Darwish lecture provokes fierce student reaction
Debbie Lehmann
Issue date: 2/8/07 Section: Campus News
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Darwish's speech was followed by a heated question-and-answer session, during which several students passionately questioned her views and academic credentials.
Growing up in Cairo and Gaza, Darwish said she learned to hate Jews, Israel and America. Yet she is now an ardent supporter of Israel and a women's rights activist. Darwish founded ArabsForIsrael.com, a Web site that urges Muslims and Arabs across the globe to "give Israel and the Jewish people the respect they deserve in their tiny little country." She is also the author of "Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel and the War on Terror."
Darwish was originally scheduled to speak last semester, but her lecture fell through after the Sarah Doyle Women's Center declined to fund her appearance and Brown Hillel decided not to sponsor the event alone. The Office of Campus Life and Student Services and the Political Theory Project sponsored last night's talk.
According to Yael Richardson '08, president of Hillel's executive board, Hillel decided not to sponsor the event last semester because of "inflammatory statements" Darwish has made about Islam.
"We didn't see it as our place to bring a speaker who has spoken in a derogatory manner about another religion," Richardson said. "If another organization were to bring a speaker who has made anti-Semitic remarks, we hope they would also be respectful of us."
In an interview with The Herald, Darwish said she is used to being silenced after growing up in "Middle East dictatorships and police states." She said she was "disappointed that in America this could happen" but added she is very grateful the University invited her to speak.
"It shows that our academic leaders are very wise men," she said.
Russell Carey '91 MA'06, interim vice president for campus life and student services, said his office decided to sponsor the event after it was clear the speech would not go forward otherwise.