Hamid Dabashi
Columbia University
Cinnamon Stillwell of Campus Watch has compiled several reactions to the Middle East riots over the video, "The Innocence of Muslims" from US-based academics. Some are Muslim professors and some are not. I am familiar with many of these names and have heard three of them speak on more than one occasion. What you read below is typical and predictable because these professors are anti-Israel, pro-Arab activists. It is we who are the bad guys.
http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/12637
You see, when you add all that up, the riots are not just over the video (which) is an excuse), but when we go back to the roots of it all, it is we-The West- who have humiliated people, colonized them, disrespected them, and supported Israel. Furthermore, you have this guy Hamid Dabashi from Columbia (which is chock full of Middle East radical types including Barack Obama's old pal, Rashid Khalidi), who says this:
"Sam Bacile [the pseudonym for the alleged filmmaker, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula] is integral to a pattern, an Islamophobic streak of racism that runs deep into American culture."
To Mr. Dabashi (who is from that wonderful country called Iran), I say this:
1 Bacile or Nakoula or whatever-his-name-is, is a Coptic Christian from Egypt. Considering the persecution his people suffer in that country from the Muslim majority, it may be understandable that he has a certain bias against Islam. I still think he used poor judgment in making that film because it does insult all Muslims-good, bad, or indifferent and also because it places his co-religionists in Egypt in greater danger. Having said that, we must stand firm on free speech and remind Dabashi that the US Government has apologized plenty-which did not stop the rioting.
2 Secondly, Mr Dabashi, if that is what you think about our country and our culture, why don't you go back to Iran? Maybe you can help root out those Baha'i.
How dare you come to our country and trash us in this manner.
For all the hateful, vulgar anti-Semitic, anti-Israel, anti-American speeches at UCI, no one ever called for them to be silenced. We only wanted the Chancellor and others to speak out against them... which never happened.
ReplyDeleteMark LeVine at UCI is another good example of portraying the Arab world as blameless and that we went into Iraq, for example, for some terrorist reason. Here are a few quotes of the leading Democrats.
"One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line."
President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998
This was a quote from President Clinton during a presentation at the Pentagon defending a decision to conduct military strikes against Iraq.
"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program."
President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998
Bill Clinton went to the Pentagon on this occasion to be briefed by top military officials about Iraq and weapons of mass destruction. His remarks followed that briefing.
"Iraq is a long way from USA but, what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face."
Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998
This is a quote from Albright during an appearance at Ohio State University by Albright, who was Secretary of State for Bill Clinton.
"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country."
Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
This quote was part of prepared remarks for a speech in San Francisco to The Commonwealth Club.
"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction."
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002
Part of a speech he gave at Johns Hopkins.
"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force-- if necessary-- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security."
Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002
Senator Kerry's comments were made to the Senate as part of the same debate over the resolution to use force against Saddam Hussein.
There is a long list of similar statements, before and after Bush was elected and 9/11 happened. I don't buy the assumption of Muslim innocence by Professor LeVine.