By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO — San Diego State University is under investigation for alleged “Islamophobia” in the wake of SDSU President Adela de la Torre’s condemnation of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and statement of support for impacted members of the campus community. The U.S. Department of Education has not discussed the merits of the complaint from unidentified complainants, only that the complaint has come under its jurisdiction.
Here, in full, is what President De La Torre said:
“Throughout this weekend and today, SDSU has been in direct communication with dozens of impacted community members after the horrific reports of killings and kidnappings following the Hamas attacks on Israel during Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah, a major Jewish holy day. What is being reported is heartbreaking. We have heard from SDSU community members who have family, close friends and colleagues in the region. Many have spent several terrifying days praying for their safety. Some have not had those prayers answered. We cannot express to you the depths of emotion and anguish we have felt and encountered since Saturday.
“We are grieving for all those who are suffering in the wake of this outburst of violence. We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, any act of violence, especially those against innocent civilians. We are deeply struck by the sheer scale of the loss of life – of innocent Israelis, Palestinians, and countless others. We also recognize that this follows a long history of loss of life of civilians in this region. It is our utmost priority that SDSU respond by setting a different tone – one of compassion, learning and dialogue, and, above all, empathy for what our campus community may be experiencing. To be sure – understanding that the events from this weekend will affect members of our diverse campus in different ways, we are writing to share our encouragement to utilize the support services available to all our students, faculty and staff.
“We also urge all members of our campus community to do the following:
–Seek support as you need it. Rely on the range of support services available, including counseling support, and, for university students, emergency financial assistance by filling out the online form.
–Check in on your peers and colleagues. Many members of our community are hurting. We encourage you to check in on them and offer support during this time.
–Read the SDSU Principles of Community for guidance in connecting with and speaking to others. We urge all members of our one SDSU community to abide by principles that encourage open dialogue and that also remind us to treat others with dignity and respect.
–Report issues of concern. The university does not accept any instance of harassment and discrimination based on a person’s background. Rely on online tools to report harassment and discrimination.
–Connect with community and learn more. SDSU is fortunate to have faculty with extensive knowledge of the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We encourage you to connect and learn more about the history of the conflict from them. Many SDSU centers will be hosting events, speaker series and community gatherings in the coming weeks to foster this dialogue. No matter your background, we encourage you to become informed and engaged.
–As with any time of conflict and unrest that may impact our SDSU community, we ask that you come together to support one another. This is our most important role, as we each cope with the impact of this ongoing tragedy.”
San Diego State University confirmed that it received notice from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on Jan. 2, 2024, regarding a complaint that the university discriminated against Islamic, Arab and/or Palestinian students by sending an all-campus email on Oct. 9. The complaint alleges that the email “promoted hate and racism against Arabs and Muslims.” The email … does not promote hate or racism.”
“Since October 7, SDSU has been actively in communication with our many San Diego and campus partners given the significance of the community impact of the ongoing war. SDSU has continually affirmed that any instances of harassment, discrimination or acts of violence targeting individuals or groups based on their background within our SDSU community will not be tolerated.
“University safety professionals have been in contact and offered support and resources to those impacted, including members of our Islamic, Arab and Palestinian communities. Student Affairs and Campus Diversity team members have and continue to reach out to individual students, advisors and student organizations who have been impacted by the violence in Israel and Gaza. Staff have provided resources, including letters to students and to their faculty about the challenges they are experiencing through our CARES (Campus Assistance, Response, Evaluation and Support) Team.
“Additionally, university administrators have also consulted directly with members of the Islamophobia SWANA/MENA (Southwest Asian And North African/ Middle East North Africa) Task Force at SDSU, one that was established to create recommendations for collecting and disaggregating data for Muslim and SWANA/MENA students, faculty and staff; identify opportunities to improve campus climate; and to also provide recommendations on how SDSU can develop community and a sense of belonging for the Muslim and SWANA/MENA community.
“Further, the university relies on reports from SDSU community members to appropriately report any instances of harassment and discrimination and encourage students, as well as faculty and staff to use SDSU’s online reporting tools to report issues as quickly as they are able, and to also rely on the many support services that exist on campus.”
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Elsewhere in the United States and Canada, there are other controversies stemming from the Israel-Hamas War in Gaza.
Hailie Soifer, the CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) has issued a statement that “denying the rapes of Israelis harms all women.” JDCA has scheduled a webinar at 9 a.m. PT Wednesday, Jan. 10 “to discuss Hamas’s sexual violence and how the subsequent silence from international organizations hurts women around the world.” Here is a link to register for the event that features panelists Dahlia Lithwick, a senior editor at Slate; Mimi Rocah, the district attorney for Westchester County, N.Y., and Jen Rubin, a columnist with the Washington Post.
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The Lawfare Project and Diamond Lawyers have filed a $77 million class action lawsuit against McMaster University in Ontario and the McMaster Student Union on behalf of Jewish students. “Jewish students at McMaster University have suffered psychological turmoil due to faculty praising the October 7th attacks in Israel and exposure to antisemitic rhetoric at rallies on campus,” the Lawfare Project reported.
“A vigil by Jewish student groups was recently moved to a secret location due to safety concerns. In a related issue, a McMaster teaching assistant supported the public display of a swastika outside Canada’s Parliament Hill. The occurrences in question have exacerbated existing antisemitic sentiments on the campus, an issue that has persisted for several years.”
“Unfortunately, the hatred toward the Jewish community, which dramatically increased after October 7, continues to be prevalent on college and university campuses, including McMaster,” said Brooke Goldstein, founder and Executive Director of The Lawfare Project. “This lawsuit seeks to establish and enforce effective and enduring measures to guarantee a safe, supportive, and tolerant educational setting for all students, irrespective of their race, religion, or ethnicity. The Lawfare Project is proud to support Diamond and Diamond’s impact litigation, which aims to effectuate the systemic change needed to secure the civil rights of the Jewish community in Canada.”
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The anti-Zionist group, Jewish Voice for Peace, which staged a demonstration at the State Capitol on the first day of the new legislative session “to demand an immediate permanent ceasefire in Gaza” said approximately 500 demonstrators included “rabbis, children of Holocaust survivors, Israeli-Americans, teachers and health care workers and many more community members. Lisa Rodel of San Francisco, a board member of JVP, said the organization represents “thousands of Jewish people from over California who oppose the Israeli government’s genocidal campaign.”
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U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee is in a race for the U.S. Senate against fellow Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Katie Porter as well as Republican hopeful Steve Garvey, the former Los Angeles Dodger and San Diego Padre. Lee has joined U.S Rep. Rashida Tlaib in saying there is an “urgent need for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict.” Tlaib is the only Palestinian-American in Congress.
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Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via sdheritage@cox.net