The director of a sexual assault centre at a Canadian university has been sacked after signing an open letter denying Hamas terrorists raped women during their attack on Israel.
Samantha Pearson, who heads the centre at the University of Alberta, signed the letter, titled “Stand with Palestine: Call on Political Leaders to End Their Complicity in Genocide”.
The letter, signed by 2,100 people, was authored by Sarah Jama, a member of Ontario's provincial parliament and Susan Kim, a city councillor in Victoria, British Columbia and addressed to all members of Canada's parliament.
It reads: “We, the undersigned, residing in so-called Canada, urge Canadian political leaders to end their complicity in the ongoing massacres and genocide in Gaza, Occupied Palestine.”
The letter took particular issue with NDP leader and Canada's leader of the opposition Jagmeet Singh, who “repeated the unverified accusation that Palestinians were guilty of sexual violence.”
The authors have also urged Canadian MPs to call Israel a terrorist state, writing: “Instead of obfuscating reality, your letter should have begun by condemning Israeli apartheid and occupation.
Samantha Pearson, @ualbertasac director, and the @ualbertasac have signed a letter alleging that Israelis were not raped or sexually assaulted by #Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7. Shouldn’t a sexual assault centre believe all victims, and not just the non-Jewish ones? #yegmedia #yeg pic.twitter.com/2rWQg7O39u
— Jewish Edmonton (@JewishEdmonton) November 17, 2023
“Furthermore, by failing to recognise Israeli occupation as 'terrorist' and only directing this term at Palestinian resistance, you perpetuate an Islamophobic trope.
“Your language is fuelling the collective trauma being experienced by your constituents, and inciting hate crimes against Palestinians and Muslims.”
The Jewish Federation of Edmonton condemned the use of the term “unverified accusation” in the letter.
In a post on X/Twitter, they said: “Samantha Pearson, @ualbertasac director, and the @ualbertasac have signed a letter alleging that Israelis were not raped or sexually assaulted by #Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7.
“Shouldn’t a sexual assault centre believe all victims, and not just the non-Jewish ones?”
In a statement on Saturday afternoon, University of Alberta president Bill Flanigan said Pearson expressed her personal views and not those of the university.
He added: “Effective immediately, the director of the centre is no longer employed by the university.
Statement on the University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre
— University of Alberta (@UAlberta) November 18, 2023
The recent improper and unauthorized use of the name of the University of Alberta’s Sexual Assault Centre in endorsing an open letter has raised understandable concerns from members of our community and the public.… pic.twitter.com/xNkhA4sGGQ
“The university has appointed a new interim director of the [University of Alberta] Sexual Assault Centre.”
Flanigan stressed the university stood against racism and hatred and recognises "the historical and ongoing harms of antisemitism."
Accusations of sexual violence and rape by Hamas terrorists are currently being investigated by Israeli police.
Kobi Shabtai, Israeli police commissioner, said the ongoing investigation had yielded “evidence indicating rape [and] amputation of organs.”
One survivor of the Supernova music festival massacre described the sexual assault of her friend in comments reported by the Jerusalem Post. “As I am hiding, I see in the corner of my eyes that [a terrorist] is raping her," she said.
“She was alive beforehand; she stood on her feet, bleeding from her back. But then the situation was that he was pulling her hair. She had long, brown hair."
In an account published by Ha'aretz, another witness recounted a gang rape, saying: “They bent someone over. I realised he was raping her and passing her on to someone else also in uniform.”
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