Stand-up for democracy

>> Arab-Israeli parliamentarian Azmi Bishara fights for rights with humour

by CRAIG SEGAL

You know the lecture organizers are excited when the guy introducing the speaker is still getting his own introduction half an hour after the event is scheduled to begin. But it was well worth the wait.

Accentuating syllables erratically like an Arabic William Shatner, a Palestinian member of the Israeli government told the audience at Concordia last Friday that Israel must give equal rights to its one million Palestinian citizens.

Cracking gut-busting anti-Zionist jokes, Azmi Bishara had the crowd hooked with his charismatic ways. The only Arab to ever run for the position of Israeli prime minister whipped off a zinger about how Israel is always saying it's the only democracy in the Middle East. "Well it's not a big deal to be the only democracy in the Middle East!" cracked Bishara, who added he was shot at by snipers just two years ago. Another zinger concerned peace talks in Israel called "Peace Camp": "I don't know why everything in Israel has to be a camp..."

Through the din of singing cell phones and spontaneous applause, Bishara belted on. But not everyone at the talk was won over. "Zionism is a racist movement based on racial superiority, so it's wrong to work with them," said Wassim Moukahhal, a McGill Management student who just arrived from Lebanon, where he worked with the resistance against occupying Israeli forces. "Arabs should not be involved in the Israeli regime," added Moukahhal, implying Bishara has no business in Israeli politics.

None of the promised big-gun politicians showed up at the luncheon the next day on top of the beautiful Marriott Château Champlain Hotel. Neither Pierre Bourque, Gilles Duceppe nor Bernard Landry were there to enjoy Bishara's charm or the free breaded chicken and potato balls. Although Bishara treated diners to an engaging--if not slightly weary--encore, they were far more taken by a short speech made by a student organizer.

There is anti-Arab racism in Canadian universities, announced Laith Marouf of the Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR). Marouf said students and teachers have received death threats and hate mail, the SPHR Web site had been hacked and their office has been broken into twice. The racism has led to such big problems at Concordia that some students are afraid to take their grievances to the university administration. So the Student Union is demanding an independent anti-racism commission.

"There's really been a problem," says David Bernans of the CSU. "They can't get prayer space in the university. They've got chaplains for other religious groups, but there is no Muslim holy person. And the administration stopped them from setting up kiosks on the fourth floor.

"Since the late '60s, the primary target of racism at Concordia was Caribbean students, and now it seems it has switched to Muslim and Arab students."

But, since an anti-racism commission won't solve all the world's problems, the Student Union is also holding a referendum from March 27-29 calling on the Canadian government "to pressure Israel to respect international laws pertaining to the United Nation's Security Council and the Fourth Geneva Convention on Human Rights." Students will be asked whether the Canadian government should cut diplomatic and economic ties with Israel.