“After this has happened, my point of view has changed” – Mojtaba
Yuni Kim
News Editor
@YuniKimchi
- Seneca student Mojtaba came to Canada in 2009 as a refugee from Iran; he has been suspended from Seneca pending an investigation
A Seneca student who was involved in an altercation during the fall semester is healing from his physical wounds, but is still struggling to find answers from Seneca College following shoddy treatment from the college’s administration.
Twenty-nine-year-old Mojtaba (full name omitted by request of the victim), tells Excalibur he came from Iran to Canada as a refugee in 2009 and has since been given permanent residency.
“I was passionate about school and courses in a new place and new country,” he says. “It was the best and going well […] after this happened, all my point of view has changed. I can’t consider here any safer than back home.”
Mojtaba says he was taking a Friday morning class November 25, and went to an editing suite to do some work afterwards. He went with a friend, who left for a moment to book a room to work. The alleged assailant, Daniel DaSilva, came from another suite with his girlfriend. Mojtaba says he and DaSilva study the same major and even had two classes together.
“While he was packing up with his girlfriend, I was minding my own business,” says Mojtaba. “He said to me, ‘What are you looking at?’ I said, ‘Nothing.’” He punched a phone booth, and left.”
The situation could have ended there, but when Mojtaba went to look for his friend who had gone to book a suite, he says he ran into DaSilva and his girlfriend again in a hallway near the audio and video room.
“[DaSilva] was being rude and muttering something under his breath, so I said: ‘What are you talking to me about?’”
Mojtaba says DaSilva retorted with, “Shut up, this isn’t your country […] go back to your fucking country.”
“I went up to him and asked him to repeat himself,” he recalls. “He reached into his pocket for something. Then he pulled my hat over my face and punched me.”
Mojtaba says even DaSilva’s girlfriend participated, restraining him to allow DaSilva to take shots at him. There were 20 or so students nearby, but no one did anything.
“I was called a ‘bitch,’ [and] a ‘faggot.’”
He says this was when DaSilva advanced toward him and slashed at his throat. He was escorted to a hospital via ambulance, where he took a photo of his injury.
Shortly after, Mojtaba went to the program director, who he says told him that DaSilva wouldn’t be around him anymore.
“But on Monday, he was still there. […] That’s when I went to the media,” he says. “The school said they can’t help, but will provide security escorts.”
Not comfortable with the idea of being escorted from class to class by security, he declined the offer. A few days later, DaSilva was suspended from Seneca—pending investigation.
[DaSilva’s] girlfriend then filed a sexual harassment case against Mojtaba, complaining that he was commenting on her body and called her a “bitch.” Mojtaba denied both accusations, but was suspended December 6—also pending investigation—and was banned from coming to Seneca campus.
Excalibur contacted Jenni Prodanovic of the Resolution, Equity, and Diversity Centre of Seneca, who declined to comment on any aspect of the event.
“I can’t even disclose whether the person is or isn’t a student at Seneca,” she says. “This is an internal investigation in Seneca, and an external investigation with the police.”
Mojtaba, who is studying television broadcasting, says he will not be coming back for the winter semester.
“I will be coming back for the summer,” he says. “I have to see what’s going to happen, but if he [DaSilva] is still there, I’m not coming back. I might go for Ryerson.”
- Seneca Hallway – Mark Grant
