Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Frank Dimant snaps his fingers...

...and a Carleton University professor is out of a job.

B'nai Brith Canada had issued a statement of its own Tuesday, saying it was “deeply disturbed” that Mr. [Hassan] Diab was teaching “impressionable students” at Carleton.

"Canadians should be extremely concerned that an alleged terrorist, accused of committing ... heinous acts, will be teaching our youth at a leading Canadian university," said Frank Dimant, B'nai Brith Canada's executive vice-president.

"This man, who is wanted in France and currently out on bail while the investigation continues, is accused of murdering four people in cold blood just because they were Jewish and decided to worship in a synagogue.

"We find it deplorable that university officials believe that there is nothing wrong with employing Diab. The safety and security of the community as a whole, and of the Carleton University campus in particular, are of great concern to us".

Diab's teaching duties became public yesterday. By today, he had been given the heave:

The school had confirmed to CBC earlier on Tuesday through email that Diab would be teaching an introductory course in sociology but sent out another release later in the day saying Diab had been replaced.

The school's statement said the decision had been made "in the interest of providing its students with a stable, productive academic environment that is conducive to learning."

Obviously if Diab committed the acts of which he is accused, he should suffer the maximum punishment that French law allows. But there's this vexing little matter of...a trial.

"Innocent until proven guilty?" Not these days. At least, not at Carleton University. That's so last century--like freedom of expression.

UPDATE: (July 29) Hell has once again frozen over. The National Post agrees.

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