Send us your syllabus. But be careful.
Be careful, those of you who for some strange reason have decided to take a course on Islam, or subjects related to Islam (e.g., a course on anything having to do with the Middle East, or India, or Comparative Religion, or World Politics Today), and you suspect that the instructor is an apologist in one form or another. That form may be the forme fruste of the disease -- we are making Grand Rounds, for those of you who didn’t know -- and manageable, just, but it may also be the full-fledged thing. And why should you have to endure a lower grade inflicted by a vindictive Muslim or Muslim-apologist grader? You shouldn’t.
One example. A few years ago someone I know took a course at Harvard on Islam. The graders were Muslims. On the final examination, the short-answer part of the exam consisted of a list of items that needed to be identified and discussed in a few sentences. One of the items was “Muhammad’s Night Journey.” So the student explained what this was, and where it was said to have happened, and that it was called the “miraj,” and what Muhammad actually did on his fabulous winged creature al-Buraq. But what the student did, that proved fatal to his grade on this question, and on the grades he received for the other questions, was his including the phrase “as Muslims believe” or “Muslims believe that…” When he went to complain about the entirely unjustified “C” he received on the exam -- and a failing grade on that particular question -- he was asked why he had written “as Muslims believe.” Well, he answered, they do believe it. But, asked the grader-instructor, are you implying that it isn’t true, that Muhammad did not make his Night Journey on Al-Buraq? The student was too stunned to answer. It was clear that the slightest calling into question of Muslim beliefs was going to be punished.
I urged that student to go to the President of Harvard and make a stink. He was graduating and chose not to. But he hasn’t forgotten what happened. And he told me that it has colored forever his view of Islam, and also his view of Harvard.
The moral of this story, not fable, is: Watch out. Faites attention. Ostorozhno. Your every phrase is indeed being watched, by Muslim teachers, for signs of any slight calling into question of the Received Islamic Version of Reality, and by their non-Muslim willing collaborators, for any signs of disrespect or doubt exhibited toward Islam.
Perhaps you think that despite all this, you may learn something. Yes, you will learn something, and if you come out un-indoctrinated on the other side, you may come out as the boy in the story above did, far readier and able to learn the grim truth about Islam precisely because he had been subjected to brainwashing.
The Middle East Studies Association, or MESA, or more accurately MESA Nostra, is the professional organization of teachers of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies in this country. In 1970 about 3% of its membership was Muslim; today it is about 70%.
As an organization, MESA has over the past two decades slowly but surely been taken over by apologists for Islam. Many of these are Muslims, and many are non-Muslims. The latter includes quite a few people who are married to Muslims, or who, to get along with their colleagues (and remember, the most political place in the entire universe is a university faculty, and that institution which, alas, Randall Jarrell failed to immortalize, if memory serves, the Departmental Meeting. Junior faculty owe everything to, and therefore must curry favor with, senior faculty. If that means signing an anti-divestment petition that has the mighty empire of Israel, fons et origo of everything that has ever gone wrong with the Muslim and Arab states and peoples, then so be it. Funny thing about being a trimmer, however, is that the mere act of signing something you really don't believe helps to convince you that you really do believe it. Otherwise you would have to come to terms with your own cravenness, your own pusillanimity. And no one wants to do that.
Be careful. You may land in a course taught by one of these True Believers, who will brook no dissent.
"It was clear that the slightest calling into question of Muslim beliefs was going to be punished."
But of course Islam is just another religion to be treated equally with the many branches of Christianity, Judaism and any other faith practiced in America. There must be biblical studies courses. Had this Harvard student taken such a course and answered a question with "as Jews believe" or "as Christians believe", the ACLU couldn't jump to his aid fast enough. A lawsuit would be ongoing right now.
"It is said that Muhammad..." would probably also get a failing grade.
"It is said that Moses..." gets an A.
The state of American academia is gruesome indeed. An associate professor of international relations with whom I frequently lock horns has declared, in response to my entreaties to at least take a look at the Qur'an, ahadith, takfir and sira, that she hasn't the time because of the press of her own work -- and moreover, "well-qualified people" would disagree with my assessments of that material. Foremost among the latter is the late and unlamented Edward Said, whom she idolizes.
