By Paul Sakkal
Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Jewish Labor MP Josh Burns has demanded the tertiary education union stop backing a left-wing academic who was sacked for superimposing a swastika onto the Israeli flag.
Dr Tim Anderson was dismissed by the University of Sydney in 2019 after misconduct findings by the university over his use of Nazi symbolism in lecture materials and social media to highlight what he believes to be Israel’s inhumane occupation of the West Bank…
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A Victorian parliamentary committee is considering laws drafted by Reason Party MP Fiona Patten which would widen the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act to outlaw hate speech targeting people for their gender, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. The law currently covers racial and religious vilification.
The Liberal Party has called for a total ban on public displays of the swastika, but Ms Patten said the proposal could be unworkable because some people collect military memorabilia without sinister intent.
“It’s how you use it,” she said, arguing Dr Anderson’s use amounted to inciting violence against Jews.
“A general person in the street would get in lots of trouble if they posted such in image. His speech should not be freer than mine because he’s an academic.”
Read the full article on The Age’s website.
