Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters has in a controversy at York University in Toronto, where businessman Paul Bronfman has demanded the removal of a painting that shows a Palestinian holding stones as he faces a bulldozer.
Waters addressed his letter to Bronfman, who pulled financial support from the university over the artwork, which he called 鈥減ure hate.鈥�
Waters wrote that Bronfman is wrong to 鈥渦se his economic muscle鈥� to try and force removal of 鈥淧alestinian Roots,鈥� which is displayed in the York University Student Centre, a building on campus that houses the York Federation of Students.
Waters writes that the Palestinian depicted in the artwork 鈥渉as a legal and moral right, under the terms of article 4 of the Geneva conventions to resist the occupation of his homeland,鈥� adding that protesting Israel鈥檚 policy is not anti-Semitic, and is in fact 鈥渁 moral duty.鈥�
鈥淗appily York University students and faculty members seem to recognize that protest is ok, and that freedom of speech is a fundamental right and not for sale to the likes of you,鈥� Waters writes.
Avi Benolo, director of the non-profit Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre in Toronto, has called the painting 鈥渁 call to murder鈥� and said 鈥渢he Jewish community will continue to call for inclusion and for freedom from victimization, marginalization and antisemitism.鈥�
York University President Mamdouh Shoukri after Bronfman鈥檚 comments stating 鈥渋t is clear that the subject of the artwork is offensive to some individuals and groups, particularly Jewish members of our community.鈥�
鈥淭he Student Centre ... is a separate and distinct legal entity from the University,鈥� Shoukri went on. 鈥淲e sincerely hope that they will address the concerns which have been expressed.鈥�
Shoukri described three actions that York will take to support the university鈥檚 commitment to 鈥渆nsuring all students feel comfortable and safe on campus,鈥� including an advisory committee on inclusion and a policy review.
Shoukri reiterated that 鈥渨e will hold firm to our position that the university does not support academic boycotts,鈥� apparently a reference a boycott of Israeli academics that is supported by the York Federation of Students.
Artist Ahmad Al Abid in a statement on the York Federation of Students website as depicting the relationship 鈥渂etween the defenseless, the antagonist and the 鈥榦ther.鈥欌��
The man is 鈥渇luttered with conflicting emotions, implications and potential consequences of action,鈥� Al Abid鈥檚 statement goes on. 鈥淲ith each of these factors pulling him towards a different route of discourse, we find him calculating his next move.鈥�
