U of So. Florida President: Palestinian Prof Has Terrorist Ties and Should Be Fired

AP ^ | Published: Aug 21, 2002 | By Rachel La Corte

[Bad~Rodeo]

TAMPA (AP) - University of South Florida officials filed a complaint Wednesday asking a court if it can fire a tenured Palestinian professor accused of having terrorist ties.

The professor, Sami Al-Arian, who has lived in the United States since 1975, has never been charged with a crime and denies any connection to terrorists. He has been on paid leave since last fall when he was quizzed on Fox News Channel about tapes from the late 1980s and early 1990s in which he said "Death to Israel," in Arabic.

The university complaint asks a federal court for a "declaratory release" that it can fire Al-Arian without violating his rights to free speech, USF President Judy Genshaft told reporters.

"This is a very difficult situation for the university and everyone in it," Genshaft said. She refused to take questions.

Al-Arian said he never advocated violence and that his words were a statement against Israeli occupation.

"It's still a case of academic freedom," Al-Arian said Wednesday. "It's just an indication of how politicized the university has become."

The American Association of University Professors has threatened to censure the school if it fires Al-Arian.

The U.S. Attorney's office in Tampa has acknowledged since February that Al-Arian has been under investigation.

School officials initially said he was put on leave for his own safety, but have recently said his return would be disruptive to the campus.

"The reality is, this guy's been associated with terrorists for the last 15 years," said Dick Beard, chairman of the USF trustees. "The university has been called Jihad U. It's time we take action and effectively cut this cancer out."

Al-Arian and his brother-in-law, Mazen Al-Najjar, founded a now-defunct Islamic think tank and charity, and Al-Najjar was jailed for three years, beginning in 1997, on secret evidence that he used the organizations to support terrorists.

Al-Najjar, 45, was again detained in November on a deportation order for overstaying his visa, which was issued 20 years ago. He was to be released this week and deported to a Middle Eastern country, his attorneys said. He has also consistently denied any connection to terrorists.

[Hila]

Blessed by Israel forever, and good riddance to all so-called professors filled with poisonous hatred. May all such arabs be fired and deported soon.

[Honorary Serb]

BTW, I live in Gainesville, FL, home of the University of Florida, and after Sept. 11, our local "Islamic Institute" went from a shabby building on a downtown street near the University to a large complex at the edge of town.

Who funded the new complex, the Saudis or the Kuwaitis?

[livius]

Tenure is just another word for "ha ha, now try and get rid of me".

That's true! I was feeling pretty positive about the University president's action from this article, btw, until I read another one which said that the real reason she did this was simply to delay having to take any action against him herself. Sigh.

[The Doctor]

He later apologized to the professor on live television, since he cost the man his job! What gives? Was BOR about to be sued? Usually, I enjoy his show, but when he apologized to the terrorist supporter, I was ill.

[Travis McGee]

bttt

[Soul Citizen]

END ALL RESEARCH INVESTMENT INTO THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA!

THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO RETAIN CONTROL OF THEIR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION WITHOUT FEAR OF REPRISALS OR RETALIATIONS FROM MISGUIDED ACADEMIC LOYALTIES.

GENSHAFT HAS BEEN MODERATED BY THE PC CROWD AND HAS REFRAINED FROM USING COMMON SENSE IN EXERCISING HER AUTHORITY TO FIRE A STAFF MEMBER DUE TO THREAT OF LAWSUIT AND WORST, REPERATIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY.

THIS LACK OF BACKBONE IN LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE IS PRECISELY WHY FUNDING HAS AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE WITHHELD FROM USF.

THE UNIVERSITY'S IMAGE HAS BEEN SEVERLY TARNISHED ESPECIALLY BY THE LACK OF WILLINGNESS TO TAKE A STAND ON THIS MATTER, UNDER ADVISE FROM LAWYERS.

BECAUSE THE UNIVERSITY WOULD NOT CONDUCT A CLARIFYING RESPONSE TO THE SERIOUS PUBLIC OUTCRY FUNDING TO THE UNIVERSITY IS A NO GO!

THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN GREAT NEED OF INVESTMENT DOLLARS AND FINE INDIVIDUALS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH.

RESEARCHERS SHOULD BUILD THEIR LABORATORIES OUTSIDE USF AND IN AFFILIATION WITH THE OTHER GREAT INSTITUTIONS IN FLORIDA AND THROUGHOUT THE STATES.

[FreedomPoster]

The caps lock key is usually to the left of the "A" key. If you hit it a second time, caps lock turns "off".

[FreedomPoster]

"It's still a case of academic freedom," Al-Arian said Wednesday. "It's just an indication of how politicized the university has become."

It is a case of the jihadists using our institutions and concepts of freedom against us. It's time to quit this "Islam is a relgion of peace" charade and start clamping down whenever a jihadist advocates violence, as this guy clearly has. They've got to be laughing themselves silly at us behind closed doors, for being so stupid.

[FreedomPoster]

Maybe I understand the difference between "Freedom" and "making terroristic threats", that are being carried out.

[Kenton]

Fired, hell... he should get the same treatment as the hostages in the American
Embassy did in Tehran.

[Libertina]

"It's still a case of academic freedom," Al-Arian said Wednesday. "It's just an indication of how politicized the university has become."
Look what the liberals have given us. Amazing that this "professor's" degenerate, lying words haven't caused his lips to fall off.

[FreedomPoster]

Advocated violent overthrow of a government friendly to the United States, using his government job as a platform. Assisted in fundraising for Islamic Jihad, and hosted their leader on a trip to the U.S.

That's enough for me. As far as I'm concerned, the entire "religion" should be delisted as such, and, relisted as "terroristic tyrannical death cult", and banned.

[Goldwater Girl]

Maybe it would help if we turned the tables:
Professor Apartheid is a resident alien living in the US for more than 20 years, holding a university professorship at a state school, living off state taxpayers. He sponsors his brother and friends to come to the campus, starts a "think tank" to examine intellectual rationale for white supremacy.
In his spare time, he has become a grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, formed a cell on campus, travelled nationally to advocate violence against blacks, actively raised funds from like minded bigots for church burnings, race riots, and violent assaults on blacks. His "friend" returns home to head a internationally condemned terrorist organization.
How long do you think he'd last as a tenured professor? Who would defend his academic freedom? Or right to free speech?
The Constitution is not a suicide pact.

[ASDFGHJK]

I can't believe that this is happening in a town where NAMBLA marched a few years ago. It's pretty LEFT in Tampa.

[Bad~Rodeo]

So is keeping track of them,it,whatever they are.

[Cindy]

WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "SCHOOL SEEKS TO FIRE PALESTINIAN PROFESSOR" by Jerry Seper (ARTICLE NOTE: The Palestinian professor is identified as Sami Al-Arian, a U.S. Resident since 1975.) (082202)

JOHN-LOFTUS.com: "LOFTUS FILES LAWSUIT LABELING AL-ARIAN A TERRORIST FUNDRAISER"

[Texas Mom]

I'm really getting sick of these people who want to use the Constitution to their advantage when at the same time they want to destroy it and everything it represents.

This is what political correctness has gotten us. When we have the enemy in our camp we want to make sure HIS Constitutional rights aren't violated. It just doesn't compute for me.