The Middle East Center at the U has come to be regarded as one of the best such centers in the nation -- a recognition earned by the hard work of exemplary department professors, and Ibrahim Karawan, the center's director.
The recent forced removal of two professors from the center has left the program short of two great minds and has spurred the departure of Karawan.
This situation is a great loss that will undoubtedly have a negative effect on the prominence of the U's program. One can't help but wonder if all could have been avoided if there had been more communication and less of what appears to be rash decision making.
Robert Newman, dean of the College of Humanities, removed Peter Sluglett and Harris Lenowitz from their positions. Sluglett said his removal happened because of personal differences between Newman and himself. Sluglett also said Karawan resigned because the letter notifying Sluglett of his removal said that the action was done with Karawan's knowledge.
Making matters worse, Newman has declined to comment, but issued a brief statement saying he is trying to protect those involved (all of whom have spoken out about the issue), leaving all to suspect the worst -- that these men were removed for personal rather than professional reasons. It is truly sad if something so childish could be the start of such a destructive chain of events.
These men who are no longer working in the Middle East Center were, without a shadow of a doubt, complete assets to the program. Karawan was a draw to professors considering a move to the U's program and students were drawn to classes by the assured quality of the professors. It's about getting a great learning experience here, and many students wanted to learn from those men.
Although we hope that the Middle East Center can make it without the great contributions of Sluglett, Lenowitz and Karawan, their absence threatens to weaken the whole program.
We can only hope their dismissal was, in fact, a last resort and that Newman will be able to find people who can at least partially fill such a great void.