CAMPUS WATCH, a project of the Middle East Forum, reviews and critiques Middle East studies in North America with an aim to improving them. The project mainly addresses five problems: analytical failures, the mixing of politics with scholarship, intolerance of alternative views, apologetics, and the abuse of power over students. Campus Watch fully respects the freedom of speech of those it debates while insisting on its own freedom to comment on their words and deeds.

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Quote of the Month (past quotes)

...Middle Eastern studies programs have been distorted by "a degree of thought control and limitations of freedom of expression without parallel in the Western world since the 18th century, and in some areas longer than that....It seems to me it's a very dangerous situation, because it makes any kind of scholarly discussion of Islam, to say the least, dangerous. Islam and Islamic values now have a level of immunity from comment and criticism in the Western world that Christianity has lost and Judaism has never had."

Bernard Lewis, professor emeritus of Near Eastern studies at Princeton University, delivering the keynote address at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa. As reported in Congressional Quarterly, April 27, 2008. (link to source)

Israeli History at 60
May 16, 2008 - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Islam in the Classroom: What the Textbooks Tell Us, Part Three of Five
May 14, 2008 - Family Security Matters

Are American Universities in Bed with America's Enemies? [incl. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal]
May 14, 2008 - Family Security Matters

Obamastan [incl. Rashid Khalidi]
May 14, 2008 - Investor's Business Daily

ViewFinder: Songs of Hope [segment transcript; incl. Ayad Al-Qazzaz]
May 14, 2008 - KVIE Public Television

Alternatives to Middle East Major Offered [on Stanford University; incl. Khalil Barhoum]
May 14, 2008 - Stanford Daily

Frank Talk About Obama and Islam [letters to the editor of the New York Times]
May 14, 2008 - The New York Times

Prince Alwaleed Receives Business Leader of the Year Award from Foreign Policy Association [incl. Middle East studies]
May 13, 2008 - ArabianBusiness.com

Islam in the Classroom: What the Textbooks Tell Us, Part Two of Five
May 13, 2008 - Family Security Matters

Playing the Death Threat Card [on Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy]
May 13, 2008 - Frontpage Magazine

Blog

Columbia's Catastrophic "Nakba" Conference

By Winfield Myers | Thu, 8 May 2008, 3:20 PM | Permalink

Mary Madigan has written about last week's "Nabka" (Catastrophe) conference at Columbia University. She attended and provides a first-hand report on the pontifications of Columbia professors Joseph Massad, Lila Abu Lughod, Gil Anidjar, and others. Mary wrote last month about NYU's "Academic Freedom" conference.

Here is the introduction of her essay, which was published today at FrontPage Magazine:

As Israelis look towards the future in their celebration of the nation's 60th birthday, some Palestinians cling to the past by commemorating what they call the "Nakba" or "the catastrophe." A faculty panel discussion held at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) last month and titled, "60 Years of Nakba—The Catastrophe of Palestine 1948-2008," was one of many similar lamentations held worldwide.

The tone from the outset was grim. Speakers acknowledged that another "Nakba" anniversary was confirmation that combined Palestinian and Arab attempts to eliminate the Jewish state have not succeeded.

To read the rest of her article, please click here.

Middle East Studies Profs. Still Peddling Peaceful Jihad

By Cinnamon Stillwell | Mon, 28 Apr 2008, 6:03 PM | Permalink

In his 2002 Commentary article, "Jihad and the Professors," Middle East Forum director Daniel Pipes makes a compelling case for "the nearly universal falsification of jihad on the part of American academic scholars." Rather than acknowledging the aggressively military nature of jihad (otherwise known as "holy war"), such academics would have us believe that it consists either of defensive warfare, a struggle for spiritual and personal improvement, or the promotion of social justice. Here are a few of the quotes he cites in the article:

Jihad as "usually understood" means "a struggle to be true to the will of God and not holy war."

Dell DeChant, professor of world religions, University of South Florida

"…in the struggle to be a good Muslim, there may be times where one will be called upon to defend one's faith and community. Then [jihad] can take on the meaning of armed struggle."

John Esposito, founding director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University

Jihad is "resisting apartheid or working for women's rights."

Farid Eseck, professor of Islamic studies, Auburn Seminary

Six years later, it would be nice to conclude that the situation has changed. But the academic apologists inhabiting the field of Middle East studies continue the obfuscation. The following is just a sampling of the sort of misleading and, in some cases, deceptive definitions of jihad these professors have been peddling:

"It is clear that military warfare is the lesser jihad, and the greater jihad is against the forces that prevent human beings from being human, as it were."

