THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume X, Issue # 93, April 10, 2008
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
VICTIMS ON PARADE AT NYU "ACADEMIC FREEDOM" CONFERENCE
By Mary Madigan
THE WORLD OF THE POLITICAL FAR-LEFT -- EXTRENISM, PARANOIA, & VICTIMHOOD: THE PARADE OF "VICTIMS" AT NEW
YORK UNIVERSITY'S CONFERENCE ON ACADEMIC FREEDOM IN THE AGE OF PERMANENT WARFARE -- DISLOYAL &
ANTIWAR ACTIVIST PROFESSORS CLAIM TO BE VICTIMS OF POLITICAL OPPRESSION & PERSECUTION & DECRY THE LOSS OF
ACADEMIA AS A SANCTUARY, BOTH FROM PUBLIC OPINION & THE ENMITY OF PATRIOTIC CITIZENS & UNIVERSITY
TRUSTEES -- POLITICALLY BIASED, RADICAL PROFESSORS CONDEMN U.S. GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE OF THE ACTIVITIES
& COMMUNICATIONS OF SUSPECTED ISLAMIST TERRORISTS -- SUBVERSIVE "EDUCATORS" DEFEND THE "RIGHTS" OF THOSE
WHO SEEK TO UNDERMINE AMERICAN FOREIGN & NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY
FULL STORY:
The poster advertising New York University's "Academic Freedom in the Age of Permanent Warfare" conference featured
a scolding Statue of Liberty pointing an accusatory finger and stating: "YOU! Stop Asking Questions. Either You're With
US or You're With the TERRORISTS!"
The speakers and attendees gathered around the pastry-laden table at NYU's new Frederic Ewen Academic Freedom Center
last week didn't appear to be oppressed or under attack. But, once they wiped the sugar from their mouths and stood up to
speak, they assured the audience that they were, in fact, victims in an "age of permanent warfare."
According to keynote speaker Roger Bowen (of "Revolting Behavior" fame), Director of the Woodrow Wilson Visiting
Fellows Program, the purported enemies of academic freedom include the "rabid Right" and/or "Republicans, Conservatives,
the elderly, and the uneducated."
Joan Scott of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University, decried the loss of academia as a sanctuary, both
from public opinion and the "enmity of patriots and trustees." David Hollinger, Professor of History at the University of
California -- Berkeley, noted that fellow academics in engineering and the hard sciences often felt "no solidarity with the
humanities."
Sheila Slaughter, Professor of Higher Education at the University of Georgia, criticized the influence of neo-Liberalism and
globalization. Most agreed with Barbara Bowan of the City University of New York, who equated true "academic freedom"
with financial security and tenure for all academics in the Social Science/Humanities "collective." Under this worldview,
anyone who does not support pampering the Humanities collective with a lifetime sanctuary is an enemy. That's a lot of
enemies.
Despite the presence of these enemies, not to mention allegations of PLO connections, speaker Rashid Khalidi is still
gainfully employed as Edward Said Chair in Arab Studies and Director of the Middle East Institute at Columbia University.
At the conference, he also felt free to express his opinion that our government in Iraq, and Israel in the Palestinian territories,
are equivalent to Hamas and Hezbollah. According to Khalidi, all are political organizations that participate in elections, and
"knowingly and wantonly" target civilians. Apparently, we're all terrorists now.
Khalid Fahmy, Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at NYU, described an incident in which a foreign student
traveling with him in the U.S.A. was "severely interrogated," apparently because he looked "suspicious." Fahmy noted that
this was "how people ended up in Guantanamo … I think." The student was let go and is still welcomed in this country, but,
to hear Fahmy tell it, the "chilling effect" of this alleged interrogation remains.
Dhaba "Debbie" Almontaser, who resigned as Principal of Brooklyn's Khalil Gibran International Academy, after receiving
angry condemnations for characterizing "Intifada NYC" T-shirts as nonviolent messages of female self-empowerment, also
spoke. Almontaser believes that "academic policy driven by Rightwing racist groups," a lack of support from local residents,
hostility from the mass media, teachers union boss Randi Weingarten and the war on terror, continue to infringe upon her
rights. She also claimed that in post-9/11 America, "the Arab Muslim community has been at the center of the most vile and
hateful racist attacks." All this, despite the FBI hate crimes report for 2006, which showed that Jews suffer over five times
more hate crime attacks than Muslims.
