Academic Freedom or Anti-Semitism?

Daniel Klimek and Victor Lang of the left-wing DePaul Academic Freedom Committee have forwarded a press release concerning their academic freedom conference to be held on October 12 at the University of Chicago. The conference will be open to the public. Apparently, it is not enough that the academic left has squelched conservatives' speech; banned conservatives from the academy; and thrown conservative students out of college. In addition, Klimek and Lang demand that any and every failed left wing anti-Semite deserves tenure.

Klimek and Lang are leading the charge to insist that Norman Finkelstein be given tenure. Competent conservatives are routinely ejected from the academy but Klimek, Lang and their fellow neo-German romantics take no notice and do not see any "academic freedom" issue. But when Finkelstein, who is worse than incompetent as a scholar, is deservedly denied tenure Klimek, Lang and the usual list of neo-German romantics complain that there has been a grievous violation of academic freedom.

Previously, Brooklyn College alum and eminent legal scholar Alan Dershowitz has written about Norman Finkelstein in Frontpagemag. Dershowitz's article begins:

"The level of “academic” discourse on the Middle-East reached a new low—quite a feat considering some of the old lows—when the notorious Jewish anti-Semite and Holocaust-justice denier Norman Finkelstein wrote a screed suggesting that I be targeted “for assassination” because of my views on Israel. The obscene article was accompanied by an obscene cartoon drawn by “Latuff”, a frequent accomplice of Finkelstein. The cartoon portrayed me as masturbating in rapturous joy while viewing images of dead Lebanese civilians on a TV set labeled “Israel peep show,” with a Jewish Star of David prominently featured."

The DePaul Academic Freedom Committee's press release follows:

IN DEFENSE OF ACADEMIC FREEDOM”
PROMINENT SCHOLARS TO SPEAK OUT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
12 October 2007 - 2:00pm - 7:00 pm
Rockefeller Chapel, University of Chicago

October 12 2007 lecture featuring: Tariq Ali, Akeel Bilgrami, Noam Chomsky, Neve Gordon, Tony Judt and John Mearsheimer

CHICAGO, IL – In light of the controversial tenure denials of eminent Middle East scholar Dr. Norman G. Finkelstein and Dr. Mehrene Larudee earlier this year at DePaul University, the most prominent scholars from across the world will come together this Friday, October 12, 2007, at a conference at the University of Chicago to speak lecturing about the threats to academic freedom at universities.

Professors Finkelstein and Larudee were both denied tenure at DePaul last June for political purposes. After not being allowed to teach his terminal year at DePaul, Finkelstein and the university settled on an agreement in September, when Finkelstein resigned and DePaul acknowledged him to be “a prolific scholar and an outstanding teacher.” Professor Larudee, who was a strong supporter of both Finkelstein and Palestinian rights, is currently appealing her case at DePaul. Both scholars will also appear as panelists at the October 12 conference.

The event is to be held at the Rockefeller Chapel, 5850 S. Woodlawn Ave. Chicago, IL 60637. Scheduled speakers include:

- Dr. Akeel Bilgrami, Johnsonian Professor of Philosophy and Director of The Heyman Center, Columbia University
- Dr. Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor & Professor of Linguistics (Emeritus), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Dr. Norman Finkelstein, (formerly) Department of Political Science, DePaul University
- Dr. John Mearsheimer, R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago
- Dr. Neve Gordon, Professor, Department of Politics and Government, Ben-Gurion University
- Dr. Tony Judt, University Professor and Director of the Remarque Institute, New York University
- Dr. Mehrene Larudee, International Studies Program, DePaul University
• Hosted by Tariq Ali, Editor of the New Left Review and Verso Books

The Event is Sponsored By:

Primary Sponsors

Diskord Magazine (University of Chicago, RSO), Verso Books (London), and Academic Freedom Committee (DePaul)

Co-Sponsors
University of Chicago: Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Center for International Studies, and International House Global Voices Program*
DePaul University: International Studies Program, Islamic World Studies Program, and Department of Philosophy*
Community Sponsors
Jewish Voice for Peace - Chicago, American Friends Service Committee – Chicago, and Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine (CJPIP)
*The University of Chicago and DePaul University are not sponsoring the event, only the listed departments and centers at these Universities.