The Jewish Voice for Peace group has been making news with its protest over the banning of Bishop Desmond Tutu as a speaker at the St Thomas University in Minnesota
From their newletter
Making News
Your letters about Tutu are making the news! Read the Jerusalem Post. Listen to a live conversation between JVP's Mitchell Plitnick and Steven Walt about the Israel Lobby this Wednesday, Oct 10, 10-11 am PST on KALW-FM.
Also read JVP's Cecilie Surasky's recent op-ed in the Fort Worth Star-Tribune, Dissenting at your own risk.
Chicago, Oct 12: In Defense of Academic Freedom
2:00 pm - 7:00 pm, Rockefeller Chapel, University of Chicago, 5850 S. Woodlawn Ave., Chicago.
What is the nature of the assault on academic freedom by organizations mobilized to suppress criticism of Israel's policies? This one-day symposium features targeted scholars affected by controversy and pressure within academia and the publishing industry. Chair: Tariq Ali (Verso Books). Participants: Akeel Bilgrami (Columbia University), Noam Chomsky (MIT, emeritus), Tony Judt (Remarque Institute, NYU), John Mearsheimer (University of Chicago), Neve Gordon (Ben Gurion University), Norman Finkelstein (formerly DePaul University) and Mehrene Larudee (DePaul University).
Co-sponsored by JVP-Chicago, DePaul Academic Freedom Committee, and others. More info: info@academicfreedomchicago.org
Religious Right
It appears from all the reports that the root of the problem in the St Thomas case was "political correctness" on the part of the university authorities -- fear of offending the "religious right". The Jewish religious right put no pressure on the university to cancel Tutu's visit. Rather the president of the university, Fr Dennis Dease, asked members of the religious right if they would be offended, and when they said they would he decided, on his own initiative, to cancel the visit.
As a result of the efforts of Jewish Voice for Peace, however, Fr Dease has received more than 1800 e-mails asking him to change his mind.
3 comments:
Hello Steve!
Dion Forster here. Wow, it has been ages since I have connected with you! Thanks for your post on Fr Desmond.
Boy, blogger sure makes a change from the old days of the BBS!
Keep up the great work on your blog. May I add a link to your blog from mine? And if you're willing to do the same for me that would be wonderful.
http://www.spirituality.org.za/blogger.html
Rich blessing!
Dion
"MuzzleWatch" doesn't allow comments.
How ironic.
Those who claim that their voices of "dissent" are being "silenced" by the "Israel Lobby" don't actually allow any dissent at all.
Irony of ironies.
This thread covered the topic pretty well:
http://www.mnspeak.com/mnspeak/archive/post-3996.cfm
Dion,
I've added you to my blogroll. Check Blogrolling for managing your blogroll.
Blogs are OK, but are much more egocentric than BBSs.
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