KINGSTON, Ont. (Feb. 2, 2021) – A student group in Ontario is calling for the release of a convicted Palestinian terrorist.
Hasbara Fellowships Canada is demanding that the Alma Mater Society (AMS), the official student association of Queen’s University, defund the Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) student group after it raised funds for an organization known for its terrorist ties.
To join us in calling the AMS to defund SPHR immediately, sign our petition here.
On Jan. 19, SPHR posted a series of photos to Facebook urging students to purchase “Free Palestinian Prisoners” stickers to benefit Samidoun, an organization that works to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners, particularly those in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The PFLP is a designated terror entity in Canada.
SPHR also called for the release of jailed PFLP leader Ahmad Sa’adat, responsible for the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi.
After an outcry from Jewish students over its fundraising campaign, SPHR shared an outlandish Facebook post saying it was being urged to denounce Samidoun and the PFLP based on “racialized” and “false allegations and [the] harmful rhetoric of terrorism.”
“Suppressing our efforts to bring awareness to the plight of Palestinian prisoners with the harmful rhetoric of terrorism is contradictory to the university’s mission and goals of anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion,” SPHR wrote. It added that the claim Samidoun or the PFLP are involved in terror was “rooted in blatant Islamophobia, anti-Arab, anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism that criminalizes BIPOC communities and their efforts toward justice and liberation.”
In reality, the allegations of terrorism against the PFLP are very real and have nothing to do with racism or Islamophobia. The group has staged various deadly terror attacks, such as the 2014 Har Nof synagogue massacre where five worshippers were murdered — including one Canadian.
Samidoun’s relationship to the PFLP is well-known. In 2019, online donations to the group were halted by PayPal over its purported ties to the PFLP and it has even held events celebrating the founding of the PFLP. Several Samidoun leaders have also been charged with making antisemitic statements or tropes.
“Rather than apologize for lauding a group known for its ties to terrorism, SPHR has made the audacious claim that saying a group is involved in terror is somehow ‘racist.’ This is an insult to the real victims of racism, who are unfairly targeted due to the colour of their skin,” said Daniel Koren, Executive Director of Hasbara Fellowships Canada. “The allegations against Samidoun have nothing to do with racism and everything to do with its relationship to the PFLP terror group.”
He continued. “In our opinion, calling for the release of an antisemitic murderer creates an unsafe and hostile environment for both Jewish students and victims of terrorism at Queen’s. It is incumbent that the AMS defund this group immediately.”
