Middle East studies in the News

Khan Exhibits Bias About Israel's War With Hamas [Letter to the Editor; on Muqtedar Khan]

by Martin Zukoff
Delaware Online
January 5, 2009

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090105/OPINION10/90104016/1004/OPINION

http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/6544

University of Delaware Professor Muqtedar Khan wrote recently that he is troubled that "World's democracies are facing a moral recession."

The professor stated, "Hamas shot a few rockets into Israel; but that is who they are and that is what they do – they are a terrorist organization." Since 2005, when Israel pulled all 9,000 of its citizens and its military from Gaza, and left the Palestinians to form their own nation, they have fired 6,300 missiles at Israel, 3,000 in 2008 alone. A few rockets?

And, also, "As I listen to the statements from the Bush administration, which blames Hamas alone for all the violence, and the Messiah himself holidaying in Hawaii, I am amazed at the complete lack of humanity in their response."

The professor made this gratuitous and offensive remark about President-elect Barack Obama because he was unhappy with a statement, favoring Israel, that Obama made during his visit to Sderot, a small southern Israel town near the Gaza border.

After observing the effects on the residents of the thousands of missiles fired from Gaza, and learning that 75 percent of the children had psychological problems, Obama stated, "If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I would do everything to stop that, and would expect Israel to do the same thing."

Martin Zukoff, Wilmington

Note: Articles listed under "Middle East studies in the News" provide information on current developments concerning Middle East studies on North American campuses. These reports do not necessarily reflect the views of Campus Watch and do not necessarily correspond to Campus Watch's critique.

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