SDSU anti- bigotry statement omits anti- Semitism

By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO – After meeting with some of the students who blocked the campus police car in which he was a passenger  for approximately two hours last week, SDSU President Elliot Hirshman, who is Jewish, and others issued a statement on Monday abhorring Islamophobia but not mentioning anti-Semitism.

As reported in Tuesday’s San Diego Union-Tribune,  the meeting was held among members of SDSU’s administration and representatives of the Associated Students, Students for Justice in Palestine, and the Muslim Student Association.  A joint statement said that the groups agreed there should be a review of university policies to ensure both freedom of expression and protection from harassment.

The statement went on to say:

“We concluded by agreeing that in cases where racism, Islamophobia, misogyny, homophobia and all forms of bigotry result, we abhor the content of such expressions, even as we recognize the protected status of these expressions. Finally, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting an environment that fosters meaningful dialogue and mutual respect.”

Asked why anti-Semitism was not also specifically abhorred in the statement, Greg Block, SDSU’s spokesman, said anti-Semitism was intended to be covered under the phrase “all forms of bigotry.”

This did not satisfy Jackie Tolley, director of Hillel of San Diego, who questioned why the statement specifically included four forms of bigotry—racism, Islamophobia, misogyny, and homophobia — but left out anti-Semitism.

“It is a glaring omission when they go to the trouble of listing four other forms of bigotry,” Tolley said.

Pressed whether anti-Semitism should also have been specifically abhorred, given the background of the controversy, Block responded: “We are now trying to move forward as one community. We have no further comment on this issue.”

The protest last week was attributed to the appearance on campus of flyers from the David Horowitz Freedom Center in which seven members of the Students for Justice in Palestine were accused of being allied with terrorism.  The flyers implored readers to Stop the Jew Hatred.

Students for Justice in Palestine said the university should have condemned the flyers and come to the students’ defense, citing the seriousness of the charge that they are allies with terrorism.

One of the first campus organizations to outright condemn the flyers was Students Supporting Israel (SSI) which in a Facebook post on April 14 wrote:  “We are an organization committed to positive dialogue and justice for both Israel and Palestine.  Any divisive hateful rhetoric such as the one found on the flyer has no place on our campus and is not conducive to peace.  The rhetoric used in the flyer further perpetuates a culture of Islamophobia that we saw violently materialize on campus last semester. We are a campus that celebrates an intersection of identities and perspectives and we must do everything within our power to keep it that way.  We call on our supporters to condemn these flyers and recognize the flyers for what they are: hate speech.”

Tolley was not certain what instance of Islamophobia SSI was referring to, but said it might have been the incident in which a Muslim student was verbally attacked and had her head scarf pulled off.

Block, who is chief communications officer for San Diego State University, was asked whether any disciplinary actions are contemplated against the students who participated in blocking President Hirshman’s car last Wednesday.  He declined to respond, saying the university has a strict policy against discussing disciplinary measures.

Similarly, Tanya Sierra, a spokeswoman for the San Diego County District Attorney’s office, declined to comment whether the two-hour episode in which Hirshman was trapped in his car by students is under investigation.  She said the DA’s office never discusses whether a matter is or is not under investigation, at least until such time that charges, if any, are brought.

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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com  Comments intended for publication MUST be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (city and country for those outside the United States.)