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‘We all get used to dying’: Palestinian student
St. Thomas University’s Ayat Abed Isaid says her heart is in Gazaa
Bailey White | The Aquinian (St. Thomas University)
FREDERICTON (CUP) – Ayat
Abed Isaid, a Palestinian student,
joined protesters in downtown
Fredericton, New Brunswick on
Saturday in support of civilians in
Gaza, and to call for a ceasefire in
the conflict that killed her brother
and her friend.
It was one of many protests hap-
pening around the world on the
same day. Protesters urged world
leaders to get involved, and to
stop the conflict in Gaza.
Abed Isaid has been through this
before. More than a decade ago
she fled Palestine with her family
after Israeli troops moved in and
killed her brother.
“It’s the same thing happening
over and over. We’re really sad,
but at the same time, we all get
used to death. We all get used to
dying,” she said.
Abed Isaid’s parents now live
CUPE Ontario Proposes to Ban Israeli Academics from campuses
Joe Howell | CUP Ontario Bureau Chief
TORONTO (CUP) – The Israeli-
Palestinian conflict often spills
over onto Canadian university
campuses, but the Ontario branch
of Canada’s largest union is pre-
paring to take it to a new level.
If the union gets its way, Israeli
scholars who do not “explicitly
condemn” the acts of Israel in
the Gaza Strip will not be able to
work at any of the province’s uni-
versities.
In a press release issued Mon-
day, the Canadian Union of Pub-
lic Employees Ontario announced
that it would propose a resolution
at its upcoming annual confer-
ence supporting a “ban on Israeli
academics doing speaking, teach-
ing or research work at Ontario
universities as a protest against
the December 29 bombing of the
in Dubai, but she has family and
friends in Gaza.
One of her friends from elemen-
tary school in Dubai had a similar
situation – but he insisted on go-
ing back to Gaza to see his rela-
tives.
That was early in December, be-
fore the attacks began.
“All his family, they all told him:
‘Don’t come back’,” Abed Isaid
said.
When the attacks broke out, her
friend was trapped in Gaza, where
he was killed.
“I really admire him. I really
want to go there,” she said.
Abed Isaid is a journalism ma-
jor at Fredericton’s St. Thomas
University. She’s frustrated by the
media’s coverage, which she be-
lieves does not accurately reflect
the situation in Gaza.
“As a Palestinian, I think [the
Islamic University in Gaza.”
According to the Jerusalem
Post, the Israeli Defense Force
targeted wings of the university
being used by Hamas for the de-
velopment and storage of explo-
sives. Other media outlets say the
Islamic University’s connection
with Hamas has yet to be con-
firmed.
Still, CUPE Ontario is “ready to
say Israeli academics should not
be on our campuses unless they
explicitly condemn the university
bombing and the assault on Gaza
in general,” said CUPE Ontario
President Sid Ryan in the release.
Ryan told Canadian University
Press that the proposed resolu-
tion is “part of a broader cam-
paign” by CUPE Ontario to put
international pressure on Israel
media] is showing what Israel is
wanting. Yes, they’re trying to
show both stories, they’re inter-
viewing someone from Palestine
and they’re interviewing someone
from Israel, but they’re not show-
ing pictures of civilians. They’re
not showing anything. When you
see the pictures you’ll be really
shocked. They don’t want anyone
to see those pictures,” she said.
Still, Abed Isaid realizes the me-
dia’s limitations. Very little traffic
is permitted to flow in and out of
the Gaza Strip – and that means
foreign correspondents can’t get
there.
“CBC, CNN, they’re not show-
ing the real story. They’re not al-
lowing any foreign correspond-
ents inside Gaza. They’re not able
to get the pictures. The situation’s
really bad, and it’s getting worse,”
she said.
to leave occupied territories.
In 2006, the union passed a
resolution calling for boycotts of,
and divestments from, the Jewish
state.
“Given the bombing of the uni-
versity . . . perhaps we should get
involved in the academic boy-
cott,” said Ryan.
“We find it to be very un-Ca-
nadian to promote such blatant
censorship,” said Jordan Kerbel,
National Director of Public Af-
fairs for the Canadian Jewish
Congress. “Our universities must
continue to promote exchanges
with all academics.”
Kerbel says Canada has “much
to gain with further collaboration
with Israel,” and an eventual solu-
tion to the conflict in the Middle
East “might very well come from
Conflict continues at Gazaa, flickr.com, creative commons, 2008.
She’s also frustrated with the lack
of involvement from world lead-
ers who have been reluctant to get
to call for a ceasefire, that includes
Canadian leaders.
“No one is doing anything – at
all. I think [the politicians] should
be questioned,” she said.
an university campus.”
But, Ryan says professors from
the Islamic University “can not
teach in areas outside of Gaza,”
and that “academic freedom is a
two-way street.”
“Not only should academic free-
dom be expressed, but so should
that of trade unions,”
University of Toronto student
Dan Epstein disagrees with the
union’s action.
“It does not help the Palestinian
people if university professors at
Israeli institutions can not speak
abroad,”
“I oppose Israel’s action in Gaza,
but it does not warrant censorship
half a world away. . . . The efforts
of CUPE and other Palestine-
supporting organizations would
be better spent finding professors
January 19, 2009 • www.thequill.
Mostly, though, Abed Isaid would
just like to be with her family
during the time of crisis. She’s not
fazed by danger; it’s something
she’s dealt with all her life.
“I had to think of death so young,
that I’m less afraid of it. I’m not
really scared of dying,” she said.
from Palestinian universities and
raising money to fly them here
and have them speak.”
CUPE Ontario member and
University of Ottawa student
Kristin Blais said she is “appalled
and disgusted” by the union’s
proposal.
“Why should a union which
represents thousands of people
decide who gets to speak at uni-
versities? We are not just talking
about full-time professors; we
are talking about banning in-
vited speakers from sharing their
knowledge,”
“What ever happened to free
speech and furthering the aca-
demic dialogue?”
CUPE Ontario’s roughly 20,000
university staffers will vote on the
resolution next month.