Constructing Campus Conflict June2014.Indd
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Challenging the Right, Advancing Social Justice CONSTRUCTING CAMPUS CONFLICT Antisemitism and Islamophobia on U.S. College Campuses, 2014 MAY 2007–2011 Senior Editor Chip Berlet Managing Editor Debra Cash Associate Editor Maria Planansky Political Research Associates (PRA) is a social justice think tank devoted to supporting movements that are building a more just and inclusive democratic society. We expose movements, institutions, and ideologies that undermine human rights. Copyright ©2014, Political Research Associates Political Research Associates 1310 Broadway, Suite 201 Somerville, MA 02144-1837 www.politicalresearch.org design by rachelle galloway-popotas, owl in a tree 2014 CONSTRUCTING CAMPUS CONFLICT Antisemitism and Islamophobia on U.S. College Campuses, 2007–2011 Senior Editor Chip Berlet Managing Editor Debra Cash Associate Editor Maria Planansky INTRODUCTION ON CAMPUSES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, there are Jewish and Muslim students who experience bigotry. At times they feel intimidated and do not express their actual political, religious, or philosophical views in the classroom. In some cases, they do not feel safe when crossing the campus commons. At the same time, these are not the daily experi- they places where physical threats are commonplace. How can we explain these apparently contradictory realities? That was the challenge behind this study. Politi- cal Research Associates believes both antisemitism and Islamophobia as phenomena exist on campuses, and in this Antisemitism and Islamophobia on college campuses are manifested in a complex set of interactions among a - the Middle East. Campuses, of all places, should be environments that invite open dialogue. Nonetheless, at times debates about the Middle East escalate into confrontations laced with Islamophobic or antisemitic statements. These confrontations sometimes boil over from rhetorical debates to physical confrontations. News accounts can bigotry in these situations. We have attempted to trace many of the historical tendencies that have converged on - have turned to a number of scholars for their perspectives on the broader meaning of these debates and on the ways has played out in campus life, with often distressing results. PRA had researchers conduct face-to-face, telephonic, and e-mail interviews with students, faculty, adminis- - als, not composites. Even a cursory glance at this report, however, reveals it to be a composite in the sense that it is a montage. We highlight a range of voices and opinions. This is intentional. - sentence or sentiment and claim it represents (and therefore discredits) the entire report. That would be unfortu- - CONSTRUCTING CAMPUS CONFLICT, 2007-2011 <<< PAGE 4 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG Rashomon- - appear that two or more unrelated incidents had occurred. administrators feel about it. In an arena of intense ideological, political, religious, and philosophical struggle we of- further research. This study argues that antisemitism and Islamophobia can and should be challenged on college a way that, in the long run, will ameliorate aggression, intimidation, and assaults on campus—which are never ap- Note: CONSTRUCTING CAMPUS CONFLICT, 2007-2011 <<< PAGE 5 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG CONTENTS INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................... 4 SETTING THE SCENE .................................................................................................. 8 Exploring Antisemitism .............................................................................................................. 11 Exploring Islamophobia ............................................................................................................. 29 How Islamophobia and Antisemitism Interact on Campus .......................................... 37 Paths Forward ................................................................................................................................ 41 PROFILES AND PORTRAITS ................................................................................... 42 Campus Pro!les University of California at Berkeley .................................................................................. 43 Boston College ........................................................................................................................ 51 Brandeis University ................................................................................................................ 53 Columbia University .............................................................................................................. 57 University of California at Irvine ........................................................................................ 61 McGill University ..................................................................................................................... 64 Temple University and George Mason University ...................................................... 66 University of Massachusetts at Amherst ........................................................................ 70 University of Miami ................................................................................................................ 73 University of New Mexico .................................................................................................... 75 University of Oregon ............................................................................................................. 79 Wayne State University......................................................................................................... 82 Pro!les of Key Organizations Anti-Defamation League ..................................................................................................... 86 American Jewish Committee ............................................................................................. 87 Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) ............................................................. 88 College Republicans .............................................................................................................. 89 Hillel Foundation for Jewish Campus Life ..................................................................... 90 Islamic Society of North America ..................................................................................... 92 Muslim Student Association (MSA) .................................................................................. 93 Young America’s Foundation ............................................................................................. 93 CONSTRUCTING CAMPUS CONFLICT, 2007-2011 <<< PAGE 6 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG Pro!les of Individuals Je"rey Blankfort ...................................................................................................................... 95 Alan Dershowitz ...................................................................................................................... 96 Norman Finkelstein................................................................................................................ 97 David Horowitz ........................................................................................................................ 99 Amir Abdul Malik Ali ............................................................................................................ 100 Daniel Pipes ............................................................................................................................ 101 Alison Weir: If Americans Knew ....................................................................................... 103 Interviews with Leaders in Challenging Campus Bias Talking to Student Leaders Joel Pratt, Hillel President, University of Colorado at Boulder .................... 105 Mohammad Azimi, MSA President, University of Colorado at Boulder .........................................................................106 Faith on Campus: Bridge Builders Eboo Patel .......................................................................................................................107 Charles Cohen............................................................................................................... 108 April Rosenblum .......................................................................................................... 112 Mohammad Ja`far Mahallati ................................................................................... 114 THE CAMPUS DILEMMA ...................................................................................... 117 The Middle East as Flashpoint ............................................................................................... 117 The Distortions Of The Media Lens ...................................................................................... 117 Is There A Role For The U.S. Government? ......................................................................... 118 Timeline: The U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights ............................................................................................................................. 119 RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................... 123 ENDNOTES ............................................................................................................... 125 SETTING THE SCENE There is no hierarchy of