Thank you, Dr. Ernie.
Please vists the good doctor when you have a chance, he knows whats best.
Lane Community College cancels course about Islam: Translation from PR Speak to English
LCC cancels ‘What is Islam?’ class | KVAL CBS 13
If Lane Community College was really serious about balance and objectivity, they would have invited a Muslim to sit in on Barry’s class and refute any talking points they disagreed with. At the very least, they would have contacted him directly to evaluate his syllabus and determine whether CAIR’s claims were in any way based on fact.
Instead, they cancelled this course without even attempting to hear Barry’s side of the story. Since they won’t speak honestly about their intentions, we’ll have to translate for them…
Statement from Lane Community College Monday, Dec. 6, 2010
Lane Community College administrators and faculty are considering the most effective way to provide learning experiences on religious topics to students and the community at a time when sensitivity is high because of recent, close-to-home events in Portland and Corvallis.We don’t want Muslims upset with us. We know what happens to people who anger the Islamic community.
A new noncredit class titled “What is Islam” previously scheduled for winter term reached the attention of administration after a phone call from a local television station on Thursday. The station had been contacted directly by the person who proposed the course.Heaven forbid anyone encourages students to attend our college!
Due to the subject matter and in the context of recent events in Oregon, administrators conducted an immediate review and determined that it was in the best interest of students and the community to step back, pause for careful consideration, and engage our faculty in how to best provide a rich learning experience.
By “engage the faculty”, we mean make an administrative decision behind closed doors without any input from the people affected.
Lane values its role in higher education in addressing questions of religious studies and is reflecting on how best to do that.
By “education”, we mean “ensuring conformance with the politically correct party line”, not anything as messy as actually grappling with unpleasant or contradictory facts.
It was the desire to have a more intentional conversation about how to move forward that led to the decision to not proceed with the new noncredit class.
By “conversation”, we mean “silencing anyone who disagrees with us.”
The college takes very seriously its responsibility to make instructional decisions based on student and community needs
We believe our students need to only hear one point of view: ours.
and not in response to pressure from outside groups.We thank CAIR for reminding us that our primary mission is to not offend anyone (except Christians; it is perfectly acceptable to teach courses about Christian atrocities).
Administrators and faculty will continue to discuss the most effective way to engage its students and the community.
Don’t call us to tell us what you think. We know better than you.
The college thanks all members of the community who have shared their concerns and thoughts.Please shut up now and leave us alone. The last thing educational institutions like us need is more information. We already know what to think.
8 comments:
Dude, it's pretty clear that you're not objective. In fact, this blog shows you to be a bit of a kook; no wonder no one signed up for the class. In any case, you are still free to have any and all Lane student read your views right here on your blog, so nothing's been unduly suppressed.
It's funny, no one ever asked me for a copy of the class syllabus, not one person. Why do you think that is? Pre-judging someone based in a small set of facts instead of the whole picture is ignorant. Do you actually know what I was going to teach?
Really?
Barry
"It's funny, no one ever asked me for a copy of the class syllabus, not one person. Why do you think that is?"
I imagine nobody ever asked you for your syllabus because it's immaterial.
You've spent a great deal of time and effort setting up this blog, which constitutes a giant, neon-lit billboard advertising your total incompetence at research, your stubborn unwillingness to consider evidence that contradicts your predetermined conclusions, and your profound inability to examine the world in anything other than the starkest black and white terms.
What you do and what a scholar does are two entirely different things. If you try and get a scholar's position, you're very likely to be disappointed. That's not a violation of your freedom of speech; that's because you've so effectively advertised your utter unsuitability as an instructor.
But go ahead and tell us, Barry. What could possibly be in your syllabus that would counter all the transparently bigoted crap you've been posting here all this time?
"Pre-judging someone based in a small set of facts instead of the whole picture is ignorant."
Heh. I'm willing to bet you don't see any irony here at all, do you, Barry?
If LCC had let the class proceed, you would have had the chance to attend and you would have been given a historucally factual overview of the history of Islam. Assuming that personal opinion in a teacher will absolutely color their presentations is disingenuous. Every teacher has a bias, an opinion on everything, just as you do. The difference in a classroom comes from the teachers willingness, and ability to put aside their own opinions, and give the student facts, on which they can then make up their own mind. You assume I will not put aside my opinions for the sake of academin integrity. Why? What are you afraid of?
If anything I say is incorrect, show me. If anything I say can be proven incorrect using Islamic texts and tenets, please show where I have it wrong. You can call me names, yell and throw fits about what I write, but you cannot prove it wrong.
It is perfectly acceptable to disagree on a subject, it is another to make empty accusations and invectives.
Is Islam so weak that it cannot stand up to honest debate? It appears that is so, and letting CAIR dictate policy, in whatever capacity, bodes ill for expanded narrative.
I offer you a public forum for debate. Anytime and anywhere you choose. Let's talk in an open forum and let the people decide. Contact me at act4americaor@yahoo.com to set the conditions.
I await your email.
