Letter from the
California Scholars for Academic Freedom (CS4AF)
December 16, 2011
Dear President
Koester,
California
Scholars for Academic Freedom ** is aware of recent political pressure
on California State University, Northridge, to remove a web site
critical of Israel, and to punish the faculty creator of the web site,
Professor David Klein. We received a copy of your letter in response to
this political pressure and we are writing to express our appreciation
for your defense of free speech and academic freedom.
As
university faculty members, we are well aware of attempts by special
interest groups to stifle critical discussion of the Middle East, and
especially the Palestine/Israel conflict. By singling out individual
faculty, these groups have tried to create an environment of
intimidation, with a chilling effect on freedom of teaching, inquiry,
and political activism. In such a poisonous atmosphere it is essential
to have educational leaders, such as yourself, genuinely committed to
academic freedom.
Thank you for standing
up for this core value of education.
Sincerely,
**California Scholars
for Academic Freedom
Contact
Information:
**CALIFORNIA
SCHOLARS FOR ACADEMIC FREEDOM is a four-year-old group of more than 150
academics who teach in over 20 California educational institutions. The
group formed as a response to a rash of violations of academic freedom
that were arising from both the post-9/11/2001 climate of civil
rights
violations and to the increasing attacks on progressive educators by
neo-conservatives. Many attacks were aimed at scholars of Arab, Muslim
or Middle Eastern descent or at scholars researching and teaching about
the Middle East, Arab and Muslim communities. Our goal of protecting
California Scholars and students based mainly in institutions of higher
education has grown broader in scope. We recognize that violations of
academic freedom anywhere are threats to academic freedom everywhere.