Great essay Hugh thanks.
It's a reminder that not just the hardcore jihadist fanatics irrovocably believe in Mohammed's existance but academia/mainstream as well.
It's crazy to observe the Moslem who believe Islam absolutely is truth rather than a belief. No wonder they have no regards for this life and that makes them so dangerous.
"Be careful. You may land in a course taught by one of these True Believers, who will brook no dissent." Posted by Hugh
My daughter's middle school (Grades 7-8) spent a lot of its world history class time on the Middle East propagandizing against Israel. My daughter was the only student to disagree with the teacher (she was polite about it). Fortunately, the teacher wasn't offended and didn't punish her for sticking up for Israel or asking for *one* guest speaker who wasn't anti-Israel. (He didn't manage to bring in such a speaker or present a balanced viewpoint.)
This is part of the Toronto public school system dogma.
Hugh Fitzgerald is right. Students have to be careful not to anger their teachers. Anti-Israel and pro-Muslim sentiment is like a religion to the "social justice" crowd and alienating the people who have the power to deny you good grades is not always the wisest course of action.
If you decline to sign a petition, or some such thing, be sneaky about it. Lie. Say something like, "Oh, I forgot, I'll do it after class", and then forget again. Coming right out and speaking your mind (even when it's the truth) can be a huge mistake when dealing with this type of institution.
It did not take long to find out, but Mr Ernst has written a textbook that is required for his course - Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press (Oct. 2003). Recipient of the 2004 Bashrahil Prize for Outstanding Cultural Achievement in the Humanities
Among other things, he appears to be defending his textbook and the income derived from sales. Students will need to buy it either new or used.
i understand the importance of good grades in certain situations,. but, im not so sure playing along with the teacher is the proper course to take. i think for most students, the best choice would be to disagree with the teacher in order to show other students that there are alternate viewpoint. maybe another student was wrestling with comming to an understanding of the truth and needed that nudge to get the courage to speak out also.
maybe before you know it, we might have an intellectual mutiny in the classroom lol
It's scary to see the level of indoctrination and intolerance for dissenting viewpoints present in universities today. It's as if critical thinking has become crime. The spirit of free inquiry is dead in many campuses.
CAIR REP RESPONDS!
Hey AFFAD is talking about "Irritating Spencer"! hahahha why dont we all go and comment on his website abit!
http://affadshaikh.blogspot.com/2007/09/irritating-spencer.html
My recommendation to all "serious" American students of Islam:
Take a field trip to Saudi Arabia's 'Chop Chop Square' (if possible) to personally witness the weekly Friday-night mass beheadings of homosexuals that takes place there.
See if, after that, you still buy the Disney-esque version of Islam being taught in university lecture halls everywhere. (Not likely).
Another one of Islam's 20 Strategies for its conquest of the United States by the year 2020 is to pressure colleges and universities to require Islamic studies for a degree with professors only being permitted to teach the non-violent aspects of Islam.
Islam may have already succeeded on this front, too.
Is anyone out there addressing this issue politically???
Hello???????????
The emperors new clothes syndrome
What beats me is why take up a course on islam in the first place. What good is that going to do to find about this odious cult unless you are set on deing a dhimmi for the rest of your life.
If you want to truly learn about islam than an islamic school run by muslims/arabs is the last place you'd go.
Send them all here. We'll teach them.
Hey, perhaps JW could run a diploma course on islamic studies of its own. Now there's an idea!
Here is a interesting video for students to watch;
Christian missionary’s works are Illegal, Unethical, Immoral, Irrational and Irrelevant, in Islamic ruled countries that is.
Irrelevant because if a Muslim does convert, it is because he has a mental illness.
After all who in their right mind would leave Islam? You would have to be crazy to leave the “Truth'.
