Canadian Jewish News
By PAUL LUNGEN, Staff Reporter
Thursday, 11 March 2010
York University is investigating a student who allegedly called for the mass murder of Jews, but at the same time, the student appears to be avoiding investigators.
Following reports in the National Post that Salman Hossain posted material on his website, “Filthy Jewish Terrorists,” calling for the genocide of Jews, York attempted to confirm Hossain’s authorship.
But calls and e-mails were unanswered, leading the university to dispatch someone from its security department to one of his classes for “a face-to-face meeting,” said Keith Marnoch, York’s associate director of media relations.
The university is concerned that Hossain may have breached the school’s Student Code of Conduct, and a tribunal hearing is pending, Marnoch said.
“The individual Salman Hossain, upon being confronted by us, did not respond to us and we’ve taken the appropriate disciplinary measures,” he said following security’s attempt to meet with Hossain.
Marnoch would not give details of the effort to confront Hossain at his class. He also declined to specify the “disciplinary measures” or whether Hossain has been barred from campus.
Bernie Farber, CEO of Canadian Jewish Congress, said
keeping Hossain away from the university is the least York could do.
“In our view, the safety and security of York University’s student body superceded anything else.
They’re [York administrators] going to have to find a way to deal appropriately with Mr. Hossain,” he said.
In a report published last week, the National Post quoted from Hossain’s website and noted he did not dispute that they were his views.
“No one in this world can take our history away from us. Especially not the cancerous group of people calling themselves Jews or Judeo-Christians who are going to be genocided in the near future,” he is quoted as writing.
The website also pictures a graphic stating, “Terrorism is A Jewish Passover Celebration,” and in a purported rebuttal of the National Post article, Hossain admits to advocating the genocide of Jews.
“Just like you are co-opting western nations to attack Muslim states and slaughter the populations over there. Most Jews in North America and Europe support the war against Islam and Muslims, which they instigated. They are happy to see Muslims get slaughtered. They enjoy the deaths of millions of Muslims, and the slaughter that they are undergoing. Thus they should also be at the receiving end of what they are perpetrating against others.”
Hossain’s alleged writings prompted a police investigation to determine whether he breached the Criminal Code’s hate promotion and advocacy of genocide provisions.
Farber said Congress had “been getting quite a number of calls from students and parents” concerned about safety on campus.
“There is an absolute necessity for the administration of York University to protect and defend the student body. We can’t get any information to confirm that is happening,” he said.
Farber noted that police investigated Hossain, but last year, Ontario Attorney General Chris Bentley decided not to prosecute. (The attorney general’s consent is required for a case to proceed.)
Bentley said at the time that Hossain had removed his offensive postings and was undergoing rehabilitation.
Marnoch said the university is concerned about following due process, but if investigators confirm Hossain authored the Web postings, a disciplinary tribunal could be convened.
