Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Ira Stoll is right but wrong in defending Brandeis for disinviting Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Yes Ira, Brandeis doesn't have to give her a platform.  They are well within their rights to change their mind. But there is a big difference between recognizing a right to do something and finding it admirable.

Firstly, for a choice to be admirable it must be consistently applied - all those who are hostile to a revealed religion should be denied this platform. My guess is that Brandeis honorary degrees to those who are hostile to Catholicism or Conservative Christianity have flown as thick as a Waltham blizzard.

Secondly, it is a profound insult to publicly invite someone then disinvite them while berating their views. This is not the behavior io civilized people and it violates standards of behavior that conservatives hold dear.

Thirdly, the responsible conservative doesn't conflate two very different people in very different circumstances for the purpose of justifying the mistreatment of one. Ms Hirsi has never supported violence and her supporters don't either. Rashid Khalidi is an apologist for movements that murder thousands every year. Disinviting Hirsi - a victim of Islamic terrorism is not the same thing as disinviting it's apologist.

We all have rights. The question is who has honor. In this case Brandeis has none.

http://reason.com/archives/2014/04/14/a-conservative-defense-of-brandeis-unive

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