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Halifax prof who offended Muslims joins in march, debates students
By MICHAEL TUTTON AND KEITH DOUCETTE
2006-02-09 18:52:00
HALIFAX (CP) - Some of the public passions roused internationally by cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad surfaced in Canada on Thursday with shouting matches erupting at a protest in Halifax, and Muslims in Montreal saying they were worried a weekend protest there could turn violent.
The largely peaceful protest in Halifax turned tense when some Muslim students confronted a professor who has drawn fire for posting the contentious drawings on his office door.
Peter March, a philosophy professor at Saint Mary's University, said he was merely trying to promote a reasoned debate when he suddenly showed up in the midst of 100 protesters.
When the students realized who he was, a group of angry youths started yelling, "Go away!" and "You don't belong here!"
The shouting that ensued, all captured by TV cameras, was precisely the kind of image Canadian Muslim leaders are trying to avoid as governments and religious leaders continue to call for calm amid fears the recent violence has only reinforced Islam's negative image in the West.
In Montreal, a Muslim leader said Thursday he will meet with organizers of a planned weekend protest in a bid to persuade them to cancel the event.
Salam Elmenyawi, head of the Muslim Council of Montreal, said tensions are running very high, but the local Muslim community has supported a declaration condemning the violence that has swept the Muslim world over the drawings, which first appeared in a Danish newspaper.
"While Canadian and Quebec Muslims share in the intense emotions and displeasure of their fellow Muslims the world over, we call upon them to address this most serious matter in a calm and constructive manner," Elmenyawi told a news conference.
Meanwhile, religious groups across Canada, including the Canadian Jewish Council, have condemned the editorial cartoons, saying they are needlessly provocative.
In Halifax, protest organizers said they were responding to March's decision to post three of the cartoons on his office door Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the university ordered the images removed, citing concerns over health and safety.
The professor complied, but he revived the debate Thursday when he delivered a classroom lecture to 60 students that focused on his belief that all religions are odious.
March said academics must uphold the right of philosophers to be critical of religion.
Following the lecture, some Muslim students said March was mocking their beliefs.
Student Shaheen Sajan questioned March's motives.
"Since this issue has come up, you have to question Peter March's credibility," she said. "He went out and gave his home address - my analysis is he's inviting aggressive behaviour. He wants his 15 minutes of fame."
Rafiq Al-Qishaii. one of the marchers who urged protesters to ignore March, also said March was looking for trouble.
"This is what he wants . . . He wants to cause a problem here."
For his part, March said he wanted to engage those who disagreed with what he did.
"You can't do philosophy directly and honestly without causing inflammation," he said as the protest march was getting started. "It's one of the side effects, rather like surgery."
After the march, passions flared again on the university campus when March engaged in several discussions that soon turned to heated arguments.
He was helped into a campus building by police who barred the doors to a group of angry students.
A group calling itself the Palestine Solidarity Society at Saint Mary's University issued a release saying the classroom is an appropriate forum for discussion of the cartoons - not an office door.
On Prince Edward Island, the Muslim community has criticized a student newspaper for publishing the cartoons.
The Cadre, the student newspaper at the University of Prince Edward Island, published the 12 cartoons.
The university moved quickly to stop about 2,000 copies of the newspaper from being distributed on campus.
By MICHAEL TUTTON AND KEITH DOUCETTE
2006-02-09 18:52:00
HALIFAX (CP) - Some of the public passions roused internationally by cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad surfaced in Canada on Thursday with shouting matches erupting at a protest in Halifax, and Muslims in Montreal saying they were worried a weekend protest there could turn violent.
The largely peaceful protest in Halifax turned tense when some Muslim students confronted a professor who has drawn fire for posting the contentious drawings on his office door.
Peter March, a philosophy professor at Saint Mary's University, said he was merely trying to promote a reasoned debate when he suddenly showed up in the midst of 100 protesters.
When the students realized who he was, a group of angry youths started yelling, "Go away!" and "You don't belong here!"
The shouting that ensued, all captured by TV cameras, was precisely the kind of image Canadian Muslim leaders are trying to avoid as governments and religious leaders continue to call for calm amid fears the recent violence has only reinforced Islam's negative image in the West.
In Montreal, a Muslim leader said Thursday he will meet with organizers of a planned weekend protest in a bid to persuade them to cancel the event.
Salam Elmenyawi, head of the Muslim Council of Montreal, said tensions are running very high, but the local Muslim community has supported a declaration condemning the violence that has swept the Muslim world over the drawings, which first appeared in a Danish newspaper.
"While Canadian and Quebec Muslims share in the intense emotions and displeasure of their fellow Muslims the world over, we call upon them to address this most serious matter in a calm and constructive manner," Elmenyawi told a news conference.
Meanwhile, religious groups across Canada, including the Canadian Jewish Council, have condemned the editorial cartoons, saying they are needlessly provocative.
In Halifax, protest organizers said they were responding to March's decision to post three of the cartoons on his office door Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the university ordered the images removed, citing concerns over health and safety.
The professor complied, but he revived the debate Thursday when he delivered a classroom lecture to 60 students that focused on his belief that all religions are odious.
March said academics must uphold the right of philosophers to be critical of religion.
Following the lecture, some Muslim students said March was mocking their beliefs.
Student Shaheen Sajan questioned March's motives.
"Since this issue has come up, you have to question Peter March's credibility," she said. "He went out and gave his home address - my analysis is he's inviting aggressive behaviour. He wants his 15 minutes of fame."
Rafiq Al-Qishaii. one of the marchers who urged protesters to ignore March, also said March was looking for trouble.
"This is what he wants . . . He wants to cause a problem here."
For his part, March said he wanted to engage those who disagreed with what he did.
"You can't do philosophy directly and honestly without causing inflammation," he said as the protest march was getting started. "It's one of the side effects, rather like surgery."
After the march, passions flared again on the university campus when March engaged in several discussions that soon turned to heated arguments.
He was helped into a campus building by police who barred the doors to a group of angry students.
A group calling itself the Palestine Solidarity Society at Saint Mary's University issued a release saying the classroom is an appropriate forum for discussion of the cartoons - not an office door.
On Prince Edward Island, the Muslim community has criticized a student newspaper for publishing the cartoons.
The Cadre, the student newspaper at the University of Prince Edward Island, published the 12 cartoons.
The university moved quickly to stop about 2,000 copies of the newspaper from being distributed on campus.
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