Prof. Thomas Klocek free speech battle at DePaul began one year ago today.

Marathon Pundit ^ | September 15, 2005 | Marathon Pundit

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

One year ago today, DePaul Professor Thomas Klocek had a discussion with some Muslim students... ....and was suspended because his ideas didn't match the PC groupthink found on almost all college campuses today.

On September 15, 2004, Klocek, an adjunct professor at Chicago's DePaul University for 14 years, was walking through a campus cafeteria where a student activities fair was taking place. He noticed a couple of display tables staffed by United Muslims Moving Ahead (UMMA) and the DePaul Chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)

More on Students for Justice in Palestine here, courtesy of Frontpage Magazine's Discover the Network. Incidentally, Frontpage, from David Horowitz on down, has been extremely helpful in getting the word out about Klocek's case.

From their display tables, UMMA and SJP members were handing out inflammatory fliers about the Rachel Corrie incident and other literature comparing Israelis to Nazis. Some of those fliers may still be available here. Klocek questioned the views of the Muslim students. The students were not used to being intellectually challenged in such a matter, so they responded in a predictable fashion: The called him a racist, exaggerated the incident, and complained to the Dean of Klocek's department, Susanne Dumbleton, who promptly suspended the professor.

In an October 1 letter-to-the-editor to the DePaul student newspaper, Dumbleton wrote:

No students anywhere should ever have to be concerned that they will be verbally attacked for their religious belief or ethnicity. No one should ever use the role of teacher to demean the ideas of others or insist on the absoluteness of an opinion, much less press erroneous assertions. (Bold print emphasis added by me.)

In my conversations with Professor Klocek, he vehemently, yes, vehemently denies attacking the "religious belief or ethnicity" of those students. He did challenge their extremist views, and that's where the trouble started. The "absoluteness of opinion," in my view, belonged to the SJP and UMMA members, not Professor Klocek.

After his speedy suspension, Klocek looked for assistance. Initially, few were interested in helping him. The ACLU, that "protector" of civil liberties, turned down his case. They're too busy, I guess, defending the rights of teen nudist camps.

But the Chicago law firm of Mauck and Baker agreed to take his case.

Few in the mainstream media were interested in the Klocek story. A notable exception was ABC 7 Chicago's Theresa Guiterrez, who covered a March 1 press conference at DePaul's downtown campus about the Klocek case. That story caught my eye, and I blogged it here on Marathon Pundit, and sent my take on the story on to Michelle Malkin, who posted her views that same night.

Later that month, the Chicago Jewish News ran this excellent article which I also blogged on Marathon Pundit.

Then two major blogs picked up the Klocek story: Roger L. Simon and Little Green Footballs.

The seed of a story had escaped DePaul's little garden, and DePaul had a well-deserved angry blogstorm on its hands.

But did DePaul do the right thing and admit they made a mistake? No, the they dug in their heels hoping Klocek--and the controversey--would go away. Hints were dropped about Klocek's alleged health problems. The DePaul administration and its PR hacks made idiotic statements stating something along the lines that the Klocek case was conduct issue, not a free speech case.

The aforementioned Frontpage Magazine wrote many pro-Klocek stories, with Dr. Steven Plaut leading the pack there.

Jay Ambrose of Knight-Ridder began publicizing the case in the mainstream media, writing several pro-Klocek articles such as this one.

AP's Nichole Dizon gave this strong story even more credibility in May. Dizon credited the blogs; up till then, the Klocek free speech case was still a blog-driven story.

In June, Klocek's attorneys filed suit a defamation suit against DePaul.

That's pretty much the story until now. This post will stay on top most of today, and since this is a long and links heavy posting, it's meant to last the whole day.

Free speech is an important part of our society. Unfortunately, there seems to be less of a right of free speech on college campuses.

A few other journalists, organizations, and bloggers have been helpful in supporting the Klocek case. They include FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, Richard Baehr of the American Thinker, Pat Curley of Brainster, the Chicago Jewish Star, Sol at Solomonia, Joseph at IsraPundit, Joy Wolfe in England, Joan Peters, Amir at Friends of Micronesia, Michael Medved, David Harsanyi of the Denver Post, Dan Flynn at Flynn Files, Joseph Farah at WorldNetDaily, and the many posters at Free Republic.

And a final thanks to the many others out there who've helped out!

Support Free Speech at DePaul University!

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

Moron DePaul: Next week, DePaul professor Norman Finkelstein, Hezbollah fan and a man who the ADL has called a holocaust denier, will be appearing for a book signing at the Barnes & Noble's at the downtown DePaul campus on Sept 20.

And on October 20, on the Lincoln Park campus, Ward Churchill will be speaking at DePaul.

And pro-Israel Professor Thomas Klocek remains suspended.

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

Ping!

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

Ping!

