A major controversy has erupted at Carleton University in Canada, where the school has decided to hire a man with a dark past to teach a course called “Social Justice in Action.” This man, Hassan Diab, is a Lebanese-Canadian who has been convicted of a terrible crime that happened 44 years ago.
In 2023, a French court sentenced Diab to life in prison for his involvement in a deadly bombing at the Rue Copernic synagogue in Paris in 1980. A bomb planted on a motorcycle exploded outside the synagogue, killing four people and injuring 46 others. This attack occurred as 320 people were gathering to mark the end of a Jewish holiday. The bombers aimed to strike during a busy religious ceremony, causing maximum harm.
French authorities claim that Diab was the one who planted the bomb. They accuse him of being part of a Palestinian militant group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). However, Diab insists that he is innocent and that French authorities have confused him with someone else. He denies any involvement in the attack, but his conviction was handed down by a French court after a lengthy legal process.
Diab was initially arrested and sent to France in 2014, where he spent two years in prison. However, in 2016, he was released under house arrest after a judge ruled that the evidence against him was not strong enough. He later fled back to Canada the same day he was allowed to leave custody.
Despite his past, Carleton University hired Diab in 2009 to teach a sociology course. However, after some backlash, his contract was terminated, and he was replaced. Fast forward to 2024, and the university has hired him once again to teach a course on social justice. This has sparked outrage, particularly from the Jewish civil rights group, B’nai Brith, who are calling for Diab’s firing. They argue that his conviction should not be ignored, especially since he was found guilty of such a serious crime.
Carleton University, however, continues to support Diab. The school insists that he was “unjustly accused” and claims that there is evidence pointing away from his involvement in the bombing. The university even held rallies to demand that the Canadian government protect Diab from what they call “further injustice.”
The situation has caught the attention of many, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has promised that his government will carefully review the next steps. Many are left asking whether it is right for a convicted terrorist to teach a course on social justice, especially when his past is filled with so much violence and controversy.
As the story unfolds, questions about justice, accountability, and the role of higher education in society continue to stir debate across Canada.
