March 23, 2007

Georgia College in Denial over Terror Supporting Teacher

The President of Dalton State College has responded to accusations that an Associate Professor in its Sociology department runs a website which openly supports terrorism, conspiracy theories, and is antisemitic.

Jim Burran responded with the same form letter to two separate complaints about Dr. Hassan A. El-Najjar's open support for terrorists:

In response to your email message concerning Dr. Elnajjar, let me offer the following. He serves as associate professor of sociology here at DSC, a position he has held for 15 years, holds the Ph.D. from the University of Georgia, and is an American citizen. As with all faculty here, he is careful not to interject his political or religious views in the classroom.

The web site to which you refer is the product of Dr. Elnajjar's own time and effort, and is in no way supported by Dalton State College. As a public institution, we cannot abridge the constitutional rights of any individual, including freedom of expression, even when we do not agree with it. Dr. Elnajjar's viewpoints, as expressed in his web site, are his personal opinions alone and in no way reflect the position of Dalton State College. And once again, no college equipment or other resources have been constructing or maintaining Dr. Elnajjar's web site.

Please contact me again should you have questions or need additional
information.

Sincerely,
Jim Burran

But, Mr. Burran is wrong to say that Dalton State College is not helping Dr. El-Najjar. In fact, they are. By lending the name of the college to Dr. El-Najjar's pro-terrorism point of view, they legitimize it. They help Dr. El-Najjar raise funds from people who buy his books, donate to his "peace" organization, and who give credibility to his antisemitism, conspiracy theories, or support of terrorists.

For instance, Dr. El-Najjar's book is heavily advertised on his website. That book is reviewed by only two people, both of them employees of Dalton State College. And one of them, in his Amazon.com review of the book, makes special note: "James A. Stevenson, Ph.D. Dalton State College"

It's not only cowardly from college administrators to run away from the fact that they are employing supporters of terror while America is in a shooting war. It's also insincere to pretend as if employment at an institution of higher learning does not contribute the credibility of their claims.

In fact, the citizens of the state of Georgia are helping spread, although very indirectly, terrorism by lending Dr. Elnajjar the name of one of their colleges.

Would firing Dr. Elnajjar be a violation of academic freedom? Perhaps. But when we, as a nation, are asking our young men and women to give up their lives in war--the right to life, in my mind being the highest prinicple of all-- is it too much for us to ask for the principle of academic freedom to be make way for the higher principle? That of protecting the lives of our soldiers abroad and of the targets of terrorism wherever they may be found.

UPDATE: Remember, freedom isn't free.

Previously: Terror Supporter and Antisemitic Conspiracy Theorist Teaches at Dalton State College, Georgia