We, the undersigned, concerned members of the Concordia University community and of the wider Montreal community, do affirm the following:

On November 8, Jewish students set up an exhibit on campus calling for the release of the more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas in its terrorist attack on Israel on October 7. These students were then assailed, harassed, and insulted by protesters, with some students reporting the use of antisemitic language. This disturbing incident comes amid a rise in antisemitic hate at Concordia, in Montreal, at other Canadian universities, and in many other countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Examples include the attempted firebombing of the Congregation Beth Tikvah synagogue and the Jewish Federation building in Montreal, and the firing of bullets at Azrieli Talmud Torah and Yeshiva Gedolah, two Jewish schools in Montreal. As President Carr reports, swastikas were also found in a Concordia building.

We unequivocally condemn these overt acts of antisemitism. We affirm the right of Jewish students, along with all other students, to express their views, affirm their faith, take pride in their identity, and feel safe on campus. We are appalled that a community that has experienced millennia of persecution and violence cannot feel safe in our university buildings. We believe in a university campus that welcomes diverse points of view on all issues of human import, including geopolitics in general, and the current Israel-Hamas conflict in particular. Just as students should feel safe to peacefully protest in favour of Palestinian rights to live in dignity and freedom, so too should they feel free to express views supportive of Israel’s right to protect its citizens against catastrophic threats.

We are also concerned about the rise in reports from Muslim students of harassment, provocative comments, and other forms of hostile behaviour. Just as we stand with the Jewish members of our community against antisemitism, we also stand with the Muslim members of our community who are experiencing a rise in anti-Muslim bigotry. Concordia should be a place of lively intellectual debate, free from violence and harassment. We do our Muslim friends no favours by attacking Jews. We do our Jewish friends no favours by attacking Muslims.

Finally, we call on President Carr and other members of the administration to take all necessary measures to keep students safe on campus, by providing adequate security, cooperating with law enforcement when necessary, and ensuring that all perpetrators of criminal and violent activity on campus suffer both academic and legal consequences.

We believe that we, Concordia and Montreal community members who abhor antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry, and indeed intolerance of all kinds, are the majority. We want a campus that is free of hate, full of life, awash in vibrant debate, and most of all, safe for all students. Such a world is possible, if we stand together, condemn hate when we see it, and defend victims of bullying and intimidation. We hope that this open letter will be a small step in that direction.