[Fred Nerks]

M. Cherif Bassiouni Distinguished Research Professor of Law; President, International Human Rights Law Institute 312.362.8332 cbassiou@depaul.edu OFFICE LOCATION: 823 OM FAX NUMBER: 312.362.5448 M. Cherif Bassiouni is a Distinguished Research Professor of Law at DePaul University College of Law and President of the International Human Rights Law Institute. He is also President of the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences in Siracusa, Italy, as well as the Honorary President of the International Association of Penal Law (President 1989-2004), based in Paris, France. He has served the United Nations in a number of capacities, including as: Member and then Chairman of the Security Council's Commission to Investigate War Crimes in the Former Yugoslavia (1992-94); Commission on Human Rights' Independent Expert on The Rights to Restitution, Compensation and Rehabilitation for Victims of Grave Violations of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1998-2000); Vice-Chairman of the General Assembly's Ad Hoc Committee on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court (1995); and Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the 1998 Diplomatic Conference on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court. In 2004, he was appointed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as the Independent Expert on the Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan. In 1999, Professor Bassiouni was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in the field of international criminal justice and for his contribution to the creation of the International Criminal Court. . He has received the following medals: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (Commander), Federal Republic of Germany (2003); Legion d’Honneur (Officier), Republic of France (2003); Order of Lincoln of Illinois, United States of America (2001); Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Republic of Austria (1990); Order of Sciences (First Class), Arab Republic of Egypt (1984); Order of Merit (Grand’Ufficiale), Republic of Italy (1977), and Order of Military Valor (First Class), Arab Republic of Egypt (1956).. He has also received numerous academic and civic awards, including the Special Award of the Council of Europe (1990); the Defender of Democracy Award, Parliamentarians for Global Action (1998) The Adlai Stevenson Award of the United Nations Association (1993); and the Saint Vincent DePaul Humanitarian Award (2000). Professor Bassiouni is the author of 27 and editor of 44 books, and the author of 217 articles on a wide range of legal issues, including international criminal law, comparative criminal law, and international human rights law. His publications have appeared in Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, Georgian, German, Hungarian, Italian, and Spanish. Some of these publications have been cited by the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), the United States Supreme Court, as well as by several United States Appellate and Federal District Courts, and also by several State Supreme Courts. Degrees J.D., Indiana University; LL.B. University of Cairo; LL.M. (International and Maritime Law), The John Marshall Law School; S.J.D. (International Criminal Law), George Washington University; Doctor of Law, honoris causa, University of Torino (Italy), University of Pau (France), Niagara University (U.S.A.) and National University of Ireland, Galway (Ireland) Courses Taught Seminar: International Criminal Law (Substantive)

[Fred Nerks]

Introduction to Islam - book by M. Cherif Bassiouni, placed online by the The Middle East Institute, with Zenel Industries Ltd. of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Sheikh Ahmed Alireza.

http://www.tempe.gov/library/netsites/bn200.htm#297

(Broken link...)

[Fred Nerks]

Table of Contents:

I. Preface
II. Acknowledgments
III. In the Beginning
1: Prophet Muhammad and the Birth of Islam
2: The spread of Islam
3: Islam in Andalusia
IV. The religion of Islam
1: The Qur'an
2: The three fundamental unities of Islam: God, Humankind, and Religion
3: Bearing witness to the one and only God (shehada)
4: Religious tax (zakat)
5: Fasting during Ramadan (siyam)
6: The pilgrimage (hajj)
7: Prayers (salat)
V. Islamic Law-The Sharia
VI. Schools of thought in Islam
1: The Sunni and the Shia
2: Sunni jurisprudence
3: Sufism
VII. The social system and morality of Islam
1: Equality
2: Individual Responsibility
3: Forbearance and forgiveness
4: Women in Islam
5: The Islamic calendar
VIII. Economic aspects of Islam
1: Legitimacy of profit
2: Fulfillment of obligations
3: Role of work
4.: Property
5: Contracts
6: Modern legal systems
IX.
Islamic Civilization: an overview

1: Knowledge and education
2: The sciences
3: Trade and Commerce as a cultural vehicle
4: Architecture and music
5: Islamic Fundamentalism
X. The Present and the future
XI. About the Author

---

The Middle East Institute would like to thank Xenel Industries Ltd. of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Alireza family for their generous support in the design and maintenance of this web site. We also thank the author, Professor M. Cherif Bassiouni, who graciously authorized the electronic publication of his book in order to further our mission of improving American understanding of the culture of the Middle East.

http://www.mideasti.org/indepth/islam/introislam.htm

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

I'd heard of DePaul professors Norman Finkelstein, and Aminah Beverly McCloud, but not this guy. Thanks, Fred!

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

Rough night: click here for Finkelstein

[abu afak]

Thanks for the ping on this important issue; one the country should be more concerned about

[sergey1973]

Thanks for posting it John. It's really a shame what's going on with Prof. Klocek. But exposing the injustice done to him will surely shed more light on unsavory practices of many schools stifling "Politically Incorrect" speeches.