Opinion: Canadian universities have an Islamist problem

National Post

06-05-2025

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The keynote speaker was Basema Al-Alami, a PhD candidate at U of T's law school. According to her university bio, Al-Alami's research focuses on 'the intersection of counterterrorism, entrapment law and anti-Muslim bias in Canada's legal system.' Her PhD research alleges 'systemic issues in national security practices, particularly the litigation and over-policing of Muslims in post-9/11 Canada.'
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In another example from earlier this year, the University of Ottawa's Institute of Feminist and Gender Studies invited Nada Elia, a Palestinian-American professor at Western Washington University, to give a talk on 'Weaponizing Feminism in the Service of Genocide.' In an article titled ' Weaponzing Rape,' Prof. Elia argued that, 'Israel is weaponizing claims of sexual violence for propaganda purposes,' and that there is 'no reliable evidence to document any of the alleged crimes.' According to the watchdog group Canary Mission, she has previously 'defended terrorists and called for the ethnic cleansing of Jews from Israel.'
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It is clear that Islamists, empowered by the cover of progressive activism on campuses, are waging a calculated campaign to erode the core values of western democracy. Their campaign goes far beyond dissent or protest — it is ideological jihad aimed at infiltrating educational institutions, weakening our legal foundations, distorting our security interests and disrupting our cultural, social and political stability from within.
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The fallout from normalizing violence on university campuses is already visible, but a deeper danger lies ahead: when universities allow extremist ideologies to take root, they risk shaping a generation of graduates who no longer see terrorism as a crime, but as a justifiable form of resistance. This radical shift in young minds carries grave consequences — not only for the Jewish community, but for the security, unity and the democratic fabric of Canada itself.
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With the Israel-Hamas war reviving the spectre of jihadist terrorism and ramping up youth recruitment in Canada, universities should not be platforming voices and ideologies that undermine our security and unity, priorities that Prime Minister Mark Carney alluded to in his post-election victory speech. Governments must seek accountability from university bosses to protect the integrity of our education system and restore trust in our institutions.
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The unconscionable attempt by young, indoctrinated barristers to get Hamas removed from the U.K. terror list is a consequence of the years-long infiltration of Islamist ideology into the British education system. With the Trump administration demanding that Ottawa do more on the continental-security file, Canada can ill-afford to end up in a similar situation.
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