Mount Allison University psychology professor Rima Azar, who was born in Lebanon during a civil war that lasted until she was a teenager, is facing a new battle as a cancel culture target since February of 2021. A former student initiated the mob pile-on after sifting through Rima’s blog posts looking for “problematics.”  

The former student uncovered posts where Rima called Black Lives Matter a “radical” movement, which is a contentious thing to say, but not remotely inaccurate given BLM’s stated goals of creating a “global liberation movement” that will “dismantle capitalism,” abolish prisons, and erase national borders.

Rima had also written on her blog, in response to a tweet claiming systemic racism in New Brunswick, by activist Husoni Raymond:

"NB is NOT racist. Canada is NOT racist. We do not have 'systemic' racism or 'systemic' discrimination. We just have systemic naivety because we are a young country and because we want to save the world. 

Oh, one quick question to Mr. Husoni Raymond: Upon your graduation from St. Thomas University, you have been named the 2020 recipient of the Tom McCann Memorial Trophy for your 'strong leadership and character' … If NB is as racist as you are claiming, would one of its prestigious universities be honouring you like that?" -Rima Azar

Apparently this was all too much. Rima had gone too far. The CBC contributed to the mobbing In a 19-paragraph story, denouncing the professor for her “hurtful” ideas, without ever quoting anything Rima wrote. Jonathan Kay in an Opinion piece for the National Post writes:

 “...this gives readers the false impression that (Rima) Azar had said something really awful. Just a few years ago, it would have been completely shocking to see the CBC publish journalism on this sub-Canadaland level, let alone for a university to publicly denounce its own professor at the urging of a Twitter mob. But in 2021, it’s all part of the routine.”

Another aspect of the “routine” is a trend where the most aggressive and vocal “anti-racist” activists often are white people. As is the case with the overwhelming majority of the mob who piled on Rima; from her former student to the people on twitter to the CBC journalists, etc. Most accusations of racism directed at the Lebanon-born immigrant professor were from white Canadian virtue signallers. 

I’m writing this section of the book in July of 2021. At this time Rima Azar has been forced into unpaid leave and has raised over $81,000 of the $100,000 goal on her Go Fund Me campaign for her legal defence.

In explaining her need to raise defence funds Rima says:

“I now have been suspended from my job without pay, based on false allegations. We are in a pandemic and times are tough on all. This is why your support means the world to me. I am so grateful for my union’s continuous support in dealing with Mount Allison University. However, the reputational damage already done (defamation, attack to my character) has implications beyond my employer and workplace. I will use the funds raised to cover my personal legal defence fund. I love my students, job, colleagues, university, province, and beautiful country beyond words. My story is beyond academic freedom. I precisely chose to move to Canada for democracy/freedom of expression.  Why are we doing this to ourselves?”

Why are we doing this to ourselves? Aren't things pretty good in the West? Why do people, like Rima Azar, who immigrate here from truly oppressive places, think Canada is not the systemically oppressive place a growing number born here say it is?