Al-Jazeera’s English network;
http://english.aljazeer.net/NR/exeres/C39E93F7-29C9-4BBE-9E58-B9E5BE7176DA.htm
If that link doesn’t take you there
Cair in the news archives 9/4/2007 has the link;
http://www.cair-net.org/
Scroll left column “Press center” then click “CAIR in the news” the 4th down is
9/4/2007 Video: Cair rep discusses Korean hostage crisis
Part one of the video you hear it explained how the
Activities of Christian missionary’s works amidst Muslims are;
"Illegal, Unethical, immoral, irrational and Irrelevant".
That is the opposite of what CAIR’s Mr. Hooper is saying, I think??
It’s so like “CAIR” to disagree in words by saying “Muslims are open to discussions about other religions” and at the same time be in agreement with “True Islam”.
Couple responses:
"Well, Christians certainly don't believe it."
"D is for Dignity, A**wipe."
I used the latter with my Chaucer prof...what a tool. So what if I didn't kiss his a**??? Every other female was kissing the pock-marked, four-eyed, balding man's scrawny hiney...why should I?
(Can you tell I still dislike the jerk??? Haha!)
Forgot arrogant...wasn't brilliant like he thought he was.
hey guys, as a new teacher for highschool this comes home to me. I feel that i am pressed to give a glossed over view of the role of Islam in the world history, but I figure as long as I can back up what I address without making any child feel uncomfortable or pointed out I have done my job.
As for college I have a friend who finished a college course called "Nature of Islam" hosted by a PHD holding Imam. My friend would approach the professor about 10 minutes prior to class beginning and have discussions on "controversal" subjects such as womens treatment, dhimmi status and jihad. Anyways his grade was mostly based on a report and a 10 minute presentation in front of the class. He chose "The treatment of Non-muslims in Islamic countries". Useing Bat Yo'er and Mr. Spence and this site as sources he wrote a scathing report and presented it. Truthfully after the night of his presentation he thought he would have to get into a scuffle on the way to his car.
But in the end he recieved an A due to the fact that he sourced everything and used sound logic based within reason.
Moral of the story:If you bring up unpopular theories then be prepared to back yourself up with the sources.
keep rocking the free world
In a more perfect world, one would not perceive oneself to be held hostage to a term grade any more than one should prostitute one's conscience and intelligence for money. As Hugh alluded yesterday, Robert could indeed make himself wealthy and comfortable by joining the ranks of his antagonists. But as a person of integrity, he chooses to tell the truth instead. Why would one prostitute himself for an "A". So he can gain credentials to teach among equally corrupt faculty elsewhere? Better to take your "F" and display it loudly, to university administrators, boards of regents, and alumni associates.
Of course, in a more perfect world, there would be no islam.
Miss_Anthrope, now I see why you adopted that screen moniker. (just kidding... you go girl!)
Mind you, when I was in high school (1995-1999) the only brainwashing I was familiar with had to do with those evil, greedy, imperialist, racist, bigoted, sexist, arch-conservative Anglo-Saxon pigs (hey aren't I one?) thanks to the curiculum established by the NDP (socialist) government. At the time getting us to hate ourselves was more important. I can't imagine what kids in Ontarian school systems are learning these days. Josephine , you gotta keep your kids close and their teachers even close (if you know what I mean).
Actually, we're in the middle of a provincial election right now, and public funding for private schools (i.e. religious schools) is a big issue thanks to the Tories. The left is upset because the Catholic Church is the only private group to be publicly funded. It's only a matter of time before they try to open a madrasa (with public funding no doubt). After all, if that's the vibe down in N.Y.C. then Toronto can't be that far behind.
Interestingly, I remember something my high school history teacher (who was actually a good factually-driven teacher) told be in my last year of high school (I went to a Catholic school in my last year, catching on too late). He told the entire class that the Catholic school board in Ontario was dead set against allowing Muslim students into their system, for a number of reasons, but he hinted at the kind of nonsense they pull, like at Harvard in the example given above. I didn't think of it then but it makes sense now. I can totally see them trying to under mind the Catholic school board here in Ontario. Its only a matter of time, especially considering how the Catholic school system is miles ahead of the public system. Luckily, Catholics are set in their ways, as I can picture them putting up one hell of a fight, while Anglican churches continue to be bought and converted into mosques.
