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<font size=4 color="#FF0000"><b><i>The attacks on progressive professors
goes way beyond Ward Churchill!<br><br>
</i></b></font><font size=3>Campus & Citywide Speakout:<br>
AGAINST RACISM AND THE NEW McCARTHYISM AT COLUMBIA<br>
<br>
Organised by: Stop McCarthyism at Columbia (SMAC)<br>
<br>
When: Sunday, March 6th -1pm<br>
Where: Columbia Univ., 116th & B'way, sundial located on<br>
college walk<br>
For more info: contact_smac@yahoo.com<br>
<br><br>
Join SMAC to defend free speech. Recently, professors at<br>
Columbia University have been the target of a politically<br>
motivated intimidation campaign by right-wing pro-Israel<br>
groups like Scholars for Peace in the Middle East. Now<br>
these same groups are hosting a day-long conference at<br>
Columbia with some of the most viciously racist, anti-Arab<br>
propagandists as guest speakers.<br><br>
<br><br>
These include the likes of Martin Kramer, co-founder of<br>
Campus Watch, a website designed to blacklist academics<br>
critical of Israeli and American policies. Also speaking is<br>
Harvard professor, Alan Dershowitz, who is well-known for<br>
advocating torture. Charles Jacobs, founder of the David<br>
Project, will also be there. The Project, which targets<br>
professors sympathetic to Palestinian human rights, is<br>
responsible for funding Columbia Unbecoming, a filmed<br>
collection of unsubstantiated claims against Columbia<br>
professors. <br><br>
<br><br>
This is the new McCarthyism. Already, Professor Rashid<br>
Khalidi, has been fired from his position at an NYC Teacher<br>
Training Program for criticising Israel's occupation and<br>
racist stance towards Palestinians. This is part of a<br>
larger national campaign to silence critics of US and<br>
Israeli policies in the Middle East.<br><br>
<br><br>
Free speech is not intimidation. Dissent is not<br>
intimidation. Threatening professors for exercising their<br>
rights, is. It's wrong to scapegoat Arabs, Muslims, and<br>
South Asians. Join us to defend our professors and speak<br>
out against the racist message of this conference.<br><br>
<br><br>
Organised by Stop McCarthyism at Columbia (SMAC)<br>
************************************************************<br>
<br>
Stop McCarthyism at Columbia<br>
(SMAC) Statement<br>
<br><br>
Recently, professors at Columbia University, in particular<br>
professors at the Middle East and Asian Languages and<br>
Cultures Department (MEALAC), have been the target of a<br>
politically motivated intimidation campaign. These attacks<br>
were sparked by the limited release of Columbia Unbecoming,<br>
a filmed collection of unsubstantiated claims against<br>
professors sympathetic to Palestinian human rights. The<br>
film is funded by the David Project, an initiative founded<br>
in 2002 to silence thoughtful criticism of Zionism and<br>
Israeli policy, and to squelch dissent. The film<br>
systematically excludes a broad range of views and the<br>
perspectives of many satisfied Columbia students Jewish<br>
and non-Jewish alike.<br><br>
<br><br>
Columbia University President Lee Bollinger has bowed to<br>
external political pressure from media, outside pro-Israel<br>
lobby groups and local elected officials. His office is now<br>
heading an investigation of targeted professors. The New<br>
York City Council has warned that if the University<br>
investigation “comes up dry”, they will launch their own<br>
investigation. As a result of the negative publicity, one<br>
of the most targeted faculty, Professor Joseph Massad, will<br>
not be teaching his signature course, Israeli and<br>
Palestinian Societies and Cultures, this Spring. Other<br>
professors sympathetic to Palestinian human rights who not<br>
were specifically targeted by Columbia Unbecoming are<br>
nonetheless suffering from this vicious campaign. For<br>
instance, eminent historian and Professor Rashid Khalidi,<br>
director of the Middle East Institute at Columbia, was<br>
recently fired from the New York City Teacher Training<br>
Program on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Development, a<br>
volunteer position he has held for years.<br><br>
<br><br>
Though the David Project claims political balance, Columbia<br>
Unbecoming is a patchwork of incoherent, uncorroborated<br>
accusations. The Project itself is part of a larger<br>
campaign against critics of the US and Israel and their<br>
roles in the Middle East. This campaign includes groups<br>
like Campus Watch and Scholars for Peace in the Middle East<br>
as well as propagandists such as Martin Kramer and Daniel<br>
Pipes. A major strategy of these groups and individuals is<br>
to equate criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism, and to<br>
use this charge to silence critical voices. Indeed, the US<br>
government is now considering legislation, HR 3077, that<br>
will increase monitoring of Middle East studies programs in<br>
order to silence critique. These acts draw from the general<br>
rise in discrimination against Arabs, Muslims, and South<br>
Asians within the context of US militarism. This is the new<br>
McCarthyism. Columbia University is not immune to this<br>
climate.<br><br>
<br><br>
In this time of war and increased repression, we express<br>
our concern for the broader implications and negative<br>
precedent that these unwarranted investigations are likely<br>
to set. For instance, tenured professor, Ward Churchill,<br>
was recently compelled to resign from the chairmanship of<br>
his department at the University of Colorado for his<br>
political views.<br><br>
<br><br>
We affirm the right of all professors and students to voice<br>
their opinions and dissent, and condemn all forms of<br>
discrimination including anti-Semitism, anti-Arab racism<br>
and Islamophobia.<br><br>
<br><br>
Therefore, we demand that,<br><br>
* Columbia University defend its faculty and<br>
immediately drop its baseless and unjust investigation of<br>
the professors under attack. Criticism of Israel is not<br>
intimidation.<br>
* The University issue a public apology for failing
to<br>
defend the right of these professors to free and dissenting<br>
speech<br>
* The University, furthermore, issue an
affirmative<br>
statement that such attacks and dishonest tactics are<br>
simply unacceptable<br>
* The New York City Council immediately withdraw
its<br>
proposed investigation of the attacked professors.<br><br>
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