I thought that I could not be more shocked, or further outraged, by the unbelievably offensive behavior of Brandeis University — and then I was proved wrong.
According to The Other McCain, the petition that led to the rescinding of an honorary degree in Social Justice Studies from feminist and exposer of the truth about Islam, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, was started by two of the university’s professors of women’s studies, Karen Hansen and Dian Fox. I know — shocking, isn’t it? In fact, the petition wasn’t just started by faculty; 21% of the signatures on the document were from faculty members who were associated in some capacity with the Women and Gender Studies Program at the university. The petition stated:
“… by honoring Aayan Hirsi Ali, Brandeis would suggest “to the public that violence toward girls and women is particular to Islam . . . thereby obscuring such violence in our midst among non-Muslims, including on our own campus,” and concluded: ”We cannot accept Ms. Hirsi Ali’s triumphalist narrative of western civilization, rooted in a core belief of the cultural backwardness of non-western peoples.”
In this I have to disagree with these ladies (and I use that term very loosely here). Perhaps these women need to acquaint themselves with some of the more backward cultural beliefs of the Islamists: forced child marriage, murder of rape victims, hanging of suspected or confirmed homosexuals, stoning of women… should I continue, ladies? In this I have to agree with The Other McCain:
“Perhaps the Brandeis University feminists could send their young female students on a field trip to Tehran, Kabul or Mogadishu to protest against this “triumphalist narrative.””
What do you think? Perhaps they could start off with a trip to observe a local girl undergoing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), which is still practiced throughout the Muslim world, then continue on to witness the humiliation of a woman accused by her husband’s family of adultery, and then top it all off by celebrating the forced marriage of a 9 year old to an 80 year old man.
Call me callous, but I really have zero interest in living in a society that views the above as anything but culturally backward, and until these women are personally subjected to the things that Ayaan Hirsi Ali has survived (including FGM and an attempted forced marriage) under radical Islam, I do not see where they have any right to judge her truth or how she shares it.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a black feminist atheist who does not conform exactly to what two liberal white professors say she should. If this is not bigotry – demanding that Ali hold only certain viewpoints preapproved for her race and gender – then bigotry does not exist.
VALman says: I’ll qualify my remarks in this way. They are based on this article and a couple of others about Ayaan Hirsi Ali. So, I’m admitting I have rather limited knowledge here. Nevertheless, I find the first quotation quite illustrative of what is an attribute of education today.
For example, consider it “would suggest ‘to the public that violence toward girls and women is particular to Islam’”. Has Ali ever stated this? Has she made repeated statements that would make this a legitimate inference? Or, is it more a case that this is her particular are of study and concentration? Is she, thereby, be held accountable for having to narrow of a field of study? Is she being held responsible for what others might do with the information she presents?
Another example of what I consider to poor reasoning and academic reasoning: ”We cannot accept Ms. Hirsi Ali’s triumphalist narrative of western civilization, rooted in a core belief of the cultural backwardness of non-western peoples.” “[T]riumphalist narrative of western civilization” sounds suspect. Has Ali ever used such terminology, or is this being imposed upon her work by these professors? The same could be said for the rest of the statement. Where has Ali expressed her “core belief”? Or, is this, again, something of the professors’ interpretative template?
Further, has Ali ever used the terminology “cultural backwardness of non-western peoples”? Or, are these the proverbial words being “put in her mouth”? Or, is Ali “guilty” of comparison/contrast?
I’ll stop because this whole matter is so distasteful on so many levels. To think that people with PhD’s have such poor reasoning skills, are so saturated with their own stuff that they can not tolerate a differing voice, and to think that a university administration ceded to these “academic political hacks” is deplorable. That to one degree or another this typifies a characteristic of much of our educational system is unconscionable.
“One has to belong to the intelligentsia to believe things like that: no ordinary man could be such a fool.”
― George Orwell
Jennifer says: Amen to both you! VALman-Ali has survived the horrors of radical Islam first hand and fled to Denmark where she worked to better the circumstances of other immigrant women and children who were suffering under radical Islam in her adopted country. She came to the US and still maintains her stance of educating people about the horrors inflicted on women and children by the radical elements of Islam. As for PhD’s lacking reasoning skills-YES. I live with a PhD and survived his program, other relatives programs and friends programs and many of the academics I know fit that description to a “t”. Are all of them like that? No, but in the Women’s studies field-I would tend to say that these “ladies” are the norm.
Jodi Giddings says: They’re afraid to criticize Islam. Because the backlash from Islamists is silencing (CAIR, for example), and worse, violence. In the end, they are nothing but frightened cowards.
ruth heuberger says: My granddaughter listed Brandeis as a University of choice next year. Before the disinvitation of Ayan Hirsi Ali. As the opportunity to get a sound and ethical education in the humanities, free of coercion or ignorant political correctness, this is obviously not the place, and I will do all I can to discourage her,that is, if she and her friends have not already made that decision for themselves.
VALman says: I heard good things about Hillsdale College. As I understand, they accept no federal funds. Here’s the link: http://hillsdale.edu/
No, I’m not an alum. Sadly, none of the ones I attended would I recommend.
Xavier says: “by honoring Aayan Hirsi Ali, Brandeis would suggest “to the public that violence toward girls and women is particular to Islam”
Much the same way a single student’s failing grade would suggest the entire staff at Brandeis is incompetent, hmmm?
Jen says: “by honoring Aayan Hirsi Ali, Brandeis would suggest “to the public that violence toward girls and women is particular to Islam”
No, it would simply further the fact that to many Muslims, violence toward women is considered honoring Allah.
Val, you said the following.
“Or, is it more a case that this is her particular are of study and concentration? Is she, thereby, be held accountable for having to narrow of a field of study?”
Ali has lived the horrors of a Muslim childhood that included genital mutilation. I would say she hasn’t simply studied it, she has lived it.
VALman says: Ha, good one! I think they, professors no less, are guilty of associative thinking. Not a good model for their students.
tulla says: Other peoples have suffered the same fate. If I remember correctly, in August 2013, Alice Walker, author of “The Color Purple” was invited by the University of Michigan to speak at the Center for the Education for Women’ 50th anniversary event. Donors objected to University’ choice as Alice Walker has outspoken views on the Israel-Palestine conflict. The University buckled under and promptly rescinded the invitation.
”… by honoring Barack Obama, Brandeis would suggest “to the public that bitterness and antipathy to people who aren’t like them is particular to working-class voters in old industrial towns . . . thereby obscuring such attitudes in our midst among the urban elite, including on our own campus,” and concluded:
”We cannot accept Barack Obama’s triumphalist narrative of liberal urban centers, rooted in a core belief of the cultural backwardness of the American heartland.”
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