York Students Condemn Hate Crime on Campus

TORONTO, Aug. 16, 2012 /CNW/ - Students are calling on York University to take action after Muslim students found Qur'ans, the Muslim holy book, defaced and placed in garbage bins in and around the Scott Religious Centre last week.

"Students are appalled at this incident of Islamophobia on our campus and strongly condemn such hateful acts," said Safiyah Husein, Vice-President Equity for the York Federation of Students. "Islamophobia on campus, like all forms of hate and discrimination, compromises the ability of students to work, live and study in a safe and inclusive environment,

Over the course of 2008 and 2009, York University underwent a safety audit in response to a series of incidents of violence on campus. In June 2010, the final report of the audit was released including about 100 recommendations for improving safety on campus.

The York Federation of Students has been advocating for a mandatory Equity Studies course that will give all students a chance to engage in dialogues about racism, sexism, homophobia and all forms of discrimination. This recommendation from the report has yet to be implemented.

"An effective campus safety strategy needs a holistic approach, including improving physical infrastructure, changing institutional policy and seriously tackling discrimination and hatred on campus," Husein continued. "By implementing equity-based programming, York University could help stop these kinds of hateful acts before they happen."

The York Federation of Students represents 52 000 undergraduate students at York University.

SOURCE: York Federation of Students

Safiyah Husein, YFS Vice-President Equity, 647-295-9706 or 416-736-2100 ext 20253
Hamid Osman, Executive Director, York Federation of Students, 416-736-5324