A law student at Duke sends in this piece about Duke's support for terror:
You are of course aware of the general situation that has arisen at Duke lately. The new Brodhead administration lent Duke's good name to the pro-terrorist PSM conference, and spent perhaps $50,000 of the university's money on security related to the conference... an obvious admission that folks who support suicide bombing perhaps might not be the safest invitees in the world. A maddening situation, but that has just set the stage for the latest outrage.On Monday, the main student run newspaper, the "Chronicle," ran a rabidly anti-Semitic piece that you'll have to see to believe; it
is "wonderfully" entitled "The Jews." Then read the feedback... one fellow who particularly liked what the author had to say wrote this: "Newsflash to the staunch Jewish defenders - Jew isnt a race. Jews clearly have this nation by the financial scrotum. Listen to what this kid has to say, lest we find ourselves living in the Jewnited States of America." My point is that anti-Semites were quickly able to recognize (and admire) this as obvious anti-Semitism when they saw it...but this gets better.Our "fine" new president Richard Brodhead came out "against" the piece with a boatload of moral equivilence, apparent blame against those who opposed the PSM conference (basically, I get the idea that he thinks this is just well-deserved payback), and a bizarre defense of the author of the piece: the anti-Semitism was probably completely inadvertent! Although the article was rabidly anti-Semitic throughout, it was all somehow unintended...(!) What total dishonesty.
ADL came out against the Chronicle piece in a letter to the editor of the Chronicle... of course, the Chronicle editors didn't publish the ADL's letter. The Chronicle editors have even defended their running of the anti-Semitic essay, though the editor admitted that perhaps some cosmetic changes like a new headline would have been in order (!).
This is where we stand: we have a new president who has fostered anti-Semitism through his incompetence and toleration of terrorist supporters, who has sullied Duke's good name by stamping it on anti-Semitic conferences and newspaper articles, and who refuses to take
corrective action or condemn the anti-Semitism he has brought to campus (except in mealy-mouthed non-apologies).Another tidbit: when the PSM conference started, a bogus email was sent out in the name of the two conference organizers pledging their allegiance to terrorism, HAMAS, etc. The administration, specifically John Burness, sent out an angry email to Duke students blaming the enemies of free speech (nice Orwellian touch, eh?) and those who opposed the conference for sending the bogus email. He had and has no proof that the email actually came from opponents to the conference, however. Equally (if not more) likely in my opinion is that supporters of the conference (not necessarily folks around here, but supporters nonetheless) sent the bogus email in order to DISCREDIT opponents of the PSM conference and in order to gain the sympathy of the administration and students for PSM for going up against such unscrupulous and rabid opponents. The fact that the administration ASSUMED that opponents of the conference sent the email (rather than supporters) was revealing and maddening...
Can you imagine the screaming and yelling and stunts that the usual rent a crowd for Social Issues would have Orchestrated for their chums in the media if this meeting was to focus on the "Evils of Islam".
A pox on modern day Academia... we will reap the consequences of their ideoligies in 15 years time.
A pox on Modern Socialism.
A very sad state of affairs. Universities that were developed to form our future leaders have spawned destructive individuals that aren't fit to lead. Such a waste of our best and brightest.
yes i was so disgusted i posted under steinberg.
I note the letter is on the site.
If Kurian is of armenian descent he is a traitor to his ancestors.
I recommend you check on this link for Brainwashing 101:
http://academicbias.com/bw101-wmv.html
"About academicbias.com
AcademicBias.com is working to document the lack of intellectual diversity on American college campuses. Regrettably, the academic environment at most of our universities is dominated by political correctness, a view of the world that is invariably anti-free market, suspicious of the United States, and reflexively intolerant of opposing views. Because true intellectual debate is often stifled in college, students graduate woefully uninformed about the philosophical foundations of Western liberal democracy, the true workings of capitalism, and the full history of America.