Hugh, even if you don't take a course on Islam from any college, as long as you have colleges in your area, you will have college bookstores. You can just go in and see what the books are, and send the list here. Of course, that won't cover everything being taught in a class, but it is something worth noting.
Josephine, above, writes, "Anti-Israel and pro-Muslim sentiment is like a religion to the 'social justice' crowd.."
I learned recently that the term "social justice" was popularized by the anti-Semitic and Hitler sympathizer Father Coughlin, who was prominent during the 1930's and early 1940's. "Social Justice" was also the title of his weekly newspaper, an incendiary polemic which incited, according to Nat Hentoff (in an article published circa 1958), the local Irish Catholic toughs living in Roxbury, Massachusetts to hunt for and beat up the local Jewish boys. So, ironically, the secular-progressive Far Left has co-opted a term that was first employed by a far right member of the Catholic clergy (who, it must be said, caused no little embarassment to the more mainstream members of the Catholic establishment). But there are commonalities between both seemingly disparate parties, these being the villification of Jews (e.g. the putative disproportionate Jewish influence in government, media, etc. and the predictable support for Israel's enemies) and the view that the United States, because of its numerous erroneous and unwise policies, has only itself to blame for any foreign attacks it has sustained.
Since it is probably pointless to try to change the debate within the universities and schools about Islam and what to think about it, perhaps another tack should be considered. Begin a campaign on our college and university campuses to convince student to NOT take any offered courses on Islam and the Middle East, if they are not required to do so. Instead, encourage them to learn about it from other sources and forums.
Deny the Leftists and their Islamist allies a captive audience.
TheDiggler -- So true.
commonsense -- That's very interesting re. "Social Justice". Thanks.
"even if you don't take a course on Islam from any college, as long as you have colleges in your area, you will have college bookstores. You can just go in and see what the books are, and send the list here. Of course, that won't cover everything being taught in a class, but it is something worth noting."
-- from a posting above
In the usual college bookstore, beyond the thin gruel of the assigned texts, beyond the teddy bears and tee-shirts for the dorm room, the prints of Picasso's Don Quixote and flowers held in an outstretched hand symbolizinig Peace, the endless CDs and the iPods and all the other technological effluvia so essential to life, books, other than the thin gruel of what is normally assigned (Ernst, I have just discovered, assigns, for an entire semester I gather, less than six books) on Islam are likely to consist of one or two pretend-feminist-but-protect-Islam-at-all costs tract (e.g., Fatimia Mernissi), a few additions to the "myth of Andalucia" and its splendid convivencia (e.g., "Ornament of the World"), a book or two designed to call into question the entire enterprise of Western scholarshi about Islam (Said's "Orientalism"), a few insistent defenses that Islam is No Threat (Esposito), that Islam is wonderful (Karen Armstrong), that Islam and Christianity Have So Much In Common And Really Ought to Get Together (Bulliett). Oh, it goes on and on like that.
Try finding at any bookstore in a college town any books by Ibn Warraq, much less Chirstoph Luxenberg. Let that be the test: do they carry Ibn Warraq's four scholarly works, much less "Why I Am Not a Muslim" or do they not? Do they carry Bostom's "The Legacy of Jihad" or do they not? Do they carry any of the reprinted books by Schacht or Margoliouth? Al-Qaradawi, to give students a hint of the Total Regulation that is Islam.
Those who live in college towns may wish to take a look. Write down what is on offer in the section devoted to Islam and send in that list here. It will be posted, with commentary and thanks.
Here, proleptically, is the thanks.
The Allies Shall Win - You can't comment on "Affad's" blogspot, at least I didn't see anywhere.
But, it's filled with the usual "hater and bigot" name calling.
Mr. Hugh - Could you furnish please a good riposte when confronted with that "you're a hater and a bigot" stuff?
No. The charge is too stupid, and a reply would be pointless.
Anyone seeking an education about Islam should certainly not rely on college courses for the truth. In addition to the fine books by Robert Spencer, Bat Yeor etc. there are a number of online sources which provide the equivalent of a major in Islamic studies. A good place to start is the list on Islam Watch, a website run by apostate Muslims:
http://www.islam-watch.org/IW/library.htm
Students: You have a civic obligation to respectfully challenge your professors. You need not be an expert nor a smart alec: merely asking well aimed questions, based on out-of-class readings is enough.
