Finkelstein lecture virtually protest-free

Yuni Kim
News Editor
York University’s guest speaking session featuring controversial American author and political analyst Dr. Norman Finkelstein Feb. 16, hosted by York’s Middle Eastern and Iranian student groups, went almost seamlessly, save for the objections of a handful of students who were eagerly looking forward to the event.

In a joint venture by the Iranian Students Association @ York University (ISAYU) and the new Middle Eastern Student Association (MESA), Finkelstein spoke in front of a sold-out crowd of 500 about the state of the Middle East, including the recent Egyptian revolt, as well as the ongoing dispute between Israelis and Palestinians.
“His main message was about the promotion of peace,” said ISAYU president Mehras Javadyniya, who was very pleased the event wasn’t at all raucous. “He promoted trying to understand the reasons behind [the Middle Eastern unrests] better by looking at it from a non-Western perspective. It was very eye-opening.”
While the event remained protest-free – though York security and two Toronto police officers were present as a precaution, funded by both ISAYU and MESA with additional support from Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East – some students who were turned away at the doors expressed disappointment.
Sarah Hassanein, a twelfth-grade high school student who took an hour-and-a-half GO bus ride from Pickering to the Keele campus, arrived 15 minutes late to the 7:30 pm event with her friend Farheen Khan.
Both had valid tickets, but were told by York security that they could not enter because the venue was full and the event had started.
“We thought that since we had tickets, we’d be guaranteed a spot,” said Hassanein, who said she was very interested in seeing Finkelstein speak about Middle Eastern politics and current events. “We showed up at the door around 7:45 pm., and they said there were people standing and absolutely no space. They wouldn’t let us in, and it was very disappointing.”
MESA vp Mohamad Hneinou said the popularity of the event meant several people attempting to purchase tickets had to be turned away, as the venue, the Price Family Cinema, was at its maximum capacity.
But Hassanein holds no grudges; she says she would be willing to make a second trip to Keele campus to see Finkelstein.
“I guess people tried their best to arrange things, but people make mistakes,” she said. “If he came back to York, I would absolutely go again.”
Overall, the event was deemed a success. “It was a very civil environment,” Hneinou said, noting that out of the 500 attendees, approximately 400 were York students. He notes that if larger venues are available, MESA will definitely look into accommodating high-interest events.
With files from Jacqueline Perlin