This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
Targeting Activist University of Ottawa Students - by Stephen Lendman
Until his early March Board of Directors removal, Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya was Fulcrum Publishing Society (FPS) Ombudsman, the English-language student newspaper at Canada's University of Ottawa (U of O).
It resulted from his critical reports, including a preliminary February 23 one for FPS's editorial mistreatment of Professor Denis Rancourt, fired in March 2009 for his political activism - specifically his courageous stance on Occupied Palestine.
In 2007, after criticizing university opposition to academically boycotting Israel, repression against him intensified under new president Allen Rock, a former Canadian politician, UN ambassador, and staunch Israeli supporter.
Nazemroaya accused the Fulcrum of "publishing opinion pieces against Dr. Rancourt. (They've) strongly criticized him, his university classes, his position, and his brand of activism."
In his January 9 report, Nazemroaya cited illegal U of O "covert surveillance," adding that "The Fulcrum has a duty to cover all news concerning campus life in an unbiased way and to the best of its abilities," especially over denying a distinguished tenured professor academic freedom and firing him for his views - the way a police state silences dissent.
Nazemroaya also accused the FPS Board of endorsing:
"a conflict of interest" (and) tr(ying) to force (him) to be quiet about it and to accept it without initially offering a remedy....Contrary to FPS rules, the Board also (attempted) to force (its) Ombudsman to play a passive role;" in other words, forced compliance to quash an independent investigation into Rancourt's firing, one that surely would vindicate him.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
1
1
1
