"Your article does not give voice to students from the Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab communities about how they feel on campus. In contrast, you give voice to Noah Greenfield, a Jewish student and president of Hillel Winnipeg. The university’s newspaper has expressed some of the relevant views here."
December 7, 2023
To:
Maggie Macintosh, Reporter, Winnipeg Free Press
Paul Samyn, Editor, Winnipeg Free Press
Dear Maggie Macintosh and Paul Samyn,
I am writing to express concern about your article: “'Antisemitic propaganda' removed from U of M as tensions rise,” published on December 6 in Winnipeg Free Press.
I want to bring your attention to some issues in your articles.
First, the headline focuses on one one-sided point of the article, giving more credence to a particular side.
Your headline is based on the post-secondary institute denouncing Izzy Asper's posters as hateful and antisemitic. However, it is unclear whether the gesture was antisemitic or anti-Zionist. You even write: “Many of the anonymous posters about Asper, which suggest the philanthropist supported the radical right-wing and promoted division in the world, were hung up in and around the Asper School of Business.”
Also, the headline makes it seem like it is the topic of the whole article, while it is not. There are only four paragraphs about that incident, as the entire article focuses on campus tensions related to the Israel-Hamas war and the reinstation of a final-year nursing student, Arij Al Khafagi.
I, therefore, suggest changing the headline to: U of M tensions related to the Israel-Hamas war rise.
Second, your article does not give voice to students from the Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab communities about how they feel on campus. In contrast, you give voice to Noah Greenfield, a Jewish student and president of Hillel Winnipeg. The university’s newspaper has expressed some of the relevant views here.
I, therefore, suggest adding Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab voices to make your article more balanced.
Third, you provide a definition of antisemitism from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IRHA) while failing to mention that their definition is highly controversial as it conflates antisemitism and anti-Zionism and limits freedom of speech for people who denounce the State of Israel and its treatment of Palestinians. This essential piece of information would have made your article more nuanced and fair, especially regarding Arij Al Khafagi's case.
I, therefore, suggest adding that IHRA's definition of antisemitism is highly controversial as it conflates antisemitism with anti-Zionism and limits freedom of speech.
I hope Winnipeg Free Press will make these changes and cover future campus issues related to the Israel-Hamas war in a more balanced manner.
Sincerely,
Fatima Haidar,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East