“Silence isn’t neutral”: Looking into the debate on QC campuses as institutions respond to Gaza war

News

Emails from Concordia University, McGill University, and the Université de Montréal demonstrate the pressures that universities faced when institutions around the world began to take a public position on the war in Gaza, reports Jacob Serebrin of the Canadian Press. Internal emails from each of the institutions were released in response to access to information requests issued by CP. At McGill and UMontréal, administrators had varied reactions to leaders’ statements on the actions of Hamas and Israel, including criticism for not taking a strong enough position and recommendations of caution. Perceived inaction also resulted in pressure from members of the institutional community. Serebrin also noted that several administrators expressed concern about the impact that formal statements and comments would have on the different groups represented in their campus community.

Montréal Gazette (CP)