Barry
Why should LCC give you a forum at all? You're certainly not entitled to one, at least not in this country. If you really think what you have to say has some merit, then hit the road and stand on the corner with your advertising board like the other foaming-at-the-mouth religious fanatics in America do. However, you want the university to do the work for you. Being allowed to preach your ignorant views at a university would lend you some of the their credibility, so it's no wonder that it was canceled. No academic institution would touch you with a ten-foot pole, dude. You aren't a scholar and you aren't even especially knowledgeable about Islam. I've been studying it even longer than you have, took the time to learn Arabic, have read many examples of classical religious commentary, and even that isn't enough to make me a scholar. So what do you think this means about your half-arsed efforts?
What LCC did has less to do with Islam and more to do with the fact that you're just not qualified to teach the subject you chose.
Hey Atomic Fruitbat,
did you notice he still hasn't posted this supposedly-objective syllabus? If he was planning on putting aside his biases and simply giving students a history lesson, then why is HE so afraid to do so? LOL
Allright, let's do this. Here is the course syllabus and the application I submitted to LCC. Show where anything I say is incorrect, or anti-Muslim.
You, my friend wouldn't last more than 5 minutes in my class, as what I would be teaching would probably challenge your long-held beliefs to the point your head would explode.
Here it is, watch out, it might bite!
Course Description:
The news today is dominated with stories about Islam, Muslims and the Middle East. It is almost impossible for the average viewer of news to grasp the details in order to develop a more thorough understanding of the debate going on. This course is designed to give the student a deeper perspective of this debate and add to their knowledge of Islamic doctrine while giving them the ability to make informed decisions based on unbiased and current information.
2. Required text: The Qur’an is required text, as it is, like with any religion the basis for doctrinal thought and theological argument. Any English translation will be acceptable with the translation by Pickthall preferred. Almost all Qur’ans have been published by more than one firm, therefore it would be difficult to attribute one edition as better than another.
3. Recommended or Assigned Reading:
The Clash of Civilizations by Samuel Huntington. The Al-Qaeda Reader by Raymond Ibrahim. Does God Exist by Christopher Hitchins.
7. Topics covered: 1st class, intro, syllabus and basic history of Islam from 610AD to the death of Muhammad in 632AD
2nd class, The Qur’an and what it means to Muslims. The Mecca and Medina suras and the differences between them.
3rd class, What does jihad mean: the difference between personal jihad and doctrinal jihad.
4th class, sharia law and the implications of a clash between Islam and the constitution
5th class, Who are the leaders of Islam? Where is the seat of Islamic power today?
6th class, Islam and Israel(give assignment for last class)
7th class, The future of Islam: A reformation
8th class, Group discussion with students final paper.
8. Objectives-what will the student learn:
The student will be better able to understand the dynamics of the interactions of Islam and other cultures/societies, what the outcome of these interactions will be, and have greater ability to critically think and make informed decisions when watching news, reading or listening to dialogue or narrative on Islam. The student will be in a better position to interpret and understand all aspects of the current debate, and will be better able to communicate their thoughts and ideas to others.
11. What Skills, education and experience do you have which has prepared you to teach this class?
My ability to impart knowledge is, for me an innate ability and I find it most comfortable to educate in a casual, informal atmosphere with no pressure but with close and spirited debate and discussion. As with anyone who has a detailed knowledge of a subject (Duck football, for example) there is a level of experience and study which comes from years, or even decades of learning. My studies include reading and owning 3 Qur’ans, a study of the hadiths of Muhammad, the Bible and Torah as well and the entire spectrum of literature devoted to Islamic/Middle Eastern studies. From Edward Said, Noam Chomsky, Ezra Levant, Bernard Lewis, Ibn Warraq, Bat Ye’or, Eilan Pape, Tariq Ramadan I have read and read some more as much as possible. The last 2 years I have given 4 lectures on Islam, Palestine, WWII and the holocaust. Also I write and produce a TV show called “Islam Today” on CTV29 where I relate the weekly news from Islamic/Arabic and Israeli news sources. I, along with two friends are putting together the “Oregon Free Speech Lab”, a new TV program we are gearing towards the expansion and propagation of free speech in Oregon.
So that's the syllabus, is it?
1) Your command of grammar is shaky at best.
2) You have three books on your required/recommended list. Huntington's book comes to the controversial conclusion that Islam as a whole is uniquely dangerous and scary. Ibrahim's book is all about terrorism, and while I've never seen evidence of the existence of a Christopher Hitchens (note the correct spelling of the author's name, O scholar) book called "Does God Exist," I believe I can probably guess where he would come down on the question of Islam, considering his outspoken atheism.
So how is this a balanced look at anything? You have three books, one which talks about terrorism specifically, one which slams Islam as bad and dangerous, and one which may not even exist. Considering that around a fifth of the world population clearly doesn't consider Islam to be bad and dangerous (being Muslims), there's no excuse for not presenting the other side of the issue... but you have nothing there.
3) Your "skills, education and experience" include the number of copies of the Qur'an you own? Really?
I'm not having any trouble seeing why LCC might opt to rescind the decision to have you teach that class. Instead, I'm having trouble finding a reason they would have authorized you to teach it in the first place. You're clearly unqualified.
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