Canadian Boat to Gaza accuses AMS of Defamation

Last Wednesday, AMS Council decided to conditionally allow the SJC’s $700 donation ^[1] to SPHR for the Canadian Boat to Gaza. On Thursday, the AMS issued a press release ^[2] stating that the VP Finance will be conducting the investigation into whether or not the transfer is in any way linked to terrorism, and will bring the results of the investigation back to council for approval. A story in the National Post ^[3] followed.

Not everyone read the stories with slightly detached bemusement (as I did). Officials from the Canadian Boat to Gaza sent a letter to the AMS ^[4] claiming that the contents of the AMS’s press release and statements contained in the National Post article “are highly defamatory of the individuals and organizations supporting the CBG.”

While the letter did not contain any explicit threat of legal action, they did ask the following things of the AMS:

1. A letter of apology to the Canadian Boat to Gaza and associated organizatrons and individuals.
2. A public statement clearly retracting the accusations and implications that the CBG is or may be linked to and/or financing terrorism and stating that the AMS is not, and was never in possession of any information indicating the existence of such links and activities and that the CBG is a legitimate humanitarian initiative.
3. That your statement and apology be communicated widely to national and local media and published in the National Post.
4. That you immediately cease the ‘investigation’ referred to in the AMS motion of December 2 and provide CBG with a full report and documentation of all communications made in the course of the ‘investigation’ to date.

The AMS sent a response ^[5] respectfully disagreeing with their claims of defamation and explaining the situation from the AMS’s side. The ball is now back in the CBG’s court.

Over at Maclean’s ^[6], Justin McElroy (co-ordinating editor of The Ubyssey) has already pointed out how unnecessary and misguided it was for Bijan to issue that press release. If it had remained an internal matter, as it should have, the issue of possible defamation never would have come up. Should the AMS end up with a lawsuit on its hands as a result of this, Bijan could be in very hot water.

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