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Ayaan Hirsi Ali Replies to Brandeis University – Peter Robinson
From a statement that appeared late yesterday:
Yesterday Brandeis University decided to withdraw an honorary degree they were to confer upon me next month during their Commencement exercises. I wish to dissociate myself from the university’s statement, which implies that I was in any way consulted about this decision. On the contrary, I was completely shocked when President Frederick Lawrence called me—just a few hours before issuing a public statement—to say that such a decision had been made.
When Brandeis approached me with the offer of an honorary degree, I accepted partly because of the institution’s distinguished history; it was founded in 1948, in the wake of World War II and the Holocaust, as a co-educational, nonsectarian university at a time when many American universities still imposed rigid admission quotas on Jewish students. I assumed that Brandeis intended to honor me for my work as a defender of the rights of women against abuses that are often religious in origin. For over a decade, I have spoken out against such practices as female genital mutilation, so-called “honor killings,” and applications of Sharia Law that justify such forms of domestic abuse as wife beating or child beating. Part of my work has been to question the role of Islam in legitimizing such abhorrent practices. So I was not surprised when my usual critics, notably the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), protested against my being honored in this way.
What did surprise me was the behavior of Brandeis. Having spent many months planning for me to speak to its students at Commencement, the university yesterday announced that it could not “overlook certain of my past statements,” which it had not previously been aware of. Yet my critics have long specialized in selective quotation – lines from interviews taken out of context – designed to misrepresent me and my work. It is scarcely credible that Brandeis did not know this when they initially offered me the degree.
What was initially intended as an honor has now devolved into a moment of shaming. Yet the slur on my reputation is not the worst aspect of this episode. More deplorable is that an institution set up on the basis of religious freedom should today so deeply betray its own founding principles. The “spirit of free expression” referred to in the Brandeis statement has been stifled here, as my critics have achieved their objective of preventing me from addressing the graduating Class of 2014. Neither Brandeis nor my critics knew or even inquired as to what I might say. They simply wanted me to be silenced. I regret that very much.
Forceful and principled, but gracious.
Brandeis just deprived its graduating class of the opportunity to hear from a brilliant and important woman.
Published in General
My perception of Ayaan was very different after I read her books where she describes her life and family and community and then har amazement at Europe and Christian based values. Yesterday on Reddit there was a post about a ten year old Yemeni girl who was granted a divorce. This astounded the Reddit community. It is terrible that more is not shown by journalists to the world but the news does not want unpleasantness over breakfast ir dinner.
Tom & Mendal,
I think Brandeis is just motivated by cowardice here. They will respond to whoever can give them the most pressure. They need pressure from our side in a big way.
However, your point is intellectually well taken. Two points of undisputed History sheds light on this. First in the 8th century Islam went down the eastern coast of Africa in conquest. By the 9th century they had set up their great slave trade. Northern Europe knew nothing of this and had no influence in this part of the world. America didn’t exist yet. To blame the West for the African Slave trade is a lie.
Second, about 1,000 years ago both Judaism and Christianity adopted monogamy as the foundation of marriage. Islam never did. The marked difference in attitude to women between the Judeo-Christian World and Islam should be understood from this point on. Hirsi Ali’s description of Islam and its treatment of Women is far from phobic. It is completely objective. The left wing attitude that ignores the reality of the treatment of Women in Islam is delusional.
Hirsi Ali’s analysis is exactly what the Academic world needs to hear and recognize as objective.
Regards,
Jim
The great thing about this is that Ayaan has gotten more earned media from being dis-invited than she would have from actually giving the speech.
Bereket,
I hope this is true. I’d still like to see Lawrence resign.
Regards,
Jim
When one considers Brandeis’ origin, the shame they have brought down on their institution is trebly damaging.
I didn’t say Ali was phobic. Heck, I didn’t even say she’s wrong! I do, however, maintain that her judgment of Islam’s irredeemably is not shared by all critics of Islam, including conservative ones like Daniel Pipes who aren’t exactly known for being cowed or pulling their punches. Here’s a relevant exerpt from the Reason interview:
Reason: So when even a hard-line critic of Islam such as Daniel Pipes says, “Radical Islam is the problem, but moderate Islam is the solution,” he’s wrong?
Hirsi Ali: He’s wrong. Sorry about that.
I agree! That’s why I said Brandeis was wrong to rescind her invitation.
Considering that Brandeis University’s origin was one of the strongest proponents of the Progressive movement and a close political ally of Woodrow Wilson, I find this current decision to be perfectly in line with the ideology which was spawned forth by its namesake.
Why the reverence toward Justice Brandeis in this thread? He is an intellectual heir to much of what we despise in American politics today.
Not just cowardly but part of a *pattern*.
Just the other month, Brandeis U. came under fire when it was revealed that the immediate predecessor to the current university president (Jehuda Reinharz) has been drawing a rather fat set of additional payments (“consulting fees,” “deferred compensation” and the like) from Brandeis along with his very generous university pension — and in addition to some other richly-compensated “work” he’s been doing in the foundations world.
In other words, Brandeis was exposed for being as self-dealing (and obfuscatory) as so many other “higher-learning” institutions have become — all while continually driving up the amounts it charges for tuition and other fees with which it saddles students.
When a school’s administrators think that venality, properly disguised, is a more-than-acceptable thing, then hey, what’s a little cowardice?
I started watching the Megyn Kelly interview with the CAIR guy, and became curious about the white man surnamed Hooper who is calling himself Ibrahim. His name used to be Doug.
from wikipedia: He holds a bachelor’s degree in history, and a master’s of art in journalism and mass communications.[1] During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Hooper worked as a news producer at KSTP-TV, the ABC affiliate in Minneapolis.
#37 Mendel
Well said!
Brandeis’ vaunted “Zionism” was also not exactly the kind that always helped those on the ground in Zion itself.
See for example Shmuel Katz’s account, in his “Lone Wolf” biography of Vladimir Ze’ev Jabotinsky, of the meetings and interactions between Brandeis and Jabo: The eminent Justice comes out as very much taken with his own eminence, and as viewing it as carte blanche for imposing his (rather windbaggish) views on the Zionists doing the real-world institution-building and community-defending.
There are a lot of such heirs to Brandeis’ style of soi-disant Zionism bouncing around here where I am in the Boston area — all very much enamored with the air-time their money buys them, no matter how divorced from reality (and genuine Zionist principles) their pablum may be.
She is indeed an atheist because her early exposure to religion was a barbaric one. The most impressive thing about her is that she overcame enormously negative — not to mention — primitive influences and taught herself to embrace, celebrate, and promote Western values. She is such an unusual and courageous person, there are no words to describe the depths of my admiration.
Oh yeah. If she went and spoke there might have been a short blurb but that’s about it, probably about protestors. But this story has developed legs and has gone on for a few cycles now and she never had to do anything.
Great post but I’ve met Ms. Hirsi Ali in person and the picture posted was less than flattering. She is a beautiful woman who also wears Louboutin 7″ heels.
Just saying.
I think this quote from Ms. Hirsi Ali ties all the news stories from this week together quite nicely.
“Tolerance of intolerance is cowardice.”
Kay,
I’m glad you mentioned this quote. Long long ago before the earth cooled and the dinosaurs roamed the earth it was 1964. A truly conservative Republican won the nomination and was running for President. He had a slogan. In the strangest of ways that slogan is more relevant now than ever before.
“Extremism in the defense of Liberty is no vice and moderation in the pursuit of Justice is no virtue.”
The whole PC culture is totally morally bankrupt. Our so called cultural leaders can’t generate enough fire in their souls to punch their way out of a paper bag. Continuing to follow their soulless idiocy is cultural suicide.
Brendon Eich and Ayaan Hirsi Ali aren’t victims unless we let them be.
Regards,
Jim
There does on occasion seem to be some inability of academic management to think through. A few years ago, my alma mater set up a new law school. They chose as the inaugural dean a law professor who was very public with his opinions, which opinions were quite controversial. Then the school seemed surprised when controversy erupted. (The first revoked the appointment, and then reinstated it, so that professor did become the inaugural dean, and is still there.)
I have never lived in Boston, but just about every Hollywood movie depicting the residents of Boston shows them to be resilient, tough-minded individuals who don’t back down from a fight. I find that depiction hard to reconcile with the actions of Brandeis University in this case. It has been reported that many faculty and students signed a petition protesting Hirsi Ali’s invitation to speak and gift of an honorary degree. This is the same community that endured the Boston Marathon bombing at the hands of two Muslim men not long ago. Rather than retreating in fear from CAIR, I would have expected the tough-minded people of Boston to celebrate this woman and embrace her message. I have to conclude that the people of Boston are not all as tough as those depicted in movies. I am also just as disappointed as everyone else at Ricochet that Free Speech and Liberty are so openly under attack in America. How ironic and sad.
First of all, what Brandeis did is very disgraceful, and of course they are not alone in doing this dis-invitation dance. What I don’t understand is what happened to good manners or grace in these kind of situations. Now I think Ali would be an excellent speaker to have, but even arguing in the general sense, isn’t it very bad manners to dis-invite someone that you have already invited? Barring some extreme scenario that plays out between the invitation and the event, something on the part of the invitee or the event being cancelled or severely altered, it seems to me to be very disgraceful to act in this manner. It is turning what was supposed to be an honor into a slap in the face. Couldn’t a university just respond to critics and say “we understand that you are disappointed in our choice for a speaker, but our invitation has already been extended and at Brandeis (or wherever) we stand by our commitments and also believe in the ability of our students and faculty to hear ideas different from their own with grace and dignity”
OK Bereket, you are now my official News consultant.
Regards,
Jim
Yes, was called off because students, parents or admin feared the University could be targeted by terrorists for allowing her to speak. Have they given a reason? Other than the usual honoring the “divisive views” Ali expressed may offend some student groups? Is this a subtext for a real fear of active terrorism or just the usual lame equivocation. Someone should ask the U. MSM where are you?
I look forward to working with you, :-)
Dissent is In. People on the right are rediscovering the word racist. I’ve heard it on The Five (in reference to CAIR). We’re no longer cowed by empty accusations of racism from the left. The wall of PC invulnerability is crumbling.
Pamela Geller, another one of my Jewish heroines, who established a memorial in Israel for the Muslim women and girls that have been murdered by their parents, brothers and husbands in “honor” of their religion.
http://pamelageller.com/2011/08/tomorrow-in-israel-aqsa-parvez.html/
And here she explains the “quisling” Jews who hate themselves and Israel. They write and say things in conjunction with Islamist. Craven cowards all of them.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/04/10/Just-Before-Passover-Brandeis-Chooses-Slavery
In all this rejection of the culture of PC it seems relevant to note that I’ve never been able to read NRO since they sacked John Derbyshire.
Yes and this is why the Dutch Parliament balked at providing her security. She accepted a job at AEI and moved to the U.S. because we agreed to protect her and give her a free platform for her views. I’m ashamed of my country right now.
As an audience member at her speaking engagement at the liberal New York Y forum several years ago, I listened as one attendee asked her (in reference to her AEI affiliation) – How can you bear to share office space with the likes of fellow scholars Newt Gingrich and John Bolton?
Her response: “I have been treated with respect, kindness, and great courtesy by these individuals. I only wish I could say the same of the male members of my immediate family.”
The NYC audience was startled into absolute silence.