21 thoughts on “Brandeis Rescinds Hirsi Ali Honorary Degree – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. Well done!

    A new generation graduates every calendar year, youth represents idealism and possess great hope of fulfillment. This also extends to authoritarian and paternalistic ideas with groups perpetuating lies on their behalve. Indeed, this work is never done.

      1. Indeed, David Bunis worked closely with Fred Lawrence before as attorney and ADL member …

        Dwyer & Collora attorneys David Bunis, Tracy Fitzpatrick and Fred Lawrence obtained a judgment for $7.2 million in favor of their client Dean Foods Company of Dallas, Texas.

        David A. Bunis ’83 Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff and Chief Legal Officer at Brandeis
        ○ Bunis serves as president of Temple Emanuel’s board of directors, a Conservative, fully egalitarian congregation affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts.

        David Bunis and Fred Lawrence [pdf] both served on the board of directors of the Anti-Defamation League. I wonder what their position was on the internal ADL conflict, Andrew Tarsy’s resignation, and the stand on the Armenian genocide.

        ADL National Commissioner Joseph Berman, genocide-denying judge to be defeated

  2. It’s very strange that the term “phobia” is used in this story. Particularly by the university president and the media. Most definitions of phobia indicate an un explained, or irrational fear of something. In this case, it does not appear that she has a “fear”; and her obvious dislike of Islam is clearly rooted in her personal experience with the religion. I find it odd that none of her detractors are challenging the story of her experience, nor are they challenging her stated facts that Islam endorses arranged marriages, female genital mutilation, and denial of education to most females.
    There appears to be a rush to defend a religion at the expense of the person, without any consideration for the rationale of the position held. I wonder what the reaction would be if her objection was to Christianity.

    1. Her “story” has been challenged many times. From the false name she used in her original asylum application to the claim that her family had arranged a forced marriage for her. Read Laila Lalami’s Nation article to which I linked.

  3. Well, it is no big deal. She will receive her ‘degree’, like Kennan Makiya, in Israel. She is a racist and a war criminal like her husband.

  4. RS: Good for the students and good for you in publicizing the original story and now the correction.

    Would that more college presidents would correct their anti-BDS (presumably money-grubbing motivated) position statements. Columbia University president Bollinger has at least spoken out against the earliest version of a proposed NY law aimed at punishing the ASA BDS action.

  5. More info about Fred Lawrence …

    Max Blumenthal and Israel Apartheid Week: No laughing matter

    Some relevant data points: University President Frederick Lawrence just attended the AIPAC annual meeting, has photo ops with Shin Bet directors and goes to Friends of the IDF dinners. Speaking at a 2012 Birthright Israel conference, at Brandeis, he proclaimed himself a proud Birthright parent, asking “How do we grow this? How do we take it to the next level?” His Chief of Staff David Bunis is on the board of The David Project, which fought against the establishment of a mosque in Boston, and now devotes itself “to positively shape campus opinion on Israel.” Our ex-Board of Trustees chair, <b Stephen Kay, told the Faculty Senate Council during a Board meeting, in unambiguous terms: “We support Israel”—not individually, but institutionally.

    ADL Centennial Summit & Gala – Who Is Who

    Brandeis prof blasts school’s deference to Israel and AIPAC (and donors Steinhardt, Schusterman, Crown)
    At Brandeis, ditching sides for new Israel vision – 2012
    bVIEW (Brandeis Visions for Israel in an Evolving World), its organizers describe it as “a student-led initiative that aims to revolutionize and depolarize conversations about Israel on college campuses.”
    Brandeis: Fred Lawrence Curriculum Vitae [pdf]
    Inauguration President Fred Lawrence – March 31, 2011 [pdf]

  6. Astonishing mention in Mondoweiss article:
    “Hirsi-Ali is also an outspoken supporter of Israel, and spoke at the Israeli government-affiliated President’s Conference in Jerusalem in 2012 and 2013. She told the Sheldon Adelson-owned paper Israel Hayom that a two-state solution has not happened because Arab leaders believe it would betray the Qu’ran.”

    Ms Ali has no knowledge of the Holocaust, German atrocities in Europe during WWII and has no credibility whatsover on Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and peace talks. Unless her paymaster whispered in her ear …

    See my earlier posts with links to two contradictory articles by Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld about Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

    1. @ Oui: Shermer is a columinst at Scientific American, which means he ignores all scientific principles of evidence, research and reason in pursuit of bigotry. I’m guessing that he hates all religions, since he’s an atheist. But hates Islam most of all. Once he’s reached that conclusion and can dismiss her religious hatred, he can focus on what he considers the laudable aspects of Hirsi Ali’s world view.

  7. The unflinching criticisms of Hirsi Ali in the “Degree recipient triggers outcry” article brightened my day – thanks for linking to it.

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