In the midst of national scandals, a local scandal has gone on long enough and demands immediate investigation.
An independent commission should be impaneled by the governor to investigate why degree programs in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies do not exist at the University. What forces led to the inclusion of Judaic studies while excluding Islamic studies? Why is it that Judaism, the religion of roughly 15 million people worldwide, is studied, while Islam, the religion of 1.2 billion people, is ignored? Imagine the protestation if the case were reversed.
Why is it that the instruction of social science courses has been dominated by a team of monochromatic non-Muslim faculty members? Are they at all responsible for the inclusion of Judaic studies and exclusion of degree programs in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies?
Is the plan to hire a specialist on medieval Islam and occasional conferences and special programs on the Middle East a prophylactic exercise to disguise the racism and favoritism of faculty members? Why are there no Muslim social science professors on the teaching staff? Where is the balance and where is the continued presence of intellectual diversity on campus? What happened to affirmative action?
These exclusionary practices should thoroughly be investigated by a commission independent of the University with its report directed to the Board of Higher Education and state Legislature. Until then, in the interest of balance and fairness, Judaic studies should suspend operations.
M. Reza Behnam, Ph.D.
Eugene