Shahroze Rauf | Assistant News Editor
Featured Image: York investigates an antisemitic tweet posted two weeks ago. | Courtesy of the Algemeiner
A Twitter user posted an anti-semitic tweet as a response to York’s Twitter account after the university decided to end their weather watch two weeks ago.
The Twitter user, Abdul Rafay Iqbal, posted the following message: “Well, what can we expect, the Jews run this uni… they here (sic) for the money not the students.”
Afterwards, the tweet was removed and reported to Twitter Canada for hate speech, according to Deputy Spokesperson for York, Yanni Dagonas.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that all students who come to learn can do so in a safe, respectful environment free of hate or discrimination of any kind. The tweet posted on February 27, was clearly anti-Semitic and the University found it unacceptable,” says Dagonas.
York President and Vice Chancellor, Rhonda Lenton, echoed these sentiments in a recent statement, which said: “Free and open debate is never a license to engage in speech that is hateful, discriminatory, or incites violence against an individual or a group.
“We expect all members of our community to protect the dignity and human rights of every person. Our shared responsibility is to ensure that students who come to learn can do so in a safe, respectful environment, free of hate or discrimination of any kind,” Lenton added.
York has since launched an investigation into the tweet and says they will work to prevent hateful statements such as this.
“We encourage members of the York community to come forward and report incidents to us whenever and wherever they occur. When we become aware of a potentially hateful statement, we first collect evidence and verify the details of the incident. If appropriate, we then initiate disciplinary action. Where possible, we remove related materials from public view, to prevent further harm,” said Lenton.
Anna Kissin, the director of Hillel York, an on-campus organization for Jewish students, also commented on the incident, commending Lenton for her statement to provide students with informative resources regarding anti-semitism, and condemning the tweet.
“There is no place for anti-semitism at York. When students are faced with anti-semitism on campus, be it through symbolism or rhetoric, Hillel professionals and students are at the forefront of combating it. We stand in solidarity with other minority groups that have experienced any type of oppression on this campus, including religious discrimination, racism, anti-LGBTQIA+ prejudice, ableism, and xenophobia,” Kissin says.
Going forward, Kissin hopes other on-campus student groups will combat prejudice and discrimination at York, and ally themselves with the Jewish community against “prejudice on campus in all its forms.”
As for information on the Twitter account and the individual who posted the tweet, York was unable to disclose the connection the account has to the university under the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
