The National Council of Canadian Muslims and physicians at the University of Ottawa are demanding action from the school's senior administration about what they call a "campaign of persecution" against students, staff and doctors who have publicly expressed pro-Palestinian views.University of Ottawa staff and students say their support for Palestinians in Gaza is being equated to antisemitism.
He said the council has received several complaints from staff and students about what's being described as "a climate of fear" on campus.The NCCM's letter goes on to say the university has "sullied its own reputation," and "failed" in upholding its ethical standards and protecting staff and students who publicly side with Palestinians during the conflict.
"People are being called to the office and told that their social media posts, things that they're sharing, are antisemitic or make other people feel unsafe," said Dr. Yipeng Ge, a public health and preventive medicine resident at U of O.after other faculty members complained about a series of pro-Palestinian posts he'd made that included references to "apartheid" and "settler colonialism" in Gaza.
"Each situation is different and there's always a balance or competing opinions and needs of the company and the work environment as a whole," she said.In most cases, employers need to prove that opinions expressed by their employees harms the company's reputation, according to Chilvers. Complaints need to be properly investigated through an established process.