Mary Richardson, professor of history, Tufts University (source: Tufts Journal)

There is "the bigger jihad and the smaller jihad." The bigger sense of the word, he said, refers to a struggle for self-improvement while the smaller sense is a struggle to show support for Islam…The use of the term to describe wars waged in support of Islam "is incorrect in the sense that it is not the primary meaning of jihad. It is a slogan to create a gap between East and West."

Mohammed Sawaie, professor of Arabic, University of Virginia (source: Cavalier Daily, see also: Jihad Watch)

"Feeding the poor is jihad…writing your Congressperson is jihad."

Timothy Gianotti, professor of Islamic studies, University of Virginia (source: Cavalier Daily, see also: Jihad Watch)

"The September 11 terrorism attacks and Osama bin Laden's calls for a 'holy war' are irrelevant to the concept of jihad. What is more relevant is the political conditions that are creating an environment of militancy throughout the Muslim and Arab world."

As'ad AbuKhalil, associate professor of political science, California State University-Stanislaus (source: CNN)

"Jihad has become a global fad, rather like gangsta rap."

Jessica Stern, lecturer on terrorism, Harvard University (source: The Boston Globe)

In the following case, the real meaning of jihad is acknowledged, if somewhat reluctantly:

Al-Qazzaz says there are two levels of jihad. The greater jihad is every Muslim's quest to live out their faith in their daily lives, to improve themselves and to become a better Muslim. The lesser jihad means to protect one's people and fight against enemies, he says. So the greater jihad prompts devout Muslims to remember their religious guidelines while fighting, which would cause them to treat war prisoners well.

Ayad Al-Qazzaz, professor of sociology, Cal State University-Sacramento (source: ACF News, see also: Campus Watch)

In direct contrast to the dissimulation demonstrated above, Islam scholar Robert Spencer pulled no punches in an April 8 speech at Stanford University accompanied by Daniel Pipes and titled, "Jihad: What does it really mean and why do so many people lie about it?" (The Stanford Review covers the speech in its latest issue and the video is available online). Spencer read numerous passages from the Koran to demonstrate that in its original incarnation, jihad involved "the relation of believer to unbeliever." And more often than not this relationship has been one of violence towards non-Muslims.

The fact that Spencer was accompanied by all of four security guards throughout the evening would seem to back up his conclusions. Peaceful jihad, indeed.

Victims on Parade at NYU "Academic Freedom" Conference

By Winfield Myers | Thu, 10 Apr 2008, 9:23 AM | Permalink

On April 3 and 4, Mary Madigan attended a conference at New York University called "Academic Freedom in an Age of Permanent Warfare."

Her report on what she heard, commissioned by Campus Watch, was published today at FrontPage Magazine. Madigan's title captures the spirit of the conference: "Victims on Parade at NYU 'Academic Freedom' Conference." Here's a sample:

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. You're Either 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."

To read the rest, click here.

Middle East Quarterly Student Writing Contest Deadline May 31

By Winfield Myers | Tue, 8 Apr 2008, 6:29 PM | Permalink

As we announced last fall, the Middle East Quarterly is holding a student writing contest. The May 31 deadline is approaching, so get your entries in.

The original press release follows.

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The Middle East Quarterly is pleased to announce the Albert J. Wood Student Writing Contest. It will award $1,000 for the best university student writing in Middle East studies in a given year, plus the opportunity to be published in the journal.

The contest is named after Albert J. Wood, the founding chairman of the Middle East Forum who had a special connection to the Quarterly.

What the Quarterly Seeks

The Quarterly covers a geographic area from Morocco to Afghanistan but concentrates on the area from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf. It seeks to bridge the academic and policymaking worlds. Articles should be both relevant to policymakers and break new ground intellectually. This implies a tension: articles need to be cutting edge (to interest the specialist) and accessible (to attract the general reader). They should be scholarly, yet written clearly, and with a point of view. The thesis should be advanced through reasoned argument rather than bellicose prose. For a full explanation of MEQ objectives, see Author Submission Guidelines on the MEQ website.

Submissions

Submissions should be original, unpublished work of 4,000-7,000 words with full scholarly references.

Entrants must be full-time undergraduate, graduate, or professional (law, medicine, etc.) school students, and must provide proof of full-time status.

Please submit your article as an MS Word document or in Rich Text Format. Please do not submit a PDF or hard copy.

E-mail submissions by midnight May 31, 2008, to the editors at MEQ@MEForum.org. Please enter "Student Writing Contest" in the subject line.

Prizes

First: $1,000 plus publication in the Middle East Quarterly
One-year subscriptions to the Middle East Quarterly for five runners up.

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