The alleged McCarthyism infecting America didn't stop NYU Professor of Education Gary Anderson from reminiscing about
his past life as a Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) activist at the conference. Anderson and another former SDS
member, terrorist/educator William Ayers of the University of Chicago, both felt free enough to sign an open letter in
support of Khalil Gibran International Academy and Almontaser.
Similarly, nothing prevented NYU Professor of Middle East Studies Zachary Lockman from raising questions at the
conference about NYU's recent efforts to "divert the Gulf region's oil revenues into their coffers" with the creation of an Abu
Dhabi campus. Neither Lockman nor any speaker mentioned that citizens of Israel and anyone with Israel stamped on their
passports are barred entry to the United Arab Emirates. It seems "academic freedom" extends only so far.
The audience echoed the speakers' extremism and paranoia. One attendee referred to a purported "chilling effect" three times
in a single question. Another woman, claiming to write for Revolution newspaper and responding to Rashid Khalidi's
allegations of persecution at the hands of Campus Watch and The David Project, shouted that Khalidi, Fahmy and Lockman
were heroes and "canaries in a coal mine!" The speakers nodded, thanked her, and began to stand up, obviously anxious to
go to lunch, but the Revolution reporter kept screaming, "The canaries died! You need to bust a hole! Get the oxygen
in!"
After lunch, NYU History Professor and speaker, Mary "Molly" Nolan, scanned the room, noted that the audience appeared
to be free of "Rightwing" infiltrators, and suggested that the conference may have flown under the radar. Get the oxygen in,
indeed.
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
The Fifth Column -- America's Internal Enemies:
Disloyalty, Subversion, Sedition, & Treason
Political Correctness, Censorship, Thought Control:
Supression of Unacceptable Views & Opinions
Mary Madigan is the Publisher of the Exit Zero blog.
The foregoing article by Mary Madigan was written for Campus Watch and originally appeared in Front Page
Magazine, April 10, 2008. The article can be found on the Internet website maintained by the Middle East Forum,
a foreign policy think tank which seeks to define and promote American interests in the Middle East, defining U.S.
interests to include fighting radical Islam, working for Palestinian Arab acceptance of the State of Israel, improving
the management of U.S. efforts to promote constitutional democracy in the Middle East, reducing America's energy
dependence on the Middle East, more robustly asserting U.S. interests vis-à-vis Saudi Arabia, and countering the
Iranian threat.
(Article URL: http://www.meforum.org/article/1879)
Republished with Permission of the Middle East Forum
Reprinted from the Middle East Forum News
mefnews@meforum.org (MEF NEWS)
April 10, 2008
Return to Top of Page
Go to the WEBSITE INDEX
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Public Issues & Political Controversies
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
Most Recent Articles
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Volume X, 2007
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Subject Matter Highlights
Return to POLITICAL EDUCATION Homepage
CONTACT & ACCESS INFORMATION
This is not a commercial website. The sole purpose of the website is to share with interested persons information regarding civics,
civic and social education, political science, government, politics, law, constitutional law and history, public policy, and political
philosophy and history, as well as current and recent political developments, public issues, and political controversies.
POLITICAL EDUCATION, CONSERVATIVE ANALYSIS
POLITICS, SOCIETY, & THE SOVEREIGN STATE
Website of Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr.
Government, Politics, Public Policy, Legal Issues, Constitutional Law, Government & the Economy, Cultural Values, Foreign Affairs,
International Relations, Military Defense & National Security, Geopolitics, Terrorism & Homeland Security, American National Interests,
Political Systems & Processes, Political Institutions, Political Ideologies, & Political Philosophy
INDEX FOR THE ENTIRE WEBSITE
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Conservative & Free-Market Analysis of Government, Politics & Public Policy, Covering Political, Legal, Constitutional, Economic,
Cultural, Military, International, Strategic, & Geopolitical Issues
Conservative Government Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity