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A Syrian Refugee's View of the Unrest at York University

(Canadian Jewish News) Aboud Dandachi - When I came to Canada two years ago from Syria, I wanted one thing above all else: not to be singled out. Not to be made to feel different from anyone else. The fact that I could live my life in Toronto like any other inhabitant was a miracle I cherished every day. On Nov. 20, I went to York University to attend an event with members of the Israeli NGO Reservists on Duty, soldiers who have served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Back in Syria, socializing with any Israeli was the ultimate taboo. But I was in Canada now. I could meet whom I pleased. Or so I thought. A large group of people waving Palestinian flags and shouting anti-Israel slogans through megaphones began to bang on the doors to the auditorium and to use megaphones to drown out the event being held inside. Several times, hateful, angry individuals came in to disrupt. The event turned into a discussion on how unsafe the attendees felt as Jews. They felt singled out, unsafe in their own city because of who they are. It was decided that the attendees would require police escorts back to their cars. In 2019, in Toronto, Jews are not safe enough to walk alone back to the parking lot at one of the city's institutes of higher education.
2019-11-25 00:00:00
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