A Canadian school district canceled a book club event with an ISIS survivor over fear her new book would “foster Islamophobia.”
Helen Fisher, the superintendent at the Toronto District School Board, said students would not be allowed to attend the event slated for February where Nobel Peace Prize winner and ISIS survivor Nadia Murad would discuss her new book The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State, which details how she was forced into sexual slavery at 14 and the rapes and torture she endured under ISIS.
Fisher’s decision and comments faced heavy backlash among the community and students, causing the board to state the reversal did not represent the board’s stance and board members were reviewing the material.
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“An opinion that did not reflect the position of the Toronto District School Board was shared with the organiser of the book club prior to staff having an opportunity to read the books — something that is routinely done before giving them to students,” the board said in a statement, according to the Daily Mail. “We sincerely apologize to Ms. Murad who has powerful stories to tell and from whom we believe students would learn a great deal.”
Tanya Lee, a mother in the community who ran the book club hosting the event, said she emailed Fisher with information on ISIS from the BBC and CNN.
“This is what Islamic State means,” Lee said in the email obtained by the Telegraph. “It is a terrorist organisation. It has nothing to do with ordinary Muslims. The TDSB should be aware of the difference.”
Lee said the event would continue in February, even if the board refused to let their students attend.
“The TDSB has not committed to letting their students attend. This is unfortunate for all involved,” Lee continued. “It is a great loss to the students, community, and educators at the TDSB. The school board withdrawing their support means that they are not putting their students first — only their administration. Nadia Murad is a Nobel Peace Prize winning author and Human Rights Activist. We have so much to learn from her about the Triumph of The Human Spirit and the Will and The Ability to help others overcome tragedy. Nadia and her activism is an example to us all in all societies around the world.”
Fisher has since issued an apology, but she still will not allow students to attend, citing how the book could be offensive to Muslim students.
Murad’s family was executed by ISIS before she was spared so she could become a sex slave. She eventually escaped to a refugee camp in Northern Iraq before making her way to Germany, where she has lived ever since. She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 and has remained an advocate for survivors of sexual violence and genocide.
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The board also faced backlash for canceling another event with Marie Henein, a Canadian defense lawyer who represented a broadcaster named Jian Ghomeshi, who was acquitted of sexual assault.
Representatives for the school board did not respond to the Washington Examiner‘s request for comment.
