The most unfortunate aspect of the whole Stanford circus is the certainty that the vast majority of the students who walked out have no idea who I am or what I say. They were just fed the nonsense about me targeting or dehumanizing Muslims, and they marched in lockstep with the herd. This crowd hysteria is just the opposite of what a university should be about, and that Stanford not only allowed it but its administrators aided and abetted and colluded with it, is an indication of what I have said many times before: universities today are no longer in any sense centers of higher learning. They’re just factories of hard-Left indoctrination and recruitment centers for Antifa.
James Dinwiddie’s letter is devastating: “As someone who has both studied and lived in Islamic countries and who encounters refugees from ‘Islamic conditions’ daily, I encourage these academics to consider their own plea: ‘For us, this means taking seriously the lived experience of the people most impacted by racism, bigotry, hate speech and xenophobia.’”
That’s a neat little shout-out from the real world into the fantasyland that all too many of Stanford’s students inhabit. Find out the appalling pervasiveness of this fantasyland, and its dangers, in my new book Confessions of an Islamophobe. Preorder your copy here.
“Letter to the Editor: On the Robert Spencer protests,” by James Dinwiddie, Stanford Daily, November 16, 2017:
To the Editor:
Those of us who came to see and hear Robert Spencer’s ideas and were disallowed into the auditorium were shocked and repelled by the actions of Stanford’s self-elected thought police.
This was a demonstration of the most selfish and narrow-minded bigotry – worthy of a fascist state – that has no place in an American academy.
The Stanford faculty who signed the “Letter from faculty and others regarding Robert Spencer” are, in my opinion, sorely misguided by their prejudgments and uninformed attitudes. As someone who has both studied and lived in Islamic countries and who encounters refugees from “Islamic conditions” daily, I encourage these academics to consider their own plea: “For us, this means taking seriously the lived experience of the people most impacted by racism, bigotry, hate speech and xenophobia.”
This “lived experience” perfectly describes the millions of hostage peoples living under “Islamic conditions,” of which Americans are barely aware. The empathy and advocacy for freedom of these Stanford academics, instead of preventing free speech and shared ideas in the academy, should extend to those enslaved by a totalitarian ideology in the form of state-sponsored theocratic oppression.
– James Dinwiddie
Adjunct Professor, Menlo College
pdxnag says
Wonderfully concise letter.
mortimer says
You can’t improve on James Dinwiddie’s letter:
“The empathy and advocacy for freedom of these Stanford academics, instead of preventing free speech and shared ideas in the academy, should extend to those enslaved by a totalitarian ideology in the form of state-sponsored theocratic oppression.”
Islamic theocratic fascism cannot be condoned or ignored by a MORAL PEOPLE.
Phil Copson says
“….You can’t improve on James Dinwiddie’s letter:” – um – yes, you can.
Off-topic, but a disappointing grasp of English from a university professor; he says that he was “disallowed” into the auditorium, when he means that he was “not allowed”, and he has adopted the modish affectation of saying “impacted” when he means “affected”.
The last sentence is a bit shaky too…..
But, hey…what do I know ? Go for it, James – tell those prigs where they get off.
James Dinwiddie says
Phil Copson – Stick to comments about ideas and not grammar.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disallow
The word “impacted” does not appear in my letter.
Nannette says
These so called institutes of “higher learning”, which are teaching only intolerance, bigotry, anti democracy and anti freedom, should ALL be DEFUNDED and closed down….
There should be penalties of sending these fascist lecturers and students to spend at least two years in Iraq, Saudi, China, Venezuela, etc., to experience the way of life they’re advocating… AND srripping them of all their assets!
mortimer says
Agree with Nannette: EITHER enforce the First Amendment or be DEFUNDED.
Clive Hyman says
Spot on.
Stan Lee says
Nanette:
Thank you for identifying the issue! Stanford U. and others who conduct their schools similarly do live in “ivory towers” in which they believe they can do no wrong. Whether by their intent or inadvertently, they
mock our First Amendment, Worse yet is the fact that they are in denial about it.
mortimer says
“Useful idiot” is a term of mockery for a person who acts as a propagandist for a cause the goals of which they are not fully aware, and who is deftly manipulated and cynically used by the leaders of the cause. The neo-Marxist students of Stanford showed they are “useful idiots”
It is a certainty that none of the neo-Marxist students at Stanford know the names to the primary Islamic source texts, much less what is between their covers. Most Stanford students and their teachers are seemingly as ignorant of Islam as the Yanomamo tribe are ignorant of advanced nuclear fuel cycles!
