| September 16, 2006 Afghan MP Malalai Joya opens the fall season of Ottawa University's "Science in Society" Course  OTTAWA:
On September 13 a member of the Afghanistan
Parliament, Malalai
Joya, spoke to Ottawa University's first session of SCI 1101.
Richard Sanders of COAT introduced her as
the one person who could
provide Canada with the "not filtered, not spun, horrifying and brutal
truth" about the situation in Afghanistan.He said that in speaking for justice Joya has been threatened with death and called a "prostitute". He said some members of the Afghan Parliament once had to surround her to protect her from bottles being thrown at her by their colleagues when she dared to speak against the corruption in the government and the interference of the United States in Afghani life and government. "Canadians can draw on Malalai's courage," Sanders concluded, after thanking the NDP for their bravery in calling for a speedy withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. [Sign their petition to the House of Commons] Marion Hall Auditorium holds 450 people and it was packed full of registered students, registered auditors and interested members of the community.    Denis
Rancourt, a
physicist, will oversee the course, but emphasized that the class will
see
little of him since the content will be presented according to
"anarchist" principles. He says that the course was maintained by
"academic squatting" last year after the dean officially closed it down
saying it
didn't fit into the academic mold (apparently, someone in the
university's Senate said
that activism belongs in "church basements") and Prof. Rancourt would
also welcome "academic hijacking".In other words, the course will move forward essentially under its own steam. According to this website, "AC" (short for "Activism Course" - SCI 1101's real, subversive name) is "'fast, cheap, and out of control', a perfect vehicle for learning and personal growth...". It took a long and sustained struggle to finally get university recognition of AC as a credit course. At this year's debut session, I sat beside Mary Anne Thompson, editor of The Oscar. She agreed with me that although most young people start out with admirable dreams of changing the world, the universities seem to go to great lengths to prevent them from acquiring the tools for it. Maverick Prof. Rancourt has introduced a surprisingly new concept to academia that has nothing to do with competition or grades, and everything to do with the joy and hard work of learning and of contributing to the global community.  Afghanistan and Canada's
role was the theme for the opening of the fall session of AC, and the
visit of Afghan MP Malalai Joya won't be easy to top in future
sessions. Ms. Joya spoke from a prepared text but with a strong voice
that choked a little when she began to describe the devastation of her
country.She said that the government installed by the US in an "undemocratic and fraudulent election" makes a "mockery of the war on terror". The US government is committing the same mistake as it has in the past; it is supporting the fundamentalists more than ever. The government consists of both war lords and Taleban in senior positions, along with drug lords and big oil representatives, said Joya. The US is not interested in the liberation of the country since it is obviously "still in the chains of terrorist fundamentalists" both pro and anti US. "The war lords should be removed from power and put on trial," said Joya. "They are equally as responsible as the Taleban" for crimes against the Afghan people. Many in the government "wear suits during the day" and have learned how they should speak about women, but the government is controlled by misogynists, propped up for its own purposes by the United States. Where once there was either the war lords or the Taleban, now there are the war lords and the Taleban to oppress the people, and the drug lords and oil cartels to profit from their plight. "No nation can deliver liberation to another country," Joya continued. Afghanistan must be freed of occupiers in order to help itself. The role that Canada ought to play is to support that effort by not encouraging and providing security for the current government, and by acting independently to provide moral and material help in rebuilding schools, hospitals, water and electricity supply. Otherwise, said Joya, "Canada is only helping to implement US policies". The audience sprang to its feet the minute Joya ended her speech, applauding loudly. What an auspicious beginning to what will prove to be a stimulating course. The next speaker (Sept 20, 7 PM, Marion Hall Auditorium) will be Prof. Michel Chossudovsky of Global Research fame. Members of the community are welcome to attend all of the lectures, and in preparation for next week's session you are encouraged to see the film: "Caught in the Crossfire" - the untold story of Fallujah. Rancourt Lecture: Social Analysis of Activism: Hippies, Militants, Liberals, and Fascistsyayacanada |