-Semitism), and according to him anyone who considers Israel an Apartheid State is a “filthy anti-Semite”. Does this include Nelson Mandela and Ehud Barak? I suppose so, since he said ANYONE. The man called for the dismantling of the Dome of the Rock (one of Islam’s holiest sites) in an event called STOP HATE, TALK PEACE. Can anyone note the irony?
Jesse,
is there anytime tomorrow that you could spare, for a very short interview about the above situation? this would only take about 5 minutes.
please let me know, I will come wherever you may be. I’m at Seneca college in the journalism program and I want to cover this piece for one of my news wraps.
thank you,
Pamela Gavia
my e-mail is: pagavia@senecac.on.ca
The unfortunate reality is that we live in a country (yes, Canada!) that supports the criminal actions of the “State of Israel”. Just today, Harper AND his OPPONENT IGGY said publicly, side by side, that “anyone who questions the State of Israel is dangerous”. How ridiculous–I’m ashamed to be Canadian with these tards running our country and distributing the notion that all Canadians support Israel and that anyone who doesn’t is a “dangerous” person. But supporting the human rights violations of Israel is not dangerous and seems to be the status quo that this country has adopted.
What happened in that lecture hall is indicative of this paradigm shift towards Israeli control of foreign governments. Canada has its own problems to deal with; our leaders should not be taking photo-ops with officials from a foreign government during a week meant to open people’s eyes to what is going on. Democracy, it seems, should be fought by the very government which holds itself to “democratic values”. Shame.
Jesse Zimmerman is somewhat of an idol in this debate and I support his opinion fully. He is not anti-Semitic. I am not anti-Semitic because I question the policies, actions, and human rights violatons and EXISTENCE of the state of isreal. Nay, its not about jews or christians or muslims–its about an oppressive “government” which thinks it can get away with anything it does. “Filthy anti-semites” of the [campus] unite! Don’t be afraid to open your eyes and mouth and let people know you dont support the state of Israel!
The Palestinian Wall of Lies
http://www.youtube.com
A short film by the David Horowitz Freedom Center that uncovers the lies of “Israel Apartheid Week”
the chief rabbinate of israel declared that only children born to jewish mothers can be considered ethnic jews
michael coren is neither a jew by ethnicity nor faith
being a zionist and supporter of israeli policies (racist or not) does not make one a a jew
george bush, glenn beck, sean hannity, john baird, and stephen harper are zionists but not jews
zionism is a political ideology, not a ethnic or religious group
please understand the difference
I find it strange how the argument shifted from being about IAW to about sexuality. Who cares what Zimmerman’s religion is? just get the point of the article. On the other hand, I would like to point out an ironic thing people fail to mention with regards to the sexuality everyone is arguing about- which makes me butt heads with both sides here
a) Israel’s position on homosexuals actually IS critical, it is not always solid and they should not openly suggest Israel is gay friendly. If it was, the first publically gay judge would have been appointed only recently
b) When we look at the Palestinian resistance movement, it does not matter who you are, what you do, what your religion is, what your sexuality is- as long as you are helping out, your liked (props to you). If you support Israeli policy instead, then you are not only a Zionist, you are a denier of equal human rights, where Arabs have become the lesser variable, economically and politically speaking.
to add to the previous point, here is evidence to my claim with regards to the first only gay judge appointment – http://www.nif.org/issue-areas/stories/israel-appoints-first-openly.html
If Israel is indeed a democracy, as it labels itself, organizations like the NIF would not have needed to exist to challenge this ideology- This is from Israel itself, people simply need to learn more these days.
Check this out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhRZjmVys4A
Yorkite (Greg), why are you going out of your way to show me in a bad light? (way to edit the video btw). Are you afraid people might start listening to me and hearing the truth about the apartheid that you support?
Jesse, when will you finally graduate and get off our campus? How many more years will you and your buddies embarrass our university?
Having a man who openly advocates nuclear war and calls anyone who criticizes Israel a “filthy anti-Semite” is an embarassment imo.
This is my last semester at York though. I’m not sure what “buddies” you are referring to. There’ve been rabblers long before me, arguably even more loud-mouthed back in early 2000s.