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Leading
American Muslim Activist Termination Deemed Discrimination
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| Al Arian
says dismissal was discriminatory |
Report
by Neveen A. Salem
WASHINGTON,
Jan. 15 (IslamOnline) - Dr. Sami Al-Arian, a leader in the American Muslim
community and a tenured University of Southern Florida (USF) professor, held a
press conference Monday with national civil rights activists in response to what
many view as a racially-driven termination by USF president, Judy Genshaft.
Al-Arian,
who has taught at USF for 16 years, and who has led the American Muslim
community's fight against the unconstitutional use of secret evidence, stated
that he would "fight for the principle of free speech and academic freedom
no matter how long it may take."
"During
my career I have never brought any politics to the classroom, my department or
the university. I have not disrupted the university, nor am I responsible for
the actions of others. I don't have any control over other people's actions that
could be illegal, irrational or disruptive," he added.
“It's
no secret that I have exercised my first amendment rights in speaking on issues
of importance to me and to the public at large. I've not, however, placed my
personal interest above my responsibility to the university," Al-Arian said
in a statement to Genshaft shortly before the press conference.
Al-Arian
called on the USF Board of Trustees to reconvene in order to hear his side and
to afford him his denied due process rights. Moreover, Robert McKee, Al-Arian's
lawyer, said that Genshaft's decision to terminate Al-Arian's appointment would
be vigorously challenged through a grievance procedure, and a possible lawsuit,
with the backing of the state Faculty Union.
Al-Arian
has been accused by a number of media commentators of having associations with
persons who later became linked to political violence. However, years of
investigations into his activities have revealed no evidence of criminal or
illegal activity. He has never been charged with any crime.
Although
Al-Arian strongly denounced the attacks of September 11, both Genshaft and USF
Provost, David Stamps, have said that the decision to terminate Al-Arian should
be "viewed in the context" of these attacks. The Faculty Senate
refused to support USF's action in firing Al-Arian, who is being supported by
his union, the United Faculty of Florida.
The
USF's stated reasons for dismissing Al-Arian -- including that death threats
against him pose a danger to students and staff, is that he once came to campus
after being instructed not to, and that he failed to make it clear that he was
not a spokesperson for USF -- are not convincing to many civil rights activists
in the U.S.
They
also go on to say that the allegations do not justify his dismissal, and would
not have led to the firing of other professors.
Al-Arian
has repeatedly affirmed that his participation in television interviews
regarding civil rights issues have never been undertaken under the umbrella of
the university.
"I
do not, nor have I ever spoken on behalf of the University of South Florida. I
have on many occasions made it clear to journalists and reporters that I speak
as a leader in the Muslim and Arab community and in my capacity as the president
of the National Coalition to Protect Political Freedom.
“This
summer on July 16th, in an article in Newsweek magazine about the support
of Arab Americans for President [George W.] Bush, the article said: 'Al-Arian is
one of the country's leading advocates for repeal of secret-evidence laws.' I
was not identified as a USF professor, but as the country's leading advocate in
a civil rights issue," Al-Arian stated.
Several
of the largest national civil groups were represented at the press conference
and offered strong support for Al-Arian. The represented groups included the
four largest Muslim political organizations; namely, the American Muslim
Alliance (AMA), the American Muslim Council (AMC), Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR), and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). The largest
Arab-American organization, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
(ADC) issued a strong statement of support calling on USF to reverse its
decision.
ADC
President Ziad Asali said, "Professor Al-Arian has done nothing that would
justify his removal from USF.
“It
may be true that unsubstantiated accusations and implications leveled against
him by media figures have made him an unpopular person in some quarters, but the
principle of academic freedom demands that he be allowed to engage in legitimate
political activity and free speech without being punished," added Asali.
“ADC
strongly suspects that this is a case of ethnic discrimination and that if
Professor Al-Arian was not an Arab, a Palestinian and a Muslim, he would not
have been dismissed from his tenured faculty position. In any event, we strongly
urge USF to respect tenure and academic freedom, reverse their decision and
reinstate Prof. Al-Arian," said Asali.
