BC Minister of Post Secondary Education Selina Robinson was forced to resign after offending both Muslims and all reasonable human beings with her callous remarks which drew continued pressure to resign with threats of protests. But she thankfully stepped down after pressure from cabinet colleagues and premier David Eby himself who said that she was out of line. “There have been many discussions over the weekend with the Premier and many caucus colleagues, and together we decided it’s best for me to step aside as Minister of Post Secondary Education and Future Skills. This decision does not excuse my harmful comments, nor does it absolve me of the work I am committed to doing,” Robinson said in a press release this week.
By PD Raj – Senior Reporter DESIBUZZCanada
With News Files
VICTORIA – BC Minister of Post Secondary Education Selina Robinson was forced to resign after offending both Muslims and all reasonable human beings with her callous remarks which drew continued pressure to resign with threats of protests.
But she thankfully stepped down after pressure from cabinet colleagues and Premier David Eby himself who said that she was out of line.
“There have been many discussions over the weekend with the Premier and many caucus colleagues, and together we decided it’s best for me to step aside as Minister of Post Secondary Education and Future Skills. This decision does not excuse my harmful comments, nor does it absolve me of the work I am committed to doing,” Robinson said in a press release this week.
“While I had previously decided not to run again in the next election I remain committed to my constituents for the remainder of my term.”
BC NDP MLAs were told by Muslim groups this week they are not welcome at a group of mosques until Eby takes action to remove Robinson from government.
Representatives from 18 mosques and Islamic associations in the province wrote an open letter to Eby, calling on him to fire Robinson from caucus for her recent comments, calling Palestine a “crappy piece of land with nothing on it” on which Israel was founded.
“If the B.C. government is serious about inclusivity, anti-racism, and discrimination in our province, we demand Selina Robinson’s resignation,” the letter stated.
“We are happy to discuss this with you, only after you have taken restitutive action that acknowledges the deep hurt in our communities and is reflective of our values as an equitable and inclusive B.C. society. Until then, we will not be engaging in any dialogue or welcoming any NDP MLAs or candidates into our sacred spaces.”
In a panel discussion hosted by Jewish organization B’nai Brith last week, Robinson claimed that before Israel was settled by the modern population it was just a “crappy piece of land with nothing on it.”
“There were, you know, several hundred thousand people but other than that, it didn’t produce an economy,” she said. “It couldn’t grow things. It didn’t have anything on it.”
Since Robinson made the “crappy piece of land”, she has faced heavy criticism and pressure to resign.
The BC Civil Liberties Association, the Palestinian-Canadian Academics and Artists Network, the Faculty for Palestine, the Jewish Faculty Network, and the JFN at the University of British Columbia are just some of the organizations calling for her to leave her post.
A petition has also surfaced online, calling for NDP supporters and members to hold the party accountable and “to take action towards consequences for Minister Robinson.”
In a statement posted on X, Robinson said she regrets her comment and apologizes “without reservation.”
“I want to apologize for my disrespectful comment referring to the origins of Israel on a ‘crappy piece of land,’” she said. “I was referring to the fact that the land has limited natural resources. I understand that this flippant comment has caused pain and that it diminishes connection Palestinians also have to the land.”
On Monday morning, Robinson released a much fuller apology than a previous one she made on social media, saying she is “very sorry. I bear full responsibility.”
“My words were inappropriate, wrong, and I now understand how they have contributed to Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism.
“During a time of crisis when many innocent people are being killed, including Palestinians and Jews with family in British Columbia, those in positions of power have a responsibility to bring people together. My comments, however, did the opposite and contributed to further division.
“I know that my comments have additionally caused pain, including among Indigenous communities, for perpetuating harmful narratives of colonialism. The experiences of First Nations people are not mine to manipulate. That was wrong and I am deeply sorry,” she said.
In a release Friday, a member of the federal NDP and MP for Hamilton Centre, Matthew Green, called on B.C. Premier David Eby to “reassess” Robinson’s position in government.
“I call for the reassessment of Minister Robinson’s position within the Cabinet to ensure that our leadership reflects a deep commitment to historical accuracy, empathy, and the pursuit of peace and justice for all peoples, including Palestinians and Israelis,” he said.
Green went on to say that as public officials, it is “imperative” to acknowledge the “deep historical grievances and rights of all people, including the Palestinian right to self-determination and the right of all to live in peace and security.”
Green said Robinson’s comments were not only historically inaccurate but “deeply derogatory and insensitive.”
Robinson is also facing backlash for her alleged involvement in the termination of Langara College instructor Natalie Knight, after Knight spoke at an off-campus rally and praised the “determination and ingenuity” of six Palestinian political prisoners who had escaped from Gilboa prison in Israel, reported CityNews.
Langara announced Jan. 26 that Knight was no longer employed with the school. The Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC (FPSE) and Canadian Association for University Teachers (CAUT) are now calling for Robinson’s resignation after she “inappropriately intervened” in the termination, saying Knight was cleared by the school’s Academic Freedom Committee and her remarks were Charter-protected.
“The Minister continued to press for her termination,” said Michael Conlon, executive director of FPSE. “The notion that a Minister would intervene directly with a college and call for the termination of a tenured faculty member is highly inappropriate and unprecedented. We will assist the Langara Faculty Association in grieving this unjustified termination.”
