Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is calling for the immediate resignation of Quebec’s Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, following her repeated attempts to stifle academic freedom and silence critical discussions on Palestine. CJPME condemns Minister Déry’s repeated political interference targeting content about Palestinian literature and the Nakba at Vanier and Dawson colleges, as well as her related “investigation,” which aims to suppress pro-Palestinian expression on those campuses.
“Minister Déry’s actions are a direct attack on academic freedom and an alarming escalation of political interference in higher education,” said CJPME Acting President Michael Bueckert. “Her attempts to police discussion on Palestine and dictate the boundaries of academic inquiry are unacceptable in a democratic society. Anything short of resignation represents an ongoing threat to academic freedom in Quebec.”
CJPME joins a growing number of civil society groups in condemning Minister Déry’s inappropriate political interference. CJPME also believes the Minister has a conflict of interest as a former board member of pro-Israel lobby organization CIJA-Quebec, which has taken credit for prompting the investigation into Dawson and Vanier colleges. Given the growing evidence that Déry is acting unethically, CJPME calls on Minister Déry to resign immediately.
“This is not about ensuring safe campuses—this is about silencing Palestinian perspectives amid a genocide,” added Bueckert. “By using her position to intimidate scholars and institutions, Minister Déry is violating the fundamental principles of higher education. If she refuses to respect the independence of Quebec’s universities, she must step down.”
CJPME calls on Quebec’s academic institutions to resist political pressure and uphold their commitment to academic freedom. The organization also urges Premier François Legault to take immediate action to protect higher education from political interference and ensure that universities and colleges remain places of open and critical debate. (more...)
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