AMA
Executive Director, Eric Vickers, called the action of the university
"discriminatory and bigoted against Arabs and Muslims," and strongly
criticized USF’s president for refusing to meet with the delegation
representing national Muslim and Arab groups.
Ray
Busch, who spoke on behalf of AMC, called the USF action "a return to
McCarthyism and a product of a media circus."
Sarah
Eltantawi, MPAC’s media director said, "Dr. Al-Arian is being punished
for the non-crime of sparking dissent." She implored Genshaft not to send a
message to young American Muslims that "American Muslim academics and
intellectuals will not be protected in this country."
CAIR
representative Altaf Ali emphasized the wide support Al-Arian is receiving from
the Muslim and Arab communities across the U.S. as "a respected leader in
the community and a committed civil rights advocate."
The
president of the USF chapter of the United Faculty of Florida (UFF), Roy
Weatherford, announced the full support of the state chapter. He described
reasons for Al-Arian’s termination as "trumped up" charges, and
dismissed as "phony" the argument of dismissing Al-Arian because of
security problems.
He
said, "Faculty members will not sell their principle for an
endowment," adding that Al-Arian’s rights to express political opinions
and expressions must be preserved and protected, and that our values of free
speech and academic freedom cannot be sacrificed because "such opinions
might cause difficulty to the administrators.”
Mike
Pheneger, of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), reiterated the long
tradition of the ACLU in supporting freedom of statement and association.
Moreover, he pointed out that "Dr. Al-Arian's case is also about due
process, which was completely denied in this situation."
Deacon
David Jones spoke on behalf of the Hillsborough Organization for Progress and
Equality (HOPE), a local organization comprised of 17 faith-based organizations
with over 4,000 members, saying, "Dr. Al-Arian is a compassionate man who
has been working tirelessly in HOPE on such issues as human rights, anti-drug
programs, and education."
Offering
his support, Professor John Esposito, the director Center for Muslim-Christian
Understanding at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. stated in a letter to
Genshaft, "I must say I was stunned, astonished and saddened by your
decision to terminate Professor Al-Arian."
“As
you know, the University did a thorough independent review several years ago
which found no merit in accusations made at that time. The published reasons for
the current decision offer no substantive, credible reasons for the dismissal.
They run counter to what our country is about and what the academy stands
for," continued Esposito.
"Unless
the University provides more substantive reasons, it will simply look as though
you have bowed to those with a specific political agenda or to coverage by
several journalists, led by Steven Emerson and others, and television programs
that are known for their biased inflammatory approach.
“Despite
the pressures that you and the University may be experiencing, taking the right
stand is what educational and moral leadership are about. What USF stands for
and does will not only reflect on the University's reputation but also send a
clear message to your students about what American democracy and academic
freedom mean," Esposito stated.
On
February 9, 1996, in a speech before the Tampa Bay Tiger Club in St. Petersburg,
self-stylized "terrorism expert" Steven Emerson said that Al-Arian was
associated with the 1993 World Trade Center bombers.
The
St. Petersburg Times quoted Emerson in an article on February 10, 1996, as
saying the following: "I am constrained at this point from revealing some
of those details, but I can tell you they will come out in the near term. But
they include money transfers, they include actual reservations and planning for
the conspirators in the bombing, and they include visits back and forth between
Tampa and New York and New Jersey, between officials here of the groups
[operating at USF] and officials there.” He further insisted that the truth of
USF's involvement will soon be exposed and that it would "come to light in
a particularly embarrassing way."
Almost
five years later, his statements have not been proven, and there has been
absolutely no suggestion on the part of federal authorities that the Tampa
academics have any associations to the 1993 conspirators.
The
Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace cautioned local and the national media
against an agenda of exclusion and character assassination. "We must
preserve the American values of fair play, objectivity, and due process; values
which are under a tremendous assault from these extremist groups and
individuals," a statement from the coalition said.
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