Here we see more of the war against reality that is pandemic on college and university campuses today. University of Wisconsin Madison student Ali Khan was “livid” because the class discussed “Islam and the West,” “The origins of Jihad,” “Al Qaida,” “9/11,” “The Islamic State” and “Jihad in Africa,” even though it also discussed the KKK and other non-Islamic terror groups. Khan complains: “There’s a whole module titled ‘Jihad.’ This legitimizes a perception that the concept of Jihad is one-dimensional, single-faceted, and inherently violent and connected to terrorism.” No, it doesn’t, although his complaint is a commonly repeated one. To study jihad in this context is simply to recognize that jihad is what jihad terrorists say they’re doing. To refuse to acknowledge that or to study it because of some a priori view that Islam is a religion of peace and jihad means taking the kids to school or blowing milk bubbles through a straw is to cut oneself off from understanding the motivating ideology of jihad terrorists as they state it. Why should the study of their self-perception be off-limits?
Khan adds: “Will we be discussing the different types of jihad (by the heart, tongue, and hand)? Is the professor an Islamic scholar who can accurately speak about jihad?” Why should those be discussed, except insofar as they are relevant to the discussion of jihad terrorism? Does a discussion of the Mafia’s self-professed Catholic identity have to include material about Catholic charitable activities? Khan’s underlying assumption is that the university is obligated to portray Islam in a favorable light, and if any negative information is presented, then it has to be balanced with positive material. This assumption seems to be shared also among the establishment media. But why must this be so? Why can’t there be a study of jihad terrorism in a dispassionate, accurate manner, without further considerations of how people are going to think about Islam one way or the other?
Note also that Khan published Kydd’s email address. If it was unpublished before, this is a clear invitation to harassment, and in keeping with the increasing atmosphere of thuggery and one-party state environment on campuses both great (Stanford University) and insignificant (Saint Anselm College). Khan is also graciously going to bestow upon Kydd “alternative academic readings to broaden the scope of the class,” as the professor becomes the student and the student becomes the professor, attempting, no doubt, to turn the class on terrorism into a dawah session.
Will the University of Wisconsin Madison discipline Kydd? Will it force him to delete the jihad content from his terrorism class? Neither would be surprising given the totalitarian Leftist atmosphere on campuses today. Stay tuned.
“Outrage erupts over terrorism class with section on Islamic terror,” by Rita Loffredo, College Fix, October 3, 2018 (thanks to the Geller Report):
‘An American exceptionalism perspective to advance a zionist, orientalist, and/or neocolonialist agenda …’
This month, University of Wisconsin Madison students enrolled in a political science class focused on terrorism will study acts perpetrated by radicals in the name of Islam.
Lectures slated for October include topics such as “Islam and the West,” “The origins of Jihad,” “Al Qaida,” “9/11,” “The Islamic State” and “Jihad in Africa,” according to a syllabus screenshot.
But one Muslim student, who is also a campus leader and activist, was briefly enrolled in the class. And after the very first day, student Ali Khan took to social media to express outrage over the content of “Political Science 347: Terrorism” and the way the professor approached the subject.
Khan’s complaint prompted a campuswide conversation on alleged culturally insensitive classes. He also published the professor’s contact information, asking peers to take stand.
Khan, in his Facebook post, accused the scholar of approaching the topic of terror only from “an American exceptionalism perspective to advance a zionist, orientalist, and/or neocolonialist agenda.” Khan, who described himself as “livid” over the course, also denounced its Jihad section.
“You cannot define terrorism singularly by the actions of terrorist groups or non-state actors without including state-sponsored terrorism,” he said.
“There’s a whole module titled ‘Jihad.’ This legitimizes a perception that the concept of Jihad is one-dimensional, single-faceted, and inherently violent and connected to terrorism,” he added. “Will we be discussing the different types of jihad (by the heart, tongue, and hand)? Is the professor an Islamic scholar who can accurately speak about jihad?”
The professor, Andrew Kydd, is a white male.
Khan ended his post by publishing the professor’s name and email address, and told his peers “for all those who ally with the Muslim and/or Student of Color community, this is your chance. For us, constantly debating with professors, stepping up to always teach others, and simply being present around this type of rhetoric, is emotionally taxing. This is where you come in. Do the work and educate your peers.”
Khan’s post spread throughout the campus community, prompting praise, “outcry,” promises of action, and several articles in campus newspapers at UW Madison.
Khan did not respond to requests from The College Fix for comment. Kydd also did not respond to requests from The College Fix seeking comment.
Khan has dropped the class but has also met with Kydd and plans to provide the professor with “alternative academic readings to broaden the scope of the class,” the Badger Herald campus newspaper reports, adding Khan also plans to lobby administrators to require a cultural competency review of liberal arts courses….
As for the terrorism course, its online description states it “will introduce the student to the subject of terrorism.”…
Other topics listed on its syllabus include the history of terrorism, which delves into the KKK, nationalist terrorism and communism and fascism….