Controversial Professor Plans to Risk Arrest After University Cancels His Classes

FOX ^ | 08/30/07 | Melissa Drosjack

[Froufrou]

A professor whose views on the Holocaust irked critics plans to risk arrest by showing up on the first day of classes next week at DePaul University after officials canceled his courses, took away his office and put him on leave.

The private Chicago Catholic university recently informed professor Norman Finkelstein that his three courses were canceled after a dispute over tenure that drew charges of anti-Semitism against him.

Critics find issue with Finkelstein, the son of Holocaust survivors, who believes that some Jews have exploited the Holocaust. Finkelstein is the author of five books, including "The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering."

When classes start on Sept. 5, Finkelstein, who teaches political theory, will return to campus in response to "an attack on academic freedom and due process," he said. He was expecting to return this semester to teach "Equality in Social Justice," "Freedom and Empowerment" and an honors seminar.

"As usual I will show up for class on the first day and go to my office. I fully expect to be arrested," Finkelstein told FOXNews.com.

[WL-law]

Those two are cut from the same cloth.

I can see why you would group them together, if just for the reason that they received the same fate, but they are not cut from the same cloth.

Finklestein is obsessive, but not an intellectual fraud and charlatan like Churchill.

By the way, I don't begrudge DePaul its right to remove Finklestein, and his attempt to stay on it farcical. He needs to just move on.

[WL-law]

Those two are cut from the same cloth.

I can see why you would group them together, if just for the reason that they received the same fate, but they are not cut from the same cloth.

Finklestein, though he may be obsessive, is not an intellectual fraud and charlatan like Churchill.

By the way, I don't begrudge DePaul its right to remove Finklestein, and his attempt to stay on it farcical. He needs to just move on.

[WL-law]

I haven’t sees the debate between them that you mentioned. I have read in other sources that Finklestein’s scholarship is shoddy, and that he engages in ad hominen arguments to defend his work.

Then you're relying on second-hand accounts and letting others shape your opinions, and that's never a good thing.

I urge you to google "Finklestein and Derschowitz" and you can find the transcript of the debate, the background,etc.

Finklestein credibly accuses Derschowitz of plagiarism, and backs it up with facts. Dersch had to do some gymnastics to avoid having Harvard reprimand him, and I for one think that Derschowitz was proven guilty by Finklestein, It was quite a brush-up, and its not surprising that Dersch is central in the group trying to silence Finklestein.