In a silent protest during this week’s convocation ceremonies, some Mount Allison graduates turned their backs on a former high-ranking Canadian diplomat as she received an honorary degree from the university.
Deborah Lyons, Canada’s former ambassador to Israel and Afghanistan — and former head of a UN mission to Afghanistan — received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Mount Allison on Monday.
She also gave a speech to the graduating class, saying her actions as ambassador and UN mission leader had been “misunderstood.” The speech can be viewed in full here.
Critics accuse Lyons of whitewashing human rights violations by the State of Israel and fault her for cooperating with the Taliban while Afghanistan collapsed in 2021.
As she delivered her speech on Monday, a number of students rose from their seats and turned away from the stage, according to people who were present at Convocation Hall.
“As you may know, and as may be obvious at the moment, there are some students and faculty who aren’t so happy that I’m speaking to you today,” Lyons said in her remarks.
In video from the event, someone can be heard heckling Lyons at the beginning of her speech, prompting scattered applause.
Protesters aren’t visible in the video but photos from the event appear to show at least 30 people standing with their backs turned against the stage.
“It saddens me that my appearance at your convocation has attracted this negative attention on a day that should be focused on you, the graduates and your achievements,” she said, prompting sustained applause.
She also criticized the protest leaders, saying “they did not approach me to talk and exchange views. Part of being a diplomat is to negotiate with people with whom you fundamentally disagree.”
CHMA previously reached out to Lyons via Mount Allison’s communication department and Twitter but with no response from the former diplomat.
She did not address criticism of Canadian foreign policy towards Israel or her time as Canadian ambassador to Israel during her remarks.
READ MORE: Protest expected as Mount Allison goes ahead with plans to honour ambassador
Other themes in her talk included the retrenchment of women’s rights in Afghanistan and the importance of freedom of expression.
“We shouldn’t be afraid of these sorts of discussions or even protests, especially somewhere like here at Mount Allison,” she said, also calling the protesters “courageous” and saying her work as diplomat required courage.
“It took courage to face down the Taliban. It took courage to open the doors of my residence in every one of my postings to protect and support activists working for social justice, even if they did not agree with their host government,” said Lyons. “Frankly, the last few weeks have demanded a little of my courage,” she added.
From March 2020 until June 2022, she served as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of the UN Assistance Mission, just as American forces withdrew and the Taliban regained control of the country.
She was previously ambassador to that country from 2013 to 2016. She was ambassador to Israel from 2016 to 2021.
University Board of Regents member Gita Anand, who introduced Lyons, praised the former envoy’s 25-year career, stating that she had championed gender equality “in some of the world’s most oppressive and conflict-ridden countries.”
Earlier, a group of people demonstrated outside Convocation Hall to register their disapproval of the honorary degree recipient, many of them citing her time as ambassador to Israel.
Human rights organizations including Amnesty International have described Israel’s treatment of Palestinians as a system of apartheid.
Critics of Lyons say she was silent about human rights violations but vocal in her support for Israel.
“Lyons should not be getting an honorary degree as someone who has outspokenly supported apartheid,” said one student who recently completed fourth-year studies.
Some members of faculty also expressed their opposition to Mount Allison’s decision.
“It’s a wonderful day except for that one dishonour,” said Geordie Miller, a professor in the Department of English. “It’s nice to be out here celebrating the students but also celebrating you know, social justice.”
Some residents from outside the university community also took part in the protest.
“I’ve long supported Palestine, a free Palestine,” said activist Marilyn Lerch. “And I do find it unconscionable that Mount A would award an honorary degree to a woman who was fairly silent at a time when people were being killed in Palestine by the Israeli state.”
Mount Allison professors Lara Khattab and Krista Johnston launched an online petition last month demanding that Mount Allison rescind the honorary degree. The petition had gathered more than 1,250 signatures by Monday.
On Wednesday, Johnston, who is director of Women’s and Gender Studies at Mount Allison, confirmed that some faculty boycotted the event. She also raised questions about Lyons’ efforts towards women’s equality.
“On the public record anyway, there is no evidence that she was sitting with women’s groups or feminist organizations in Afghanistan,” Johnston said, adding that Lyons appears to have “stayed with the upper echelons of those who were in power” as a diplomat.
Johnston also objected to the idea that feminists should celebrate women such as Lyons, saying her actions were at odds with an anti-racist or anti-colonial approach to feminism. “I think there’s a whitewashing of feminism that’s happening,” she said.
-With reporting by Erica Butler
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that a speech by Deborah Lyons went forward with few disruptions. In fact, a silent protest took place inside Convocation Hall during her remarks. This article was updated on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at approximately 1:30 p.m. to include information about that protest and related details, along with additional remarks from Lyons and a response from Prof. Krista Johnston.
