Ramadan’s dismissal threatens academic freedom, Israel and Sweden's War of Words

Ramadan’s dismissal threatens academic freedomThe University must represent freedom of thought even when emotions run high. Debate is required; not dismissal.Published: 22 August 2009 11:57 Changed: 25 August 2009 11:05Open letter: Erasmus University must not sever its ties with Ramadan.By Dick van Lente and other Erasmus University faculty members and employees.In a joint statement last Tuesday, 18 August, the municipal administration of Rotterdam and the Executive Board of Erasmus University Rotterdam announced the dismissal of our colleague Professor Tariq Ramadan. Ramadan will be losing his position as consultant of the municipality and his chair at Erasmus University, which studied questions of identity and citizenship. As employees of the University, we are shocked by this decision, which we regard as being contrary to academic freedom.We sincerely hope that the University will reconsider its decision. Read more

A supporting committee " Actiecomité Steun Tariq" based in Rotterdam has launched a website to support Prof. Tariq Ramadan and to protest against the Municipality and Erasmus University’s decision.If you wish to support him, please click on the following link and get registered with your name, email and location :

www.steuntariq.nl/test2

FYI, the third field on the petition form is "home" in Dutch, so please enter your home country. Although Ramadan is on faculty at Oxford and Kyoto, there is a principle at stake here and it's worth going to bat for.

[thanks AM]

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Israel and Sweden's War of Words
An outrageous anti-Semitic article in a Swedish newspaper caused a diplomatic row with Israel. But what's really behind the sturm-und-drang

[thanks FK]