Mount Allison University Professor Rima Azar has been barred from teaching in the fall semester, according to the CBC, in relation to the professor's personal blog posts being deemed "racist" and "discriminatory" by students.
BLM is radical and Canada is not systemically racist. Now cancel me. https://t.co/GkiTupWZHh
— Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) May 7, 2021
The president of Mount Allison’s Student Union, Jonathan Ferguson, conveyed that the union received multiple complaints about Prof. Azar, and expressed concern about the messages being spread through her blog, "What this professor was saying throughout her blog … denying systemic racism in New Brunswick or in Canada, talking about BIPOC students in unkind ways, labelling Black Lives Matter a radical group — stuff that doesn't run in line with the values of our institution at all," said Ferguson.
Seemingly the latest academic victim of rampant cancel culture, Azar has started a GoFundMe to recover money lost in legal fees. In an update post to her GoFundMe, Azar states that, “I have been the target of cancel culture since February 22, 2021 simply because I love to write on my Bambi's Afkar blog," Azar wrote. "I now have been suspended from my job without pay, based on false allegations. We are in a pandemic and times are tough on all. This is why your support means the world to me. ... However, the reputational damage already done (defamation, attack to my character) has implications beyond my employer and workplace."
The Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship, a Canadian non-profit headed by its President Mark Mercer, quickly came to the professor's defense. Mark Mercer stated in regards to the Universities actions that, "They should have explained to the students that these are ideas and opinions that the professor is expressing, and if they wish to rebut them they are free to do so — and leave it at that." He continued by saying, "The most we would expect [as a] disciplinary procedure would be a letter of reprimand, and even that would be improper."
Mark Mercer also expressed concern that the Universities actions violate Prof. Azar’s freedom of expression, "concerning matters of public and academic importance, such as freedom of expression, university policies, the existence of systemic racism in Canada and teaching in a multicultural society."
As of now, Azar, who is of Lebanese origin, has been suspended without pay, despite Mount Allison University promising to protect her union rights.
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