Already diaried by Walter Ballin, betson08, and Randian, the developing controversy surrounding Desmond Tutu, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and academic freedom at the University of St. Thomas has taken a dramatic turn today. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that UST administrators have been flooded with over 1,800 emails(plus an unknown number of letters and faxes) calling for a reversal of the administration's decision to ban Tutu. Yet, UST President Rev. Dennis Dease, in a letter released yesterday to the campus community, refuses to give an inch.
This is where we Kossacks can step in and lend a hand. Or shall we say, a kick in the ass...
For those new to the story, this is what's up. (It has been covered in the last 72 hours by City Pages, the Star Tribune, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Inside Higher Ed, Juan Cole, Jewish Voice for Peace, and so on.) The administration of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul dis-invited Nobel Peace Prize laureate and anti-apartheid hero Archbishop Desmond Tutu from speaking on campus at a PeaceJam youth conference. Then UST's chief academic officer suddenly removed political science associate professor Cris Toffolo, a Tutu supporter who in a letter informed Tutu of the moves being made against him, from her post as director of the UST Justice and Peace Studies Program.
The reason for the Tutu snub, writes President Dease, is Dease's fear that Tutu might have made comments "hurtful to members of the Jewish community" by his past criticisms of the occupation policies of the Israeli government and its AIPAC supporters.
StarTrib reporter Randy Furst writes today that the pressure campaign is heating up:
Dease has received more than 1,800 e-mails, encouraged by Jewish Voice for Peace, a group based in Oakland, Calif., urging him to reverse his stand and invite Tutu, and to reinstate Cris Toffolo as director of the school's peace and justice program, the group said.
In addition, UST faculty and students have begun organizing in support of Tutu and Toffolo. Students have put up fliers stating "Dear UST: Why can't I hear what other people think about Israel and Palestine? Sincerely, Your Students," accompanied by an image of Tutu in a thoughtful pose. They have also initiated a letter-writing campaign to the president, stating that the university has "failed" in its educational responsibility, and calling for the president to "explain" his actions "immediately" in a public forum with students.
More and more faculty, as well, are stepping up to speak out on record, such as Marv Davidov, an authority on active nonviolence who teaches in the Justice and Peace Studies Program:
"As a Jew who experienced real anti-Semitism as a child, I'm deeply disturbed that a man like Tutu could be labeled anti-Semitic and silenced like this," he says. "I deeply resent the Israeli lobby trying to silence any criticism of its policy. It does a great disservice to Israel and to all Jews." ...
"This is pure bullshit," says Davidov. "As far as fighting for civil rights, I consider Tutu to be my brother. And I consider Cris Toffolo to be my sister. They're messing with my family here. If Columbia permits a Holocaust denier [Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad] to speak at their university, why are St. Thomas officials refusing to let Tutu, an apostle of nonviolence, speak at ours?"
Action is needed now in order to support these gutsy students and faculty members who are sticking their necks out, and to correct the damage done by the administration, which has not only muffled Tutu and crippled the Justice and Peace Studies Program, but has also, by default, driven the Nobel Peace Prize nominated organization PeaceJam, that has hosted some 150 youth conferences around the world with Nobel laureates as featured speakers, from its home on the UST campus.
Do we have their back, or not, Kossacks? Please send emails or make phone calls (leave messages, or call when offices open at 8 am central on Monday) to the relevant administrators, gently (ahem) making the following suggestions (cough):
- UST President Dease must act to reverse the damage done to the reputation of Archbishop Tutu by apologizing to him and extending an invitation for him to speak on the UST campus. This year. On a topic of his choosing. Period.
- UST Chief Academic Officer Tom Rochon must act to reverse the damage done to the reputation of Dr. Cris Toffolo by reinstating her as chair of the Justice and Peace Studies Program and restoring her academic record in connection with the Tutu controversy. Nothing less will be academically and professionally acceptable.
- UST President Dease must act to reverse the damage done to the reputation of the PeaceJam Foundation by re-inviting PeaceJam to have its annual conferences on campus and restoring university staff support for the program. Nothing less than this will be adequate in restoring confidence with UST's local high school and community partners.
- The UST administrative team must act to reverse the damage done to local and international Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities who are working tirelessly for peace, justice, and mutual understanding. UST is thus being called upon to provide funding to host a high-level educational conference on the Israeli/Palestinian peace process, designed by members of the UST faculty, in consultation with local and national religious and political leaders. Nothing short of this will demonstrate to the regional and international community UST's commitment to be a higher ed leader on one of the great moral issues of our day, as well as demonstrate UST's responsibility as a religiously-affiliated institution of higher learning to fulfill its calling to contribute to the Common Good.
This is the moment of truth. Truth and reconciliation. Commission members, start your keyboards:
Rev. Dennis Dease, President, University of St. Thomas
djdease@stthomas.edu
651-962-6500
Dr. Thomas Rochon, Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer
trrochon1@stthomas.edu
651-962-6720
Doug Hennes, Vice President for University and Government Relations
dehennes@stthomas.edu
651-962-6402
Micheal Ciresi, Member of the UST Board of Trustees (and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate--could be encouraged to put pressure on Dease)
mvciresi@rkmc.com
1-800-553-9910
And, to offer words of encouragement:
Dr. Cris Toffolo, Associate Professor of Political Science
cetoffolo@stthomas.edu
Will emails or calls do any good at this point? Will the university reconsider, reverse course, and do the right thing? Again, in today's Star Tribune:
St. Thomas has received requests to reconsider its decision and the situation will be discussed next week with the Rev. Dennis Dease, the university's president, said Doug Hennes, a university spokesman.
Thank you for supporting Archbishop Tutu, Dr. Toffolo, the Justice and Peace Studies Program, and the students, faculty, and community members affiliated with the University of St. Thomas.