In June 2024, I attended the annual Canadian Political Science Association in Montreal. At that time, many students at McGill University – as well as community members – had set up an encampment on campus to advocate against the ongoing genocide in Palestine.
At first glance, the encampment consisted of an array of beige tents within a fenced area. Upon looking deeper, though, I noticed that it was also filled with art, important messages denouncing genocide and supporting the Palestinian people, and community members engaged in meaningful conversations.
As a fellow student visiting from New Brunswick, I went over to talk with them and offered to help make posters. They were really welcoming. As I was making posters, a man approached me and asked: “What about Hamas?” I quickly recognized an aggressive undertone to his words that was quite off-putting.
I tried to answer him as best as I could, but he became increasingly hostile. Without even listening to me or engaging with my explanations, he simply continued to repeat his question. Fortunately, one of the community members inside the encampment noticed this interaction and simply told the man to “have a nice day.” However, he continued to insist on this point, claiming that Israel deserved to retaliate because of what Hamas did on October 7. He was told to “have a nice day” again and, after some hesitation, he finally left. The people in the encampment then told me that they are not trying to argue with the public, but instead want to have meaningful and educational conversations.
This instance made me realize that I have heard that same question asked by many different people. And like my interlocutor in Montreal, those posing the question often seem to be invoking Hamas to nullify any opposition to the genocide of Palestinian civilians by the Israeli government and military. Indeed, some even bring up Hamas as a way to justify the atrocities we are all witnessing. (more...)
Let’s not use Hamas as a means to justify genocide
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