Jewish student targeted
A Pembroke finalist has hit out at his college's handling of what he believes to be a politically-motivated attack.
Arabic and Hebrew finalist Daniel Lowe returned from studying in Israel at the start of term to find his room peppered with glass after a brick was hurled through double glazing and landed on his bed.
An Israeli flag was displayed behind the window, which Lowe believes may have been the motive for the attack.
His friend third year Fine Arts student Matthew Walsh had alerted college authorities to the attack, but Pembroke failed to clean up the glass before Lowe returned.
Lowe asked Pembroke to report the incident to Thames Valley Police three times. Even when this happened they did not mention the flag or any implications of a politically-motivated attack. Lowe says they missed "an important issue."
As a result police are treating the incident simply as an act of vandalism.
A spokeswoman said that the police could not speculate on whether they would treat the case differently had all the facts been offered.
When asked whether he believed the incident to be politically motivated Lowe, who is the co-Chair of the Chabad Society and a prominent member of JSoc, said: "the precision indicates that this is the case".
He added he didn't feel college was taking the issue seriously enough.
In response to his concerns about both the window and a subsequent incident of verbal abuse that was shouted in the direction of his room, Junior Dean Fraser Thompson told him: "I nor the college are going to stand for any racism of any form," a reply Lowe has questioned given his college's apparent reluctance to report his fears.
He felt the college was only paying "lip service" to their own policy, and "hadn't lived up to their word".
Junior Dean Fraser Thompson, speaking in a personal capacity, said: "Personal safety of both the student and his colleagues is paramount and as such I recommended that he should not display the flag so prominently.
"It is abhorrent that anyone should have their freedom of expression curtailed in such a way."
It's a view echoed by President of JSoc Richard Verber, who stressed the importance of "comfortable living conditions... regardless of personal views."
However Dean of Pembroke Dr Lynda Mugglestone said it was too early to conclude there was a racial motive for the attack, citing numerous incidents of broken windows in college.
"It's difficult to substantiate whether it was a racially motivated attack, but we will be monitoring the situation closely."
Asked whether she would advise Lowe not to display the Israeli flag in future, Mugglestone said she would not be making that recommendation.
"All students have the right to freedom of speech and expression and that's in the college statutes. It's a personal matter of judgement," she said.
Lowe conceded to The Oxford Student that displaying an Israeli flag in the current political climate could be seen as provocative, but that it doesn't merit violence.
The Geoffrey Arthur Building, a finalists' annexe situated on Whitehouse Road, has been the subject of criticism for its lack of security in the wake of a murder by stabbing in the area last term.
Challenged on why Lowe was forced to clean up the glass himself, Mugglestone said: "Well there is this thing called a weekend and maintenance staff are not in college during those times."
In October last year The Oxford Student reported the fears of those living in the Whitehouse Road accommodation that the area was becoming progressively more dangerous for students.
Lowe has expressed concern that a similar incident can happen again, and has said from now on he will be displaying his flag less prominently.
20th Jan 2005