Statement by Canada Palestine Association and Voice of Palestine
December 29, 2010
We have Lost a Courageous and Honest Scholar: David Noble
We at the Canada Palestine Association-Vancouver and the Voice of Palestine-Canada express our deepest condolences to the wife and family of Professor David Noble who passed away on December 27, 2010.
Prof. Noble was a leading academic and principled activist of Jewish background who pioneered the struggle at York University against the influence of the pro-Israel lobby. His unflinching courage and honesty will be sadly missed. He was featured three times on Voice of Palestine Radio over the last few years and we are including the links below.
Once again, we are saddened by this unexpected and tragic news.
Hanna Kawas
Chair, Canada Palestine Association
Co-Host, Voice of Palestine
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Statement by Canadian Arab Federation
Canadian Arab Federation
La Fédération Canado-Arabe
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 28, 2010
Canada loses David Noble, a great fighter for social and political justice.
With great sadness and deepest sorrow, we received the news of the passing away of Professor David Franklin Noble (July 22, 1945 – December 27, 2010).
Professor Noble was a critical historian of technology, science and education; a relentless crusader against the commercialization of higher education; a passionate champion of academic freedom; and a staunch opponent of discrimination. He last taught in the Division of Social Science, and the department of Social and Political Thought at York University in Toronto.
Professor Noble was an anti-Zionist Jew and a member of Independent Jewish Voices. In his critique of what he views as an academic-industrial system, Professor Noble has questioned Israel’s strategic role in Western institutions on a broad basis.
In late November 2004, Professor Noble handed out a flyer to his class entitled “The York University Foundation: The Tail That Wags the Dog” proposing that there was a connection between pro-Israeli influence on the York Foundation and the university administration’s treatment of vocal pro-Palestinian students on campus.
He later launched a $25 million libel suit at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice against York University, Jewish, and Israeli organizations for defamation and conspiracy, accusing them of having improperly criticized his flyer as anti-semitic.
In April 2006 Professor Noble lodged a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC), stating that cancellation of classes during certain Jewish holidays constituted discrimination against non-Jewish students. OHRC investigation found York’s practice discriminatory and, before the issue made it to the Tribunal, York University agreed to stop the practice, starting in September 2009.
Throughout his life, whether at the personal or professional/academic level, Professor Noble was the embodiment of intellectual honesty, courage, and decency. Canada lost a truly noble person, both in name and in the essence of his character.
“Oh heart, if one should say to you that the soul perishes like the body, answer that the flower withers, but the seed remains.” Kahlil Gibran
We at the Canadian Arab Federation, Palestine House, Islamic Society of York Region and Canadian Shia Muslims Organization extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Sarah, his three children, his two brothers [and a sister], and stand with them during this difficult period.
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See Globe and Mail article David Noble, academic and activist, dies at 65
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Links to interviews and speeches on Voice of Palestine:
April 3, 2007
Highlights of the presentation by Prof. David Noble to the third annual Palestine Lives conference held at McMaster University in Hamilton on March 31st, 2007. The conference was sponsored by Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights SPHR, Hamilton. (28 minutes into the show)
VOP_Apr03_2007_8kbps.mp3 (8 kbps encoding, ~3.5MB)
VOP_Apr03_2007_16kbps.mp3 (16 kbps encoding, ~7.0MB)
Dec. 19, 2006
A live interview with Prof. David Noble on Voice of Palestine. (24 minutes into the show)
VOP_Dec19_2006_8kbps.mp3 (8 kbps encoding, ~3.5MB)
VOP_Dec19_2006_16kbps.mp3 (16 kbps encoding, ~7.0MB)
May 2, 2006
An interview with Professor David Noble from York University on Voice of Palestine, (26 minutes into the show)
VOP_May02_2006_8kbps.mp3 (8 kbps encoding, ~3.5MB)
VOP_May02_2006_16kbps.mp3 (16 kbps encoding, ~7.0MB)