In response to the SFSU events I discuss here, the task force has met, labored mightily, and brought forth a mouse. Islamic studies proposed for S.F. State. “Trying to improve relations between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli students at San Francisco State University, a task force has recommended that the college create an Arab and Islamic studies program.”
Charles Johnson has comments as well; but my take is simple.
First, I’m typically dubious about [fill-in-the-ethnic-group] studies, even though there are a number of legitimate things to study, because in fact they typically become job programs and sinecures for those who make their living in ‘racial identity’ politics. I know there is a Jewish Studies department there, and so in the abstract it’s probably not a bad thing to also have one for Islamic Studies.
But…the lack of significant condemnation and consequence (a moderately strong letter from the University Presdent to the GUPS regarding the hateful poster, and defunding of GUPS for one year) to what were outrageous and repressive actions by the GUPS-led counterdemonstrators blows the decision into the stratosphere.
Here’s a thought experiment. The demonstrators were African American. The counter-demonstrators were white. Imagine the same words spoken, the same actions taken. We’ll skip over the fact that the counterdemonstrators would have needed police protection as the justifiably outraged demonstrators reacted; what would the moral reaction be? Even if one were under consideration, would we be seeing a ‘department of Christian Identity Studies” right now? So obviously not that the very idea is absurd.
Here’s the deal. The reported behavior of the GUPS-led counterdemonstrators was outrageous. There has been no report anywhere that I have read that has suggsted that the reported behavior didn’t happen. So we’ll assume it happened. The University is now complicit in this behavior by a) tolerating it in the first place, only reacting late (which certainly gives the appearance of reacting to the public response, not the event), reacting to it minimally, and now by doing something which while possibly reasonable on its own (establishing a Muslim Studies Department) sure gives the impression of rewarding the wrongdoers.
Great. Just great.