Although there was much less publicity, in 2007, in the aftermath of Israel's 2006 slaughter of over 1000 Lebanese civilians and bombardment that left an estimated 3 million cluster bomblets in Lebanon's countryside, Israel supporters in Ann Arbor went after me in much the same way as they have after Professor Salaita. I had participated in numerous protests of those Israeli (US backed) war crimes and then in November 2006 protested a University of Michigan event sponsored by the American Movement for Israel, where Raymond Tanter called for regime change in Iran. The University arrested 3 protesters that night, with one being nearly asphyxiated by their officers before my intervention as a doctor. Several weeks later, the University brought charges against me and a UM Professor who spoke out against the police brutality and suppression of free speech that night. Local zionists lobbied Washtenaw County prosecutor Bryan Mackie in support of the prosecution, and also my workplace to get rid of me. The directors of Packard Community Clinic, where I worked as a physician taking care of mostly disadvantaged people in the county, called me in and told me that some of their donors threatened to withhold donations because of my "political activities". The directors told me they wanted to "transition [me] to other employment", then went on to draw up a new contract requiring me to refrain from activities, including away from work, that my boss, Dr. Ray Rion, might consider to reflect poorly on the clinic or on me. I demanded more specific guidelines and they terminated me, despite the ACLU intervening on my behalf. Like Salaita, I lost my job, but also I went through a criminal prosecution. Even though the jury acquitted me, these acts propelled by defenders of Israel, caused lasting harm on me in many ways. They have not stopped me, however, from taking a stand against both Israeli and US war crimes. Solidarity, Steven!

Catherine, I'd like to express my admiration for your courage and integrity and all your unselfish actions. It certainly takes a great deal of courage to stand up to the powerful forces pushing the Israeli agenda, defending the indefensible.
Long live the day when the world's bullies are held to account by the ICC for their war crimes and I believe that day is coming.

It should come as no surprise that Phyllis Wise continues to prevaricate in an effort to dodge responsibility for firing Professor Salaita. But that she now maintains that her disgraceful misconduct amounted to "humane" treatment of Salaita, and that she was in fact doing him a favor in dumping him before he could bring his family to UIUC, takes these disavowals into the realm of the preposterous. What chutzpah. She and the board of trustees have shown their unfitness for the positions they hold, and should resign or be turfed out. That she still doesn't understand that the only path left is to admit guilt demonstrates a Nixonian level of obtuseness and arrogance.

And let's not forget the multiple corporate board posts she holds, bringing her annual salary to at least a million dollars. Taking $300,000 from Nike, a company that just happens to have a contract with the university's sports department, constitutes a flagrant conflict of interest. So does her board position with a large holding company whose financial activities intersect with those of the university.

She chides Salaita for an uncollegial attitude, when she herself engages in behavior altogether too collegial, too civil, and too chummy when it comes to the wealthy conservatives propelling her career. Of course, her value to these private sector patrons is contingent on hanging on to her administrative job at the university. She'll be of no use to Nike, or Busey, once she's out of office. Somehow, I don't think this chancellor relishes the idea of retiring on her UIUC pension. She'll hang on until the end of this shabby affair.

"Adverse impact" is good. It is very good, indeed, for the university to feel the consequences of their rash action in firing Salaita for political reasons not reflective of his academic performance. This is America. We cannot tolerate politically based religious interference in our institutions of higher learning. I am glad to see the "adverse impact" that is happening there. We should cause and support many incidents of "adverse impact" whenever we see this kind of intolerance and interference.

I attended several Conventions (in the 1970's and 1980's) every four years at Urbana-Champlain for persons interested in Missionary work. These conventions were hosted by the Navigators, Campus Crusade for Christ, Jews for Jesus, Billy Graham Ministries, Oral Roberts University and other various Evangelical and/or Conservative Christian Groups. They were supporting a Christian missionary program called the "10/40 Window" which represented the Middle East and especially Palestine. There were usually over 1,000 college and grad school students attending each of these events.+
It is no surprise to me that the Islamaphobia created in the context of these conventions still has repercussions today. Fortunately I was able to meet some wonderful Muslims and realized how I was being brainwashed by the misinformation I received through inaccurate translation of the Bible and anthropology. Unfortunately many of the colleges, seminaries and other Conservative and/or Evangelical groups have a lot more processing to do before realizing the errors and damage of their ways.