A very gallant Dr. Charles Asher Small just delivered an important
lecture at the 92nd St Y. in New York. Yes, this is the same Dr. Small
who, in 2004, founded the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism
and Policy (ISGAP), which he housed at Yale University from
2006-2011—until the Yale Corporation decided that the Center's work on
Islamic Judeophobia and specifically on Iranian genocidal Judeophobia
threatened Yale's "scholarly commitments" in the region.
Who could make this up?
This was the first time that Dr. Small spoke about this publicly.
Dr. Small is Canadian and grew up in Montreal. He speaks in a
restrained and reasonable way about outrages and injustices. He is a
gentleman and a scholar.
I was privileged to have met him in 2003 and to have worked with
him while he was at Yale. I have also written about his work and its
tragic demise at Yale.
This time, Dr. Small named names.
But,
he first wondered why Israel, which is blamed for every conceivable
wrong, is also to blame for whatever problems American Jews are having
in terms of communal identity or renewal. He wondered how different
American Jews and Jewish leaders are today when compared to the American
Jewish leaders in the 1920s and 1930s, as economic problems worsened
and a virulent antisemitism arose. "Sound familiar?", he asked.
Dr. Small noted that antisemitism is different from all the other
'isms' such as racism and sexism. "It is inherently genocidal," he said.
It was "genocidal during the religious era when Jews were the wrong
religion" and were accused of holding back the Messianic age by both
"refusing to convert to Christianity" and for having committed
"deicide." And it is genocidal today. But there is a taboo today at work
that impedes any rational search for the truth.
Small went on to say that no one is examining radical Islamic
ideology No one is questioning the dominant world view. Instead,
everyone is into postmodernism, cultural relativism and politically
correct non-judgementalism. He defined anyone who has been formerly
colonized as being a victim whose customs and traditions cannot be
judged.
Charles and I agree on this new and clever form of racism and
paternalism. Universal rights for me and thee – but not for the female
victims of honor killing, forced child marriage, female genital
mutilation, and forced veiling. Religious rights for Muslims in the
West, but the lethal persecution of Christians, Hindus, and Jews in
"Muslim lands."
Meanwhile, Charles' Institute at Yale was vibrant, dynamic and
thriving. About 3 and a half years ago, a philanthropist offered Charles
and his Institute five million dollars if Yale would raise 15-20
million dollars. Dr. Small delivered a strategic business plan. The
development office said it was "wonderful."
But the environment changed when the current Iranian regime
suddenly listed Yale as an "enemy of the revolution." Small and his
Institute were blamed by some for having gotten Yale in trouble,
resulting in Yale's telling Small to stop dealing with radical Islam,
radical Islamic Judeophobia, and Iran. Absent his dealing with those
topics, he was told, he could enjoy a long and happy career at Yale.
But Radical Political Islam, not Islam the religion, not the Muslim
people, but Radical Political Islam, the genocidal movement, is a key
part of the irrational hatred against Jews and Israel in today's world.
When Charles convened in August of 2010, the largest academic world
conference on global antisemitism to have ever been held, Radical
Political Islam was part of the discussion. It couldn't be ignored. It
was not the focal point of the conference. It wasn't even mentioned by
most of the speakers. But it was included in some presentations by a few
of the 107 speakers from 23 countries who made up the program.
What was to come was signalled when the assembled conference
attendees were welcomed rather sourly by associate Yale Provost, Frances
Rosenbluth. Before a word was spoken or paper presented, she warned
that the scholarship to be presented needed be constrained and she
pre-emptively labeled outcomes when she said presenters were "not to
engage in Islamophobia."
A young Palestinian actively blogged throughout the conference and
in real time characterized speakers as "racists" and "Islamophobes."
Instead of measured analysis, dialogue and prudent deliberation, his
name calling reverberated across the internet kicking off a firestorm
which resulted, three days later, in the newly appointed PLO
"ambassador" in D.C. writing to Yale President Levin charging Yale with
"racism."
Here's the thing. Tell the truth about Radical Political Islamism
and you will be branded a racist. Dare expose the Muslim practice of
slavery, imperialism, colonialism, religious intolerance, and gender
apartheid and you will find yourself branded a "conservative racist" and
therefore demonized.
It happened to me early on, between 2003-2005.
It has happened to every single truth teller ever since, including Dr. Charles Small.
Small and his colleagues were attacked irrationally. National
Public Radio chimed in and a Yale Professor accused the Institute of
being similar to Black Panthers. The chorus grew and Yale had its excuse
to end its relationship with the Institute and Charles Small. In so
doing, Yale confiscated the film of the conference, framed a report
which it marked 'confidential' (something they'd never done before in
this kind of circumstance) and didn't allow Charles Small or any of his
colleagues at Yale to see it. These actions could hold the record for
abruptness and lack of considered process extended when compared to all
other departures. Adding insult to injury, with several week's notice,
Yale asked Charles Small to leave.
But it is now a year later and this quiet talk to a hushed audience
at the 92nd St. Y marked the beginning of a new chapter in the struggle
to tell the truth and expose the deception that is going on behind the
curtain in academia today. The whole episode at Yale was instructive and
underlines the urgent need for an independent institution that studies
antisemitism in real time, and not merely as an historical artifact and
novelty. Antisemtism is as virulent, threatening and genocidal as it has
ever been and the need for a Charles Small and an organization like
ISGAP, that is not afraid to seek the truth, is more pressing than it
has ever been. If not now, when.
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