Why don’t they stop PLAYING in the neo-Marxist sandbox, pick up a copy of the HADITHS OF BUKHARI and THE SIRA of Ibn Ishaq, ACTUALLY READ THE SOURCE MATERIAL OF ISLAM and LEARN ABOUT ISLAM.
ISLAM IS FOUND IN BUKHARI AND IBN ISHAQ MUCH MORE than in the Koran.
Don’t be lazy, Stanford students! Read BUKHARI and ISHAQ. YOU WILL LEARN ISLAM FROM BUKHARI … not from slogans!
brane pilot says
Fascism is as fascism does.
Contrary to popular belief, no other real-world definition of fascism exists.
JW_Reader says
Well said Prof. You got a A+ for that post. I wish it were a little more elaborate about your experience with Islam and Islamic societies.
To Mr. Robert Spencer: do you have a copy of your Stanford Speech? Please post it so that Stanford students and others, who could not attend, would be able to study for themselves and judge. Thanks.
Lor says
Great idea!
Voytek Gagalka says
One rare shinning diamond in the pile of ashes (of today’s academic institutions)!
Guest says
It is wonderful to know not every college professor is a liberal
eduardo odraude says
Excellent letter, slam-dunk to the point.
gravenimage says
Menlo College prof blasts Stanford over disruption of Robert Spencer event: “Worthy of a fascist state”
…………………………
Fine letter from Professor James Dinwiddie. Thank you.
11B40 says
Greetings:
“herd” is too kind. “Borg” is more like it.
And I don’t just blame it on the University. Poor parenting is a major contributor.
My parents had all those stories about lemmings, grunion, and friends who jump off bridges available for immediate counter-communication. And repetition scared them not a bit.
RichardL says
He is an adjunct. And of course he will not get another teaching gig at Menlo.
concerned canadian says
So much for being “smart” students.
What is happening to this world?!
I understand the pain if you are raised Islamic and someone
points out to you that your religion sucks.
But most of these kids have no idea about Islam.
And wont till they are wearing Burkas to school.
But maybe in due time when they are in the real world
they will wake up. Maybe.
Lor says
Good for him and I am in over-total agreement. Being an Adjunct Professor w/o tenure “might” have allowed for more freedom, but this man obviously is a fair and critical thinker ( isn’t that what these upper class schools pride themselves on?).
You are a warrior for truth Robert Spencer and we all know that!!!!!
God bless your mission.
mortimer says
Robert Spencer’s analysis is again very sagacious: “This crowd hysteria (of thoughtless conformity) is just the opposite of what a university should be about.”
The Stanford board of governors should demote, discipline and probably dismiss the foolish administrators who have shamed the institution.
Matthieu Baudin says
“…’The empathy and advocacy for freedom of these Stanford academics, instead of preventing free speech and shared ideas in the academy, should extend to those enslaved by a totalitarian ideology in the form of state-sponsored theocratic oppression.’… – James Dinwiddie Adjunct Professor, Menlo College…”
Now there’s a voice for human decency; and now there is sure to be an active campaign to undermine and vilify Professor Dinwiddie. Never mind, truthfulness has broken through into the sunshine.
Flavius Claudius Iulianus says
I can’t say it enough times, funding cuts.
TassieR says
Blasts or no blasts, it’s quite clear that the leftist sewer has fully deserved the right to be renamed into “Stanford Islamic University”.|
John Forbes says
THERE IS ACTUALLY VERY LITTLE TO SAY IN THIS EXCEPT THAT THESE PLACES ARE NO LONGER PLACES OF DEBATE & AT LEAST THE SO CALLED HUMANITY SECTIONS NEED TO BE CLOSED !
Makenomistake says
The sanity and courage of the professor is exemplary among the academicians of the USA , when an alarming number of those toe the Islamist line. This voice will prevail ultimately. Criminals can never occupy civilisation in any way.
The dawn is not far.
I would request Mr. Spencer to post his Stanford lecture in Jihad watch.
martin says
Are there any types of sanctions that can be taken out against stanford?
Frank J. Verderber says
But you see, Stanford is an Ivy League U – forged in the traditions of Harvard. The students are middle to upper income, as they were during the Victorian age in England – some 100 years ago – becoming the Fabian Socialists. They are a useless breed of hippocrates. Claiming to free society through social deconstruction, they move like cockroaches from one political side to the other, and exploit the stupidity of the naive, while calling their self moderates. I always wonder; “Who are their parents and what do they think about their child wasting their money. The parents should be fined and publicly whipped, for nurturing parasite cretons. From a retired pub. sch. teacher, author and veteran.