A couple of corrections

Letters

Editor: I am writing in response to your recent editorial "Time to close Concordia." (Bulletin, Nov. 22)

While I fully support the general thrust of this thoughtful piece, and join you in welcoming the recent decision of the Concordia administration to lift the ban on free speech, I must correct a couple of errors in the editorial. You suggest that the ban challenged by Libby Davies and myself was imposed as a result of an arrangement between the administration and student representatives. This was not the case. In fact, the student body strongly challenged the ban. As well, the university senate voted to oppose the ban. It was the corporate-dominated board of the university that imposed this unprecedented gag order. I have noted that even at the University of Haifa, no such draconian measure was ever imposed.

I must also correct your suggestion that I have not condemned the terrorist suicide bombers with equal vigor to my condemnations of the state terrorism of the Sharon government. This is simply false. Indeed, I have strongly condemned these appalling attacks in Israel, Palestine, Iraq and Canada. The killing of innocent civilians on both sides is an outrage and it must stop. I believe that the only hope of achieving this is for Israel to end the occupation, dismantle the settlements and live in secure and peaceful co-existence with a Palestinian state. A growing number of Israelis are coming to the same conclusion. I hope that their voices will be heard in the coming Israeli elections.

Svend Robinson, MP
Burnaby-Douglas

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