Just a quick preface before we listen to this horrifying recording:
The background is that this student - Felix - had a discussion at KTH University-
-umm-
-about feminism and immigration with two female classmates.
He started saying that immigrants from a non European origin are-
-heavily overrepresented in being perpetrators in crimes such as rape-
The girls said, "We don't believe you, do you have any source to that statement?"
"Yes, I have, absolutely, I can solve that..."
And... so... the next day-
He had gathered a lot of sources and gave it to these women-
-these women - in turn - spread this paper to other students-
-and-
-a threatening situation occurred as 15 or so people started screaming: "Fucking racist!" -
-they stood and - more or less - threatened to beat him up.
So...
It became like...
The fellow students stopped interacting with him and similar things...
And then, what happens is that KTH University starts disciplinary action against Felix!
He is then terminated from the group work.
Its... totally crazy. Felix even clarified that this discussion with the two female students-
-occured outside of school, however-
-what he did, his crime is, that which starts the disciplinary action toward him-
-and that he risks suspension from his education-
-it is that he has presented facts, when his classmates requested it.
Facts!
He even referred to BRÅ (Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention) and similar "accepted" authorities.
That is his crime, and that he gave it to these women, who asked for it!
He is now at a risk of suspension from the course.
We're now going to listen to a recording-
-which Felix himself recorded when he met with representatives from the school in connection to this disciplinary matter.
Hold on to your hat!
You are aware that you're not allowed to spread-...?
Spread what?
Spread, you know, like political opinions or, regardless-...
You're not allowed to spread political opinions?
Regardless of whether it is facts or whatever it is, it shouldn't be here, on campus.
Where does it say that?
In the Code of Conduct of the school, for example!
We spoke about the Code of Conduct, I have read it.
When there is something that might be regarded as... a violation or harassment-
-or a specific treatment which originates from ones Faith, for example-
-which could in this case, be regarded as-...
But I haven't even voiced my own opinions about anything-
No-... No, it's sufficient if you are just spreading or if you're distributing-
It doesn't have to be your own opinions, it's enough if you just do that...
It's not my opinions, it's not like I think 86% of all gangrapes are conducted by immigrants-
-I refer to a study on the matter... so-
-what do you mean, could facts be discriminating?
Depending on how you-...
It's so difficult to explain!
It's enough if somebody who has heard about it, or have had it explained to them feel violated-
okay...
-you have a right to your opinion, but your opinion can actually generally be a violation to somebody.
So, in reality we don't have Freedom of Opinion at KTH?
It's not just KTH! It's in every place, whole Sweden!
We are following the workplace and foremost the law against discrimination.
One can wonder, as a first step... Why did you feel like you had to... procure those statistics?
They bode me, they asked me-...
And you do it just because they ask you to do it?
You didn't consider whether it was appropriate?
If it's appropriate? If someone asks me of a source, then I'm printing the source-
Then I distr-... eh... Is it I who have violated or harassed the person?
I'm not sure this will be regarded as discrimination, upon a closer examination-
Harassment or violation can be actual in the next step when this information reaches higher instances.
If the people who you gave this material to distributes this further-...
-and it ends up in the hands of someone who feels that: "This is a violation".
Just a question: If someone feels violated, regardless of what happens, there is a perpetrator
If I feel violated by this discussion, hypothetically speaking, have you acted in misconduct?
Yes, it has to be investigated if we have made some kind of error-...
Don't you understand?! Am I the only one here thing it's a bit odd-...
No, no, if you feel that you're being violated by this discussion when we are asking you questions-
-because of a certain event that might have come to our knowing where you've been involved-
Mmm..
That's your own interpretation, in that case.
I have a question to ask, in that case, or yeah, I can respond to what you said... I want to ask:
Could it, hypothetically speaking, be unacceptable that 15 people stand up after a course and act threatening while screaming towards me-
-that I'm an idiot, a racist, a nazi, similar things, in that case?
For no reason, because I'm not!
It's also something that's beyond the normal in a university.
I think it's a bit weird that one person on his own can bully 15 people, shouldn't the alarm bells ring the other way instead?
If it were 15 people who printed this and handed it to one immigrant - for example - I'd have understood why it could be a problem-
-but it's rather that I am, I'm the victim in this situation, I'm the one feeling threatened, it's totally backwards, everything.
Mmhmm..
I mean, it was they who suggested it, and I even said that-
-I even warned them, don't get offended, I even said that to their faces!
And they insisted that they wanted this information, and they give the information away, they chose to distribute it further-
-and then there is a mob, some kind of mob-rule towards me...
If I'm at a workplace, if I say things that others dislike, I don't fit with the group, I'd get fired.
Mmmm... do you mean that-... Could you give an example to what kind of opinion that would be, that would be unacceptable?
I think it's regardless, if you don't mix well with the group because of strong opinions that are so different from the others-
[cut]-can't even imagine!
So you're saying that you're not allowed to hold any type of opinion here at KTH?
You're allowed to hold your own opinions...
As long as you don't voice it?
As long as you don't say it so that people feel offended.
Do you think it's reasonable and acceptable?
It's balance!
So Freedom of Speech can be put on decline for someones emotion, you think that's positive?
No I'm not saying that I like that!
I'm just saying how I imagine people react, how it works-
You can be however intelligent you want and consider it his Freedom of Speech if you want...
But people have emotions.
You can't mean that the feelings of people can be put in front of Freedom of Speech?
Eh, What? Is it like in North Korea or something?
"The leader is offended, we must execute people!"
"We have Freedom of Speech as long as we're on the same page."
Isn't that a dangerous path?
I can't comment on that...
I mean, Freedom of Speech started in the universities, it was a free zone from the totalitarian society outside-
-and now it's being abolished inside the universities...
It's an extremely dangerous development...
It's not really that I've done anything significant here...
What if I - hypothetically speaking - would have made a roman salute instead?
In that case, I can understand why you'd want to investigate it, but I've just held a factual discussion with two classmates...
Yeah, they were not offended by the discussion, I could add-
Yeah, and then they spread the paper-...!
No, they weren't the ones who spread it!
But they did-
They were not the ones-
They were the ones who spread the document.
I understand it as, how they told it to me, there were people who came and asked what kind of paper they had-
Yes, and then they chose to give away the paper to other people.
Don't you think this is becoming absurd?
What I believe doesn't matter!
But actually, it matters, it's actually important, you're the one who will take this to higher instances.
Yes, because I have to!
But then again-...
It's a misconduct if I don't take this to an higher instance.
But Anna, the Equality Coordinator, said that in many cases, these things won't proceed...
Yes, but do you know what? KTH has received a lot of shit for not doing that.
Mmmhm...
That's why they're on to us now.
So it's just from this situation onwards-
-the media has started attacking KTH.
They've kept bringing up, "Why didn't you report this case?" to Disciplinary Matters-
-In the cases where we didn't want to proceed with the case.
What do you think happens to me if I don't take action now?
So you're saying that you send this further because you have to but not because you think it's the best course of action?
I wouldn't have made the decision myself, but like I said, it's not up to me.
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét