CAN Fights Zionist Smear Campaign At Columbia Univ.

- by Suzie Schwartz

Since the (Campus Anti-war Network) CAN National Conference in November, the Columbia University Antiwar Coalition has been extremely active since the release of "Columbia Unbecoming," a film that targets professors in the Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and Cultures (MEALAC) program, saying they "intimidate" students. A Boston-based Zionist group, the David Project, funded the documentary as an attempt to dislodge the credibility of professors who teach an anti-Zionist, anti-imperialist perspective. The film is not an honest portrayal of sentiment on campus-it features six well-known right-wing Zionist students and alumni who hold a very specific political agenda in making such a film.

As soon as the film was released, it became evident that its claims against MEALAC, and particularly Professor Joseph Massad, were dishonest and egregious. Only one of the students featured in the film actually took a course with Massad and opinions of students satisfied with MEALAC, particularly Jewish students who do not feel intimidated on campus, were purposefully ignored and silenced. The lies, gross misinterpretations and exaggerations in the film show that these students and the David Project have no interest in academic freedom. They wish to marginalize those like Massad who speak up against Israel and Zionism in support of the Palestinian people. The film attempts to silence voices, not protect students.

Unfortunately, the University gave in to political pressures and called an official investigation of the MEALAC department. What began as a small collection of unsubstantiated claims has spiraled into an attack across campus on professors who hold dissenting opinions. Beyond Columbia's gates, the NYC city council threatened to investigate MEALAC if Columbia's own investigation "came up dry." The controversy has been picked up by several major newspapers, including the Daily News, New York Time and The New York Sun, all featuring stories that criticize Columbia's so-called "anti-Semitism."

The implications of these attacks are widespread and reflect the growing censorship of the left, especially on high-profile campuses like Columbia, and the mounting attacks on Arabs and Muslims both on and off campus. If the David Project succeeds in their attempt to chill dissent, it will be easier for them and right wing Zionist groups like Campus Watch to do so elsewhere. We have already seen censorship occur at New York University and most recently, the firing of a City College professor due to her political views.

In response to the attacks, the Columbia University Antiwar Coalition called a meeting for all students, professors and community members who wished to organize against the academic intimidation and in support of MEALAC. More than 80 people showed up for the first meeting and were able to form the Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Academic Freedom at Columbia. On Tuesday, December 7th, the Ad Hoc Committee hosted a press conference on campus to present the position against the film and against the politically-motivated investigations. The press conference was attended by over 50 students, alumni, community members and members of the press.

Past and present students of the MEALAC department representing a diverse array of experiences and backgrounds spoke to the press, as well as a representative of the anthropology graduate program. Some of the speakers who addressed the press were Jewish students who have taken classes in MEALAC or with Professor Massad and who have not felt intimidated or marginalized in the classroom. Also, several students spoke about the real make up of the Columbia campus, which has one of the largest and most vibrant Zionist communities on campuses today. In fact, one speaker argued, it is not the Jewish or Israeli perspective that is being silenced as they claim, but the voices of those who are in support of Palestine.

In the midst of all the heightened activity, CAN activists have decided to primarily devote their time and energy to getting the campaign off the ground. We have been at the center of the Ad Hoc Coalition and have met many students who previously were not politically active on campus. We hope to focus on getting more of these students involved in the campaign and in CAN. Though as we approached finals all the action around MEALAC did not left much time or energy for planning events and actions around Fallujah, we hope to start off next semester with the capacity to handle both the MEALAC campaign and an Iraq campaign. We are also trying to organize buses to the anti-inauguration protest in DC in January. During the break, several activists will also hopefully work on a petition campaign in support of MEALAC.

Suzie Schwartz is a member of the Campus Anti-war Network at Columbia U.