York alumnus and SAIA activist Hammam Farah has been banned from York property. After receiving warning letters, the Students Against Israeli Apartheid had their club status revoked for “repeated disruption of academic activities.”
Students Against Israeli Apartheid’s status as an officially recognized student group at York was revoked by the university following a rally held in Vari Hall on March 27.
Janet Morrison, vice-provost students, who makes decisions with respect to club statuses, de-listed SAIA as an official club until January 2014 for “repeated disruption of academic activities,” according to Joanne Rider of York media.
“Specifically, SAIA will not be able to book space or otherwise access university resources directly or through another student organization,” says the notification letter from Morrison. SAIA is also “debarred from re-registering for official student group status” until January 1, 2014.
Rider says this isn’t the first time that SAIA has “disrupted academic activities” during one of their rallies and that this action wasn’t taken lightly. The university follows a similar process with any student club, association, or organization when university policies are violated, she explains.
“We followed due process including warning SAIA a number of times before we made the decision to sanction them,” says Rider.
SAIA was notified on May 3 by York that their club status had been revoked via email and letter delivered by Morrison.
Along with SAIA, a number of other groups were present at the rally, including the York University Black Students’ Association, York’s chapter of the Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance, the Middle Eastern Students’ Association, Ontario Public Interest Research Group-York, Independent Jewish Voices – Toronto, Fightback, and CUPE 3903.
“An unprecedented attack on academic freedom and freedom of speech on the York University campus.”
A few members of student groups involved in the rally received warning letters from the university.
Excalibur obtained a copy of the letter sent from the university to Arshiya Lakhani, one of the students who spoke at the March 27 rally.
“By this letter, the University is giving you notice that should you in future fail to comply with applicable regulations of the University […] York University may invoke disciplinary action against you in accordance with applicable University rules,” the letter said.
Letters were also sent to the presidents of YUBSA and the Middle Eastern Students’ Association, among other students.
“The warning letters sent from the university definitely felt threatening,” says SAIA member Huda Al-Sarraj.
YUBSA and Rider were contacted concerning warning letters but were unable to be reached in time.
“Receiving the letters and threatening us is problematic because all these clubs involved are fighting for fundamental rights, like YUBSA who fight against racial profiling and for black rights,” says Al-Sarraj.
The rally in question took place one week after the York Federation of Students endorsed the Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign at a board of directors’ meeting, joining York’s Graduate Students’ Association in their support of the movement.
In a post on SAIA’s Facebook page, the group writes that the university’s decision to revoke their status is an “unprecedented attack on academic freedom and freedom of speech on the York University campus.”
When asked for a response, Rider says, “York University encourages freedom of expression and debate of controversial issues, and values diverse perspectives. The university does not permit such expression to compromise or disrupt classes or other academic activities.”
“With the March 27 rally, we wanted to show that York didn’t have an ethical investment strategy and that we needed to push for that,” says Al-Sarraj. “We cooperated with York security, and we also had a security liaison and marshal keep things under control.”
Following the same rally, York alumnus and SAIA activist Hammam Farah was banned from entering York property as of April 25.
According to a letter sent to Farah by Gary Brewer, vp finance and administration, Farah was banned from campus because of his participation in two demonstrations — the first on November 29, 2012, and the other on on March 27, 2013, — where he was observed by York security using an amplification device to speak to a gathering of students and others.
Rider says Farah was banned for violating university policy.
“Acting in violation of any York University policy or procedure may result in a review process,” says Rider. “Actions by the university as a result of the review may include banning an individual or group from campus.”
This is the first incident since 2009 that a club has been sanctioned by the university.
In 2009, SAIA and the Hasbara Fellowship were each suspended for 30 days and fined $1,000, the Tamil Students’ Association was suspended for 15 days and fined
$500, and Hillel was fined $500 for “for their part in recent activities which disrupted classes adjacent to Vari Hall rotunda,” according to a York Media Relations press release.
