Thobani's views bring call to halt support for UBC


Vancouver Sun


Saturday, October 13, 2001

The American president of a Vancouver-based international company is calling on alumni of the University of B.C. to withhold contributions as long as assistant professor Sunera Thobani is employed there.

Thobani has come under scrutiny since she delivered a speech in Ottawa last week that expressed sympathy for the victims of the terrorism attacks in the U.S., but also argued that American foreign policy is "soaked in blood."

Many people have spoken out in favour of Thobani's right to free speech, while others have criticized her for being anti-American.

In a strongly worded letter to The Vancouver Sun, Charles Huntzinger, the president and CEO of Imperial Parking, said he was "horrified and disgusted" by Thobani's statements.

He suggested Canadians who disagree with Thobani, an assistant professor of women's studies, speak out by targeting her employer.

"Obviously in free societies like Canada and the United States, people like Thobani have the right to free speech, even if they are apologists for terrorist murderers. However, Canadians have the right to show their displeasure towards her attitudes," Huntzinger writes on Imperial Parking company letterhead.

"The idea that such a terrorist sympathizer is teaching your children is a scary picture of the future. I know in America when such people spew their hatred on college campuses, the alumni withhold their contributions to those universities until the ilk is removed.

"I urge Canadians to let the University of British Columbia know they will not receive grants or contributions while Ms. Thobani continues to be an employee of UBC."

A university spokesman declined to comment on the letter.

Huntzinger, who is American but moved to Vancouver two years ago to become CEO of Imperial Parking, could not be reached for comment Friday.

He said in the letter that parts of Thobani's speech were broadcast by several U.S. radio stations, at a time when Americans were embracing Canadians for their outpouring of concern following the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington.

"The outrage that Americans felt, not only towards [Thobani] but to the 500 people who stood up and cheered her, did damage to the relationship between our two countries," he writes.

During an Oct. 1 speech in Ottawa, Thobani, the former president of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, criticized the U.S. government for "unleashing prolific levels of violence all over the world."

People attending the Women's Resistance Conference gave her a standing ovation after the speech, which asked Canadians to re-examine their position on foreign policy.

This week, an RCMP officer apologized for telling the media that an unnamed B.C. resident has filed a complaint against Thobani, accusing her of inciting hatred against Americans. Thobani's lawyer, Clayton Ruby, has filed a complaint on her behalf against the officer.

Vancouver-based Imperial Parking is the largest parking operator in Canada, the fourth largest in North America, and manages parking lots across the globe. It has 3,500 employees.

© Copyright 2001 Vancouver Sun
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Info on Huntzinger:



According to UBC's website, Imperial isn't mentioned:
 http://www.parking.ubc.ca/index.htm

But IMPARK shows:

UBC (Lot B-1)Lot# 1156
UBC (Lot B-5)Lot# 1158
UBC (Lot B-6)Lot# 1159
UBC (Lot B-7)Lot# 1160
 http://lots.impark.com/searchresults.asp?address=UBC&city=Vancouver


the cave

409 1363 Clyde
W. Vancouver

(604)921-7340

 chuntzinger@impark.com