U of M nursing student suspended, accused of antisemitic posts

THE University of Manitoba has suspended a nursing student for the remainder of the 2023-24 school year after she made a series of posts on social media — which senior administrators have deemed antisemitic — that condemned the Israeli government.

Prior to receiving a disciplinary letter on Nov. 21, Arij Al Khafagi was an active member of her Fort Garry campus community.

The 25-year-old, who calls herself “an advocate by nature and humanitarian by heart,” has represented peers as president of the U of M Nursing Students’ Association and vice-president of the Arab Students’ Association.

One week after Hamas launched a co-ordinated attack against Israel and the latter declared war in response, Al Khafagi took to Instagram to denounce the retaliatory bloodshed.

The nursing student cited a desire to show solidarity with Arabic community members, raise awareness about the ongoing tragedy in Gaza, and criticize the state of Israel.

“Any friend I had back in Gaza is dead,” said the Winnipegger, whose parents moved to Manitoba as Iraqi refugees shortly before she was born.

Al Khafagi made several Instagram stories (temporary posts that disappear within 24 hours) over the Oct. 14-15 weekend.

One included a controversial cartoon equating the actions of the Israeli military to those of Nazis during the Second World War.

Another was a re-posted video of people searching rubble for a missing child in Gaza with a caption criticizing supporters of Israel for backing a government responsible for mass destruction and killing Palestinian civilians.

Al Khafagi said she was called into a meeting the following week to address her social media activity. Senior staff from the College of Nursing indicated they had received a number of complaints, several of which were anonymous, and were considering kicking her out of the program.

The student leader said she was so distraught she had a panic attack after it ended and could not walk without the help of two friends who escorted her to the university’s student advocacy office.

Following a subsequent meeting, which Al Khafagi attended with her mother and a student advocate, she said she was told administration would let her know about its final decision on disciplinary action within seven business days.

She received their decision — a suspension from in-person courses and clinical work, effective immediately — last week.

In a statement, university spokeswoman Eleanor Coopsammy said U of M cannot provide details specific to disciplinary cases because of its “privacy obligations.”

“Every student who is suspended receives a detailed letter outlining the reasons for their suspension,” Coopsammy said.

Al Khafagi is accused of making discriminatory remarks and demonstrating wider unprofessional conduct in the letter, which was reviewed by the Free Press.

She has retained legal counsel and is in the process of appealing the suspension through the university’s internal disciplinary process.

If the suspension is upheld, she is anticipated to graduate a year later than planned.

Asked if she has any regrets, Al Khafagi said she wishes she made her intentions — “condemning the Israeli government and the military for the atrocious acts that they were committing” — more clear in her posts.

“I don’t have an agenda of hate or bias or anything. I share the perspective of unity and humanity,” she said, adding the posts administrators took issue with were followed up with others expressing her pride for her Jewish brothers and sisters who have joined calls for a ceasefire.

She noted she felt “traumatized” by the way the disciplinary process was handled and the failure of administrators to encourage her to receive immediate support from a student advocate.

The university touted its “robust and rigorous process” to review academic and non-academic misconduct in a statement.

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“Decisions are made only after careful consideration of the circumstances and evidence,” Coopsammy said, noting all complainants are offered support from an advocacy office to navigate the process and have an opportunity to appeal.

On Wednesday, Tory MLA Obby Khan confirmed he reached out to the minister who oversees universities on behalf of the constituent and requested the government contact U of M to discuss the issue further.

The office of Advanced Education Minister Renée Cable indicated the university acts autonomously in dealing with its disciplinary processes.

— with files from Danielle Da Silva

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Maggie Macintosh
Reporter

Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Winnipeg Free Press. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative.

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