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Respecting Students and Academic Freedom
By Josh Rosner and Jonathan Siegel
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 24, 2007
Today, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, will be addressing students and faculty at Columbia University. As would be expected, this has revived debate on academic freedom and the boundaries of acceptable discourse. Lee Bollinger, the President of Columbia University, has defended the decision to invite President Ahmadinejad on the grounds that only through actually hearing and challenging President Ahmadinejad’s ideas, can one fully comprehend the odious and ignorant nature of his views.
As students, we agree with President Bollinger on this point and welcome the opportunity to engage and challenge any view on campus, especially ones with which we strongly disagree. Discourse and debate are essential components of the university ideal.
The actions of the administration in planning and executing this event, however, undermine these very values. Although President Ahmadinejad is speaking today, the event was not announced until late last Wednesday afternoon. For effective discourse and debate to occur, adequate preparation time is necessary—thoughtful questions must be thoroughly researched, counter speakers must be arranged, protests and rallies must be organized. Four days is simply insufficient.
At a meeting on Thursday, President Bollinger argued that he could not have released information about the event any earlier because President Ahmadinejad did not confirm until Wednesday.
But why? If students had been told of the invitation as soon as it was offered, they could have begun organizing, preparing, and debating earlier. Had President Ahmadinejad canceled, the only cost would have been time wasted on the intellectual discourse that the event was meant to provoke in the first place.
At the event itself, students will be unable to address and challenge the views of President Ahmadinejad directly. All questions from the audience will be presented through the Dean of Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs. How can students benefit fully from the dialogue if they are not allowed to participate in it completely?
All of these conditions combined demonstrate a fundamental distrust of students on the part of the administration. This is certainly not new—at universities across the county and throughout time students have been reduced to wards of the university as opposed to full participants in the academic process. University officials and faculty have time and time again tried to define academic freedom, but any definition that excludes student input is inherently flawed.
The lack of concern for students in the planning of President Ahmadinejad’s speech turned what should have been a great opportunity for students into a betrayal of University ideals. Although this event undermines the values of true academic freedom and symbolizes the suppression of adequate student participation, we urge students on every campus to actively engage in the ongoing process of defining academic freedom in universities nationwide.
At Columbia University, the students are the ones teaching the University about academic freedom. We can only hope that the University decides to have an open mind and actually learn.
Josh Rosner is a Columbia College senior majoring in Middle East and Asian languages and cultures. Jonathan Siegel is a Columbia College senior majoring in economics.
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Didn't pro-Israel protesters scuttled Ahmadinejad's scheduled appearance last year? You don't need preparations. The pro-Israel side has been brainwashing Americans for decades. You can easisly put forward hundreds to argue for your side:
-The only democracy in the region (Even though it's causing all the destruction in the region)
-See Palestinians dancing on the streets on 9/11 (Maybe they were happy you might finally understand what they've had to go through for the last half century. Yearly $3billion or more of US taxpayers' money for Israeli tanks, helicopter gunships, missiles targetting Palestinian "militants".
House demolition, land grab for jewish settlements, and a high-tech wall on Palestinian land for jewish protection. Hundreds of checkpoints that make their lives insufferable, unable to work their fields or visit next door neighbours. Palestinians exist in a living hell. Do you wonder why they become suicide bombers?
Israel controlling all access, land, sea, air. The only weapons they have are rocks, or home-made rockets.The killing field has claimed 1000 jewish lives and 4000 Palestinian ones).
-Israel is really magnanimous, giving up Gaza. (It was never theirs to give up anyway. The UN gave Israel its legitimacy, dividing the land at @ 50:50 between the two sides. Israel now has 72%, leaving 28% for the Palestinians. Isn't that enough?
The Arab League has sued for peace. Offering diplomatic recognition for Israel retreating to the '67 borders. What more can Israel wish for?
We could use this opportunity to fill the gaps in our relation with Iran.
I think Ahmadinejad is logic and fair and we could find the truth about different issues from his speech.
Give me a break - the Iran hate-mongers have been spreading vitriol, hate and lies about Iran for 30 years. I can repeat them in my sleep. You need 4 days - for what?
Contrast when the conquering "hero" Bush goes to Iraq - he does not even give 1 minute's notice. Nor would he go to a public place. Oh, and those that want to protest Bush in New York have to go to a "free speech zone", four days notice or not. And don't expect students to be able to ask Bush questions, through a University aid or otherwise.
Why can't you give credit where credit is due? The guy has been ruthlessly demonized in the US and in "Jewish" New York in particular, and he has the courage to walk right into the middle and talk to the people. No, of course you cannot respect that, consumed by hate as you are you can only see the negative, even the negative that is created by the imagination of the paranoid and bigoted.
Why not enlighten the American people about other nations and views.
How wrong they where with the weapons of massdistruction in Irac.
Who is a terrorist? G Bush !
Who attacks other nations? G Bush!
To tell you the truth, I'm afraid to give my name, in case of retaliation.
Never mind Tianamen Square. What really bugs me is the too long, 60-year oppression of the Palestinians, paid for by US money of $3billion or more annually.
My favorite president, Carter anti-semitic? Is that the limit to free speech? An oppressive aura has built-up over any critical mention of Israel. No-one is spared, not even a President who fashioned the first peace treaty between Israel and its neighbor (Egypt), a downright unhealthy development. Where will it all end?
Read Carter’s factual book. Do you wonder why Palestinians become suicide bombers, or danced on 9/11? Maybe they thought Americans might finally understand what they’ve been through for the last 60 years. Facing (gift of $3billion worth yearly) of US tanks, helicopter-gunships, missiles, targeted killing of “militants” day-in/day-out.
With cries of anti-semitism at every turn, others might think that all Jews support the brutal Israeli occupation, and that’s conducive to anti-semitism.
“But the Arabs launched the first war against Israel on the day of its establishment”
If someone killed my mother, I don’t turn around and embrace that person. The anger die down with time. Now the Arabs have come together, offering peace with Israel through the Arab League upon the return of occupied Palestinian land, in accordance with a UN resolution.
“The Palestinians want to throw Israel into the sea”
Listen to the late ABC-TV anchor, Peter Jennings.
NBC’s Tim Russert, in an interview with the late Jennings said: But they (Palestinians) want to destroy Israel!
Jennings’ reply: That’s a canard. There are just as many Israelis who want to destroy the Palestinians as the other way around.
When you boil this all down, I guess it is really all about you. Your need of preparation, your need to schedule your rallies.
When the tanks roared through Tenamen Square, how many Chinese students said "Please wait, we have not had time to prepare for the tanks. Stop the tanks we have to make signs for our rally".
Uprisings all around the world will have a new battle cry. "To the barricades, but first let me finish my Frapuccino with 2 Splendas.
I guess things have come a long way since the Strawberry Statement.
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