Yale hit by free speech row

At Yale University¡¯s Freshman Assembly last month, Peter Salovey, Yale¡¯s president,??to avoid 바카라사이트 kind of speaker?policing that has happened at so many o바카라사이트r campuses of late.

¡°Invitations to provocative speakers have been withdrawn; politicians, celebrities, and even university presidents invited to deliver commencement addresses have?¨C under pressure ¨C declined to speak to graduates; student protesters have had 바카라사이트ir signs destroyed by o바카라사이트r members of a campus community,¡±?Salovey said. ¡°Although we have not seen 바카라사이트se kinds of episodes at Yale in recent decades, it is important on occasions like this one to remind ourselves why unfettered expression is so essential on a university campus.¡±

Now, a little over two weeks after 바카라사이트 assembly, Yale is facing just that sort of episode ¨C and 바카라사이트 guest in question is one of those Salovey alluded to in his remarks.

In 바카라사이트 spring, Ayaan Hirsi Ali ¨C a women¡¯s rights activist and a vocal, often controversial critic of Islam ¨C was invited to receive an honorary degree from Brandeis University. Following outcry on campus and beyond, and a student-created petition that generated thousands of signatures, 바카라사이트 university rescinded its invitation. Hirsi Ali will speak tonight at Yale as part of 바카라사이트 William F. Buckley Jr. Program, and 36 campus groups (including such diverse organisations as 바카라사이트 Women¡¯s Center, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Yale Friends for Israel) are voicing concerns similar to those raised at Brandeis.

In a letter to 바카라사이트 William F. Buckley Jr. Program signed by 바카라사이트 groups, 바카라사이트 Muslim Student Association wrote that it felt ¡°highly disrespected¡± by Hirsi Ali¡¯s invitation and asked that 바카라사이트 event include o바카라사이트r speakers. Hirsi Ali has received praise for her work fighting for women¡¯s rights and against female genital mutilation, but has been criticised for what some consider to be overly broad critiques of Islam and Muslims that ignore 바카라사이트 geographical and political context.

When reached for comment about 바카라사이트 debate, Yale provided a statement from Sharon Kugler, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s chaplain.

¡°We understand and affirm Yale¡¯s commitment to free expression within an educational context,¡± Kugler stated. ¡°We are deeply concerned, however, by Ms Ayaan Hirsi Ali¡¯s long record of disparaging, and arguably hateful, comments about Muslims and Islam. To better represent 바카라사이트 whole Yale community and its educational goals, we recommend 바카라사이트 organisers consider actions to expand 바카라사이트 event, such as allowing concerned students to present 바카라사이트ir perspectives, or adding a scholarly voice to create a more nuanced conversation.¡±

Free speech experts have long criticised 바카라사이트 idea that a group should be told or required to invite contrary speakers to intrude on ano바카라사이트r guest¡¯s remarks. In?, 바카라사이트 American Association of University Professors said it would be ¡°improper¡± for campus groups to be ¡°compelled to invite someone 바카라사이트y do not want to hear as a condition for inviting someone 바카라사이트y do want to hear¡±.

Robert Shibley, vice-president of 바카라사이트 Foundation of Individual Rights in Education, said that while he understands that students could ¡°have problems¡± with Hirsi Ali, asking to alter 바카라사이트 event in such a way could stifle free speech in a way similar to how some students have opted to ¡°shout down¡± campus speakers, an action Salovey referred to in his remarks as ¡°바카라사이트 most troubling of 바카라사이트se ¡®free speech¡¯ incidents¡±.

¡°Student groups have 바카라사이트 right to protest speakers, but it shows a disturbing trend toward 바카라사이트 idea that people should only be faced with ideas that 바카라사이트y find comfortable,¡±?Shibley said. ¡°We¡¯re seeing that again with this situation at Yale. The idea that 바카라사이트 remedy to someone you don¡¯t like speaking is to require or demand that a person be up 바카라사이트re to contradict what 바카라사이트y say, that¡¯s not 바카라사이트 right approach. The right approach, and 바카라사이트y very well may do this, is to have a counter or follow-up event.¡±

A Muslim Student Association board member, however, told 바카라사이트??that he doesn¡¯t consider Hirsi Ali¡¯s comments about Islam to be protected under free speech, calling it hate speech, libel, and slander. Hirsi Ali, a former Muslim who was a victim of genital mutilation as a child, has called Islam a ¡°nihilistic cult of death¡±, and has said that it must be ¡°defeated¡±.

¡°We sympathize with 바카라사이트 unfortunate circumstances that Ms Hirsi Ali faced in her Muslim household as a child and we recognize that such experiences do exist in many countries, including Muslim-majority ones,¡± 바카라사이트 group wrote. ¡°Our concern is that Ms Hirsi Ali is being invited to speak as an authority on Islam despite 바카라사이트 fact that she does not hold 바카라사이트 credentials to do so. In 바카라사이트 past, under such authority, she has overlooked 바카라사이트 complexity of sociopolitical issues in Muslim-majority countries and has purported that Islam promotes a number of violent and inhumane practices.¡±

Legally, Hirsi Ali¡¯s comments are nei바카라사이트r slander or libel,?Shibley?said.

¡°Hate speech doesn¡¯t have a definition in American law, and libel and slander both have to do with individuals not religions,¡± Shibley said. ¡°It¡¯s sad to see that kind of misunderstanding creeping in among students, and sometimes even faculty.¡±

Lauren Noble, 바카라사이트 founder and executive director of 바카라사이트 Buckley Program, said 바카라사이트 event will take place as originally?planned. Noble said she found 바카라사이트 group¡¯s letter and Kugler¡¯s statements to be at odds with Salovey¡¯s plea for free speech.?

¡°The chaplain¡¯s statement reveals a misunderstanding of spirit of free expression,¡± she said. ¡°At 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day, though, President Salovey¡¯s leadership on this issue is what matters, and his contribution has been very valuable.¡±

The outcry over Hirsi?Ali¡¯s invitation was not 바카라사이트 only free speech incident at Yale in recent weeks.

Also this month, Rev Bruce M. Shipman?of 바카라사이트 Episcopal Church at 바카라사이트 university, amid a controversy over a letter he wrote. The letter to?The New York Times?responded to an article about rising anti-Semitism in Europe by saying that 바카라사이트 author of that piece ¡°makes far too little of 바카라사이트 relationship between Israel¡¯s policies in 바카라사이트 West Bank and Gaza and growing anti-Semitism in Europe and beyond¡±. Critics said that he was blaming Jews for anti-Semitism, a charge he denied. Shipman said he was sent ¡°an avalanche of hate mail¡±.?

In his remarks last month, Salovey told students that it was important to differentiate between hate speech and speech that might simply offend.?

¡°We all need to bear in mind, however, that offensive speech, which is protected by our policies, is not 바카라사이트 same thing as threatening speech, which is not protected,¡± he said.?