Racism at university: QUT vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil apologises

Margaret Sheil has apologised for the hurt and offence caused by an anti-racism conference that ridiculed ‘Dutton’s Jew’.

Queensland University of Technology vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

QUT vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil has apologised for the “hurt and offence’’ caused by an anti-racism conference that ridiculed “Dutton’s Jew”, as another cartoon emerged from the symposium that advocated punching “a racist” in the neck.

A Jewish academic who attended the National Symposium on Unifying Anti-Racist Research and Action was left rattled on Friday after other delegates stood and shouted “shame’’ in his direction over the leaking of a cartoon the day before that had mocked “Peter Dutton’s Jews’’.

The cartoon – which enraged many in the Jewish community – has a person in a superhero costume with a “DJ” on their chest and a list of attributes saying they hate Muslims, immigrants and they are willing to hug the Opposition Leader for “photo ops”.

The speaker has since said that she was referring “to the way that Peter Dutton conceives of Jewish people and uses us as political footballs to push his own agenda, not actual Jewish people”.

Education Minister Jason Clare has been forced to intervene in the growing row over the slate of anti-Israel activists leading the symposium, and a Labor-led parliamentary inquiry on campus anti-Semitism is considering calling QUT leadership to testify publicly.

The symposium – which included senator Lidia Thorpe, Macquarie University academic Randa Abdel-Fattah and author Sara Saleh – has enraged the nation’s Jewish community.

Associate Professor Yoni Nazarathy, who lectures in artificial intelligence at the University of Queensland, became teary as he spoke of the “public humiliation’’ he had endured at the end of the conference.

“They stood up and they all yelled ‘shame’ in unison,’’ he said.

“It was a co-ordinated humiliation. All I could do is sit there and try to exit respectfully.

“As a person that identifies as Zionist and is Jewish in Australia I don’t feel too safe these days, I look over my shoulder.”

A slide from a presentation at QUT's anti-racism symposium comedy event.

Professor Sheil issued a written apology on Friday afternoon over the original “Dutton’s Jew’’ cartoon, after an angry phone call from Mr Clare reminding her of the university’s need to enforce its code of conduct and prevent anti-Semitism.

“I understand why the presentation at this pre-symposium event caused significant offence and I am sorry for the hurt caused to anyone within, and outside, the QUT community,’’ she said. “I will undertake to review the circumstances of this presentation and take any action necessary.

“As for the appropriateness of the speakers on the main symposium program, it is important that universities continue to engage in rigorous discussion and debate about the issues so important to our time.

“It is equally important that this is done in a way that is respectful and safe.”

It has also emerged that another cartoon was shown on Wednesday at the symposium with the slogan “throat punch a racist today’’.

Professor Nazarathy said he had initially believed people at the symposium would not have advocated violence.

“That talk was satirical but if you have a talk about punching a racist in the neck, and somebody talks and vilifies Zionists as though we are the devils … then I feel somewhat unsafe,” he said. “I could not stand up because I was called out as the spy, so I sat there and took it.

Randa Abdel-Fattah. Picture: Richard Dobson

Yoni Nazarathy. Picture: John Gass

“Maybe it was a lesson in racism so I think I got my money’s worth.’’

As QUT leadership faced being hauled in front of parliament, Jewish Labor MP and committee chair Josh Burns told The Weekend Australian that while he “can’t discuss what happens with the parliamentary committee, I can say that inquiry is ongoing and that there will be potential for further hearings and public hearings still to go before we release our report”.

“The material coming out of the Queensland University of Technology was shocking and, personally, I have seen some truly stupid things, but that was about as irresponsible as I’ve seen in the last 18 months,” he said.

Committee deputy chair Liberal MP Henry Pike said he thought it was “entirely appropriate to compel those responsible to appear before a public hearing to answer questions”.

“What we’ve seen at QUT this week demonstrates how anti-Semitic sentiment has become normalised and even glorified on our university campuses,” he told The Weekend Australian.

“This is the sort of disgusting conduct that the inquiry has been established to investigate.”