Tariq Ramadan discovers his inner flower child

Originally published at The American Thinker, May 15, 2011. Also posted at Campus Watch, Middle East Forum, and either re-posted or linked to at an amazing 157 other places, according to a quick Google search.

In the first of what would become a series of open-ended, philosophical questions, Ramadan began by asking the audience how to find meaning in the relatively short time they are given on earth. “What is the meaning [of all this]?” he asked rhetorically. After pausing for a moment, he added an unexpectedly blunt and morbid caveat: “One day you will not be able to pose that question — because you are all going to die.” The audience responded with nervous laughter.

The America of 2021

My first appearance as a writer in the Stanford Daily. Originally published January 25, 2011.

The haunting mixture of hope and apprehension, excitement and uncertainty, that marks the arrival of each new year has come and gone. In a blur, the first three weeks of winter quarter have disappeared. Yet imagine for a moment that the new year is not 2011, but 2021.

Joel Beinin’s Love Letter to the “New Protest Generation”

Originally published at FrontPage Magazine, November 18, 2010. Also posted at Campus Watch.

Beinin pointed out that a culture has emerged in which Palestinians are willing to deem Israelis “one of us” if rubber bullets or other Israeli military actions cause them to suffer debilitating injuries during rallies. He described a recent tour of the West Bank led by an Israeli who had “lost sight in his left eye” at one of these rallies and, as a result, was considered a hero by the Palestinians. “I might as well have been going around with Yasser Arafat,” Beinin exclaimed.

Beshara Doumani and “The Ironies of Palestinian History”

Originally published at Campus Watch and FrontPage Magazine October 18, 2010.

[His] “all or nothing” mentality has been seen again and again in Palestinian leaders, most notably with Yasser Arafat at the 2000 Camp David Accords. Presenting the so-called “right of return” as a non-negotiable prerequisite for the establishment of a Palestinian state reveals a complete lack of interest in finding an actionable solution to the conflict. Whether he realized it or not, Doumani was implying that Palestinians do not want an independent Palestine—they want Israel.

Joel Beinin’s Old Time Religion of Israel-Bashing

Originally published at Front Page Magazine (under the title “A State of Uncertainty”) and at Campus Watch, June 23, 2010. Also referenced in the Campus Watch Blog.

Beinin began his opening remarks by lamenting the “unhealthy” state of the Arab-Israeli conflict debate—something he chalked up to the allegedly disproportionate influence of pro-Israel groups. Invoking the typical “Israel Lobby” paranoia, he claimed that organizations such as the American Jewish Committee and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) discreetly control the debate with publications such as Commentary Magazine and think tanks such as the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. According to Beinin, these organizations routinely “attempt to ban [anti-Israel academics] from speaking [on college campuses] and attack them politically when they come up for tenure.”

Full Moon Eclipsed

Originally published in The Stanford Review, October 9, 2009.

Full Moon on the Quad, one of Stanford’s most beloved and widely-known traditions, has been cancelled for the first time in its history. Vice Provost for Student Affairs Greg Boardman cited health concerns connected with the H1N1 flu, or “swine flu,” in his announcement of the event’s cancellation on September 22. Boardman said it would be “unconscionable” for Stanford to allow Full Moon to go forward in the face of these concerns.

What are the U.S. options on Iran?

Originally published at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Transmission blog, June 25, 2009.

On June 24, the Brookings Institution held an interesting event, “Which Path to Persia? Options for a New American Strategy Toward Iran.”

A monograph of the same name will soon be released by the think tank, enumerating the choices U.S. policymakers have over Iran. These are the options that emerged from the briefing:

Out In the Cold: A Look at Obama’s Foreign Policy

Originally published May 29, 2009.

The foreign policy strategy of the Obama Administration, at least in its first four months, could be described as a terrifying mix of obsequiousness, blind optimism, and naivete. From incessant apologies to timidity in the face of the nation’s enemies, the Obama Doctrine seems to have the permanent weakening of America as its primary goal. A breakdown by region follows.

 

Who Speaks For Islam? Not John Esposito

Originally published in FrontPage Magazine and Campus Watch, May 27, 2009. Also highlighted in the Campus Watch Blog.

Georgetown University Professor John Esposito is the media’s favorite go-to man for questions about Islam. As the founding director of the Saudi-financed Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown, he is also notorious for downplaying radical Islam. Stanford University hosted his latest round of apologetics on May 13.

Esposito, who spoke at Stanford last year, was on campus to promote the film version of his recent book (co-authored with Dalia Mogahed of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies), Who Speaks For Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think. He was joined by the film’s executive producer, Muslim convert Michael Wolfe. The 55-minute film claims to present the results of the “largest, most comprehensive study” of Muslim opinion ever done. The crowd’s political leaning were evident in the audible hisses that greeted the cinematic image of former President George W. Bush.

Touring Stanford—With a ’60s Radical Twist

Originally published May 15, 2009. This article won the Review’s “Best Features Article” award for volume XLII.

“RESEARCH LIFE NOT DEATH”
“LENNY FOR DEAN”
“OFF ROTC”

Thus read the pins on the shirt of one Lenny Siegel, erstwhile leader of the “April 3rd Movement” (A3M), the group of students that nearly tore Stanford apart in the late 1960’s and early 70’s. Siegel, a member of Stanford’s class of 1970 who was expelled for his radical activities before graduating, was on campus the weekend of May 1 leading A3M’s 40-year reunion. The final part of the reunion program was a “historical walking tour of campus,” which this writer participated in and observed.