Why would you refrain from asking legitimate questions? Just study hard and do as well as you possibly can. If you are unfairly graded, then raise hell with the administration. The student from Harvard who refused to complain about obviously unfair grading should not be your role model.
Here is some sample questions. I am sure you can come up with better ones.
"Professor, I'm puzzled about the sura in the Quran that says there is no compulsion in religion. I was reading the other day that all the major schools of Sharia declare the apostacy of Muslim men to be punishable by death. Can you explain this discrepancy? What do the Sharia courts base their rulings on?" (If the instructor is Muslim, add: Do you agree that apostates should be punished? If no, what do you base your opinion on?)
"I read the other day that absolutely no non-Muslim is allowed into the cities of Mecca or Medina, and it has been that way for centuries. Why is that?" (If the instructor is Muslim, add: Do you agree with this ban on non-Muslims?)
Good luck and have fun. Progressives don't have a market on "dissension."
That student from Harvard, a citizen of Mexico (apparently, he told me, the grader presumed he would be disaffected from America and hence the West, and be vulnerable to the pitch made for Islam, and was incensed that it did not work out that way), should not be criticized in the slightest.
He was getting ready for graduation. He was packing up. How likely was it that the President of Harvard would be seeing him, would give him the time of day? There were lawns to tend to and a campus to titivate for the donors who had already been carefully identified by the Development Office -- the beating heart of Harvard as of other universities today -- as ripe for the plucking. Do you think he was going to make time to see a student complaining about a Muslim grader, in a course on Islam? Of course what I wanted him to do was, later on, to set it all down on paper and send it to the President's Office. There I think I had a point.
In any case, he was thoroughly disgusted by his treatment in that course, and will for the rest of his life be letting others know about that telling attempt at thought control and that punishment inflicted. No hearts and minds were won for Islam by the behavior of that grader.
Heh. You should see the other nicknames...they're not as nice!
Hugh,
I can't make any promises, but I'll see if I can't drop by a college bookstore to see what they have for ya.
The H-1B program has shifted more power to tenured profs.
DHS Immigration Statistics
Yearbook
Non-immigration Admissions
"Temporary Admissions of Nonimmigrants to the United States: 2005 (PDF, 8 pages - 378 KB)"
Page 3 Table 3 Non-immigrant admissions.
Specialty occupations (H-1B). . . . .407,418
H-1B is considered a non-immigrant admission because the person says there is no intention to stay.
Non-university H-1B are capped at 65,000, so the rest are at universities.
The university bookshop may not offer anything much.
But the library - particularly if your place of study dates back more than 100 years - may just possibly surprise you. Take the lists of authors and titles - specially the Old Books - that Hugh, and others here, have mentioned. Find out whether and how many of them are to be found in the library, and what their call numbers are.
Then, if your university allows students to enter the stacks, you have only to go to the locations indicated by those numbers and look around at what is on the shelves to see what else might be there in that particular subject grouping.
If you do find one of the classic scholarly works that Hugh has mentioned here and in other postings - e.g. Joseph Schacht - make sure you borrow it. Libraries keep track of which books are being used. Many modern university libraries have a distressing tendency to bury in 'storage' - or, worse, throw out! - any really old books that are not being checked out regularly. By borrowing a book you are helping to keep it there for others to find later on.
A further note - this time to graduates. If you have the money to do it, here is nothing to stop one buying, say, a complete set of the Works of Bat Ye'or, or even a complete set of the materials that Hugh has identified in recent postings related to the topic of Islamic Studies, and personally donating it to the library of one's Alma Mater.
And why wait till the kids get into college? Those of us here who are parents of high schoolers can do our bit by getting "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam and the Crusades" and donating to our kids' high school library. If the school has Hispanic kids, throw in a copy of the Spanish version for good measure. One could add 'Religion of Peace?' and 'The Truth About Muhammad', but I think the PIG is most likely to be read and understood by a high-schooler.