Middle East studies in the News

Ramadan's Firing Was Unjust [Letter to the Editor]

by Asma Barlas
The Wall Street Journal
August 25, 2009

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203706604574372290053339338.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/8149

With regard to your Aug 20 editorial "The Dismissal of Tariq Ramadan": Many people disagree with Mr. Ramadan on certain issues, including me. In fact, I expressed some of these disagreements in a public debate between us at the University of Rotterdam last year. Even so, I am appalled by your low-brow attacks against him in the wake of his firing by the university for hosting some shows on Iranian state television channel Press TV.

I'm not sure what political investment The Wall Street Journal Europe has in that decision but it is, frankly, absurd. As Mr. Ramadan points out in the letter from which you picked a random line to scoff at, working for Iranian state TV is not tantamount to working for the Iranian Republic or government. Whatever happened to the principle of free speech when it comes to Muslim critics of "the West?" As for the Dutch interest in bridge building, until recently the government has subsidized mostly bridge burning. Consider the handsome support for the redoubtable Ayaan Hirsi Ali, whose slash and burn politics endeared her first to many Dutch people and now to U.S. critics of Islam. That Mr. Ramadan was willing to work in this politically vitiated atmosphere is to his credit, although I think that bridges are always built collectively.

Asma Barlas

Professor of Politics

Director, Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity

Ithaca College

Ithaca, NY

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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