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Palestinian extremists and their supporters are not "leftists"

Reader comment on item: Extremists on Campus

Submitted by Robert Unger (United States), Jun 25, 2002 at 14:31

I regularly follow Daniel Pipes and generally find myself in agreement with what he has to say. Indeed, often I am inclined to stand up and cheer his remarks or writings. Normally, I find his positions to be well