Filmmakers Evan Coyne Maloney, Stuart E. Browning and Blaine Greenberg are currently producing a feature-length documentary film (scheduled for release in 2005) exploring political correctness on college campuses. As an interim offering, the filmmakers have produced a 46-minute documentary film: Brainwashing 101, a provocative look at how universities use tools such as "speech codes" to force political views upon students. The film shines a light on political correctness, academic bias, student censorship--even administrative cover-ups of death threats--at three schools: Bucknell University, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly).
In addition to providing updates about our film projects, this website seeks to help parents, students, faculty, school administrators and alumni by serving as a one-stop web portal for people concerned about the state of our nation's campuses.
AcademicBias.com and Brainwashing 101 are productions of On the Fence Films LLC."
The beating heart of the American university -- any American university -- is its Development Office. The only way to get the attention of Duke is to withhold contributions. This should be done with the explicit expression of distaste for what Duke has done. The Brodheads of this world, the very well-paid admninistrators, seldom understand moral appeals, or any appeal to a sense of justice or right. What they do understand is money. This should not be a matter of allowing outrages, including the permanent outrage of who teaches what -- can one, by the way, actually learn about Islam at Duke? Can one learn what the Qur'an and hadith and sira contain? Or is it all about the "Arab-Israeli conflict" without mention of Jihad and dhimnmitude, as at the worst Middle Eastern Department in America, that run by Khalidi, Saliba, and Dabashi at Columbia (where, one is given to understand, the president, Bollinger, believes that he can quiet things down by the absurd, contemptible, condescending offer to create two new chairs in Israeli studies -- a transparent device that does not address the gravamen of the many charges against the Middle Eastern mess, but that tries to inveigle those alumni who are outraged not in withholding contributions, but actually in funding these "new chairs" that will do nothing to correct either the anti-Israeli actitivites of these, to put it mildly, "activist" workers busy on behalf of the Arab Muslim agenda, even if under the "post-colonial hegemonic discourse" disguise left behind -- One Size Fits All -- by the late and unlamented (sorry, I forgot the brilliant and unforgettable contribution to Persian letters of Hamid Dabashi, whose paean to Said must, I insist, simply must be read, and printed out, and shared with the universe) Edward Said.
Sorry, Duke. Sorry, Research Triangle. It was fun. But there have to be consequences, otherwise the rot, and the danger to everyone -- not only to Israel or its supporters -- will spread. If only some would-be donor, a donor of tens or hundreds of millions, makes explicit that while he, or she, may once have contemplated giving to Duke, that possiblity has now been foreclosed. It is simple: those who in any way further the world-wide Jihad, anywhere in the world, are enemies of Western civilization. Brodhead and company do not get it. Fine.
Punish them. In the only coin they understand -- coin.
Is this why you went to UNC, Robert?
Here's the e-mail address for the President of Duke University, Richard H. Brodhead, Ph. D.:
richard.brodhead@duke.edu
Remember to be respectful with Dr. Pointyhead. Here's an article at Duke's Development website you may find interesting:
http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/psm/psmends.html
Dig this letter in support of the author of "The Jews":
Phil-
What a progressive letter! You clearly have a bright future among the Duke faculty if you should choose to teach in the future. In fact, I would be surprised if they did not give you immediate tenure.
Keep up the good work Phil, don’t let those Jews get you down..
Josh
I almost wonder if this is sarcasm!
Should the comment by President Brodhead be meant -- that he "hopes" to have similar events in the future -- should he not be encouraged to have a conference on Jihad and Dhimmitude -- perhaps organized by Walid Phares, Ibn Warraq, Habib Malik, Ali Sina, and others who are intimately familiar with both, and who have grown up either as Muslims, or as non-Muslims, within a Muslim context.
In other words, the real issue behind the Arab assault on Israel -- the refusal to contemplate the permanent existence of an Infidel sovereignty within dar al-Islam (even though this does not prevent the farce of much scurrying about by the likes of Dennis Ross on all sorts of breathless, frequent-flyer-miled negotiations, the "achievement" of "peace" through "treaties" on the Al-Hudaibiyya model (just look at how Egypt, having pocketed the entire Sinai for the second time, treated its solemn obligations), and suchlike -- needs to be seen in a much broader context.
And a conference on Jihad and dhimmitude could be international in scope, bringing distinguished Europeans, appalled at what is happening in Europe with the appeasement, and the creation, for want of intelligence, imagination, and courage, of an increasingly islamized Europe, or Eurabia, which is talked of in terms of helplessness and passivity -- oh, what can we do? -- when of course there are many sensible measures that might be undertaken now.
And one sensible measure -- dare one say it -- would be for someone to offer, in French, Italian, Spanish, German, and so on -- versions of www.jihadwatch.org. Any Maecenases out there who recognize that their money will not provide their children or grandchildren with what it might, if Europe itself, its art, its history, its past, becomes permanently part of the dar al-Islam? Not to mention the devastating effect on Western morale, and on the survival both of Jews, and of Christianity, should Israel be whittled away, and finally succumb, and what Christians regard as the Holy Land be under Muslim control -- with all the triumphalism, and the ending of free access, and the mortal blow this will deal to Christian Believers everywhere.
Yes, this is just the kind of conference that Duke, if it wishes to offer any real information about what makes the Middle East tick -- Islam, Islam, Islam, and more Islam -- will definitely want to sponsor. Islam explains the Jihad against Israel; Islam explains why the Bamiyan Buddhas were blown up, and Hindus in Afghanistan required to wear yellow identifying marks for "their own protection": Islam explains why Hindus are beaten to death in Bangladesh; Islam explains why a Jihad was declared against Sikhs in the original Patna Conspiracy; Islam explains why 60-70 million Hindus were massacred in India by its Muslim conquerors; Islam explains why the Copts, the original inhabitants of Egypt, have felt under siege for centuries, sometimes with less or greater force; Islam explains why Christian villagers were massacred in East Timor, and now in the Moluccas, and why between 2,300 and 4,000 churches were destroyed in Indonesia in 2003 alone; Islam explains why there has been hardly any intellectual activity, or permanent contribution to science or art, in the last 1000 years, since both the "gates of ijtihad" swung closed and the Christians and Jews who were within the Arab world (Baghdad, Cordoba) lost even their fertilizing and stimulating influence; Islam explains the economic failure of countries that, without their peoples lifting a finger, have received between four and six trillion dollars from an accident of geology, and have failed completely to do anything other than hire wage-slaves (often treated literally as slaves), throughout Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., Kuwait, and elsewhere. Islam explains the failure of all Muslim states to be democracies, for obedience to the ruler, as long as he is Muslim, is an Islamic teaching -- the only exception has been, and only partly, Turkey, to the extent that Ataturk managed not to "reform" Islam -- an impossibility -- but to constrain Islam.
Yes, the perfect place for such a conference is Duke University. One hopes it will rise to the challenge -- that word so favored by commencement speakers of every race, creed, and banality.
President Brodhead objects to the 'virulent' protestors of this even in his article,
"You, Duke student, can be thought of as belonging to a group that contains terrorists and terrorist supporters. Therefore, you are indistinguishable from terrorists and deserve as little opportunity to exercise your rights as they do.
One can understand the passion that underlies such a thought, but that does not prevent it from being highly dangerous. This is the disindividuating, dehumanizing logic of prejudice. It says, I already know you because I know your type -- more truthfully, your stereotype."
I thought the issue was whether or not Duke should allow this event. This is not the denial of the right to free speech, it is an issue of university policy. And how does a university policy prohibiting such an event 'dehumanize' students? Is this the reason the event was allowed, because not to allow it would 'dehumanize Duke students'? So, if I apply for a permit to have a big kegger with strippers and the university president turns me down, the people who want to come to the party are being 'dehumanized'? The issue is the event itself, what it implies, what it means, what it supports, what is encourages, not 'what kind of individuals will attend'. I am sure that there are some real nice folks who would like to attend that kegger. Don't stereotype 'them'. Some of 'them' might be 'A' students, but, hell, they just want to drink and look at naked girls.
But what about some of the folks who attend this event? Well, we don't know them, and we should not think in terms of 'stereotypes', how about one concrete example: the author of 'Jews'. And look at how other students have reacted: the school paper is willing to defend the piece. Aren't you proud of that, Mr. President! Congratulations on your policies that so discourage 'dehumanization'!
There you go Mr. President. Look at what your student body is becoming and has become. Look. Aren't you proud?
Duke would be better off with the keggers and drolling, mindless students. Who would you rather meet on a Berlin street in 1936, a drunk or a Brownshirt?
One more thought. Note the conspiracy commentary on the 'Holocaust industry' in "Jews". And what is the logical consequence of these kinds of attitudes in students? "Well, we don't deny the Holocaust (at least not yet) but why study it and encourage the 'industry'?"
This is an anti-Semitic generalization aimed at destroying the significance of scholarly work on the Holocaust: "You don't have to critically look at the work itself, if its on the Holocaust, its all a part of the 'industry'".
That is the message, and it is a knife into the heart of scholarship, critical inquiry, and our understanding of history.
If such attitudes prevail at universities like Duke then my question about the Brownshirts will become quite literally meaningless. Why? Because students will not know what a Brownshirt is.
See today's FrontPageMag.com for Phyllis Chesler's post mortem on the Duke event and the kind of people the 400 attendees were.
Not only are the Duke students getting brainwashed, imagine what their Duke degrees will be worth out in any normal working environment. So yes, Mike, I'd guess the letter from Josh in response to the Chronicle item was no doubt sarcastic -- the only place the writer is likely to find a job is at Duke. Presumably, the shit will hit the fan when the Board of Governors find out how much the taxpayers were dinged for the security. That was the whine that came from Montreal's Conquordia'd U as to why they couldn't let Ehud Barak speak there -- security costs.
And, as Phyllis Chesler details, unlike the goons (many of whom weren't students, but professional "activists" like Jaggi Singh) who smashed windows etc. to protest Netanyahu's appearance at Conquordia a two years back, the anti-PSM/ISM demonstrators were peaceful and well-behaved.
Anyone for writing an article/book entitled "The Nakba Industry" as a vehicle for exposing the pro-Palestinian misrepresentations around the establishment of Israel?
''In other words, the real issue behind the Arab assault on Israel -- the refusal to contemplate the permanent existence of an Infidel sovereignty within dar al-Islam ''
If I had one dollar for every time i have tried to point this out to explode the "Myth of the two state solution" i would be wealthy man!
This type of clear cut reasoning leads to the covering up of ears by the types who run mediocre univerities such as the one which in topic.
It is a similar reaction to the one i received from a group of Baptists in London recently returned from a tour of duty in Bangladesh.
So unhappy at the rough armed guards who accompanied them wherever they wandered.
The fate reserved for those who even hint at the preaching of Christianity in dar al islam as proscribed by koranic texts, which i mentioned was rubbish and i was subjected to allegations of racism by these smug and sanctimonious charitable people.
better to blame their own guards than face the reality that not all human beings hold their beliefs and no amount of preaching will change that.
There is a strong similarity between the reactions of these religious brethren and the reaction to hugh's statement by university intellectuals.
This is not dhimmitued or appeasement ideology, it is quite simply the inability to accept reason and logic.
A world of magical thinking exists which cannot altered by rational thinking.
Truth and logic are no use in dismissing prejudice since it is emotion based.
And it is this emotion which keeps them safe with their freinds in a cosy little world unassailable by truth.
David Duke would be proud of this university, and likely is, eh, KeithJoy?
It fits so well with the hatred the Left pumps out every time it looks at President Bush. Or a minority. Or the elderly. Or anyone religous....
10 more days. Then I will be curious to see what you write here, because barring a miracle (ie, terrorist disaster or 'october surprise' from the Damns, er, Dems) Kerry will lose.
pleased to announce that my blog after the editorial was approved & posted on 10/23 under the name "ted":
first, the chairman of the philosophy department says conservatives are too stupid to be academics. then, the psm conference. now, this hideous editorial. what's next at this dhimmi place of "higher" learning? al qaeda recruitment 101? what a farce!
And you can just Bet all those Duke students are voting for Kerry, eh, Keith?