Response to Nima

Submitted by Victor Luria (United States), Dec 3, 2004 at 19:33

I am the Columbia graduate student who wrote to Hamid Dabashi. I completely stand by my comments.

First, it is NOT slander, it is a statement of fact. Should Hamid Dabashi try to sue me, there is ample material in his past writings (starting with his article I referred to, the one he published in September in Al-Ahram - an Egyptian extremist publication known for routinely publishing calls to murder Jews and to destroy Israel) that confirms that he is an anti-Semite.

Second, as Nima convieniently ignores, Hamid Dabashi tried to get me out of the university. As reported, the Columbia administration did not judge his wild accusations to be credible or valid. Luckily for me, Columbia is not the University of Tehran.
Speaking of suing, I could probably sue him for his accusation that I am violent - I have never met Dabashi in person and Columbia Provost Brinkley judged his accusation completely unfounded.

But that's Dabashi's style - if he receives a critique, he calls the police saying he feels physically threatened.

Third, it is interesting how Nima stands for silencing of students like me. For Nima, it is good to have Hamid Dabashi have all the freedom in the world to call for Israel's destruction. For Nima, it is also good to allow Dabashi to call for academic sanctions for the Jewish student who dared say anything against him. Freedom of speech is good, but only on her side - the other side has to get out of the university.

Fourth, these are not two sides of the coin - I did not ask for anyone's removal from the university, I did not ask for Iran's destruction, I did not have anything to say against the Palestinians Dabashi pretends to champion (read my e-mail, Nima).

But he did ask for the destruction of my country - not once, but many times and with the impunity given by being a Columbia professor. More personally, he tried to punish me, Tehran-style, for daring to defend myself as a Jew.

But defend myself I will, as best as possible - whether the Nimas or Hamid Dabashis
of the world like it or not.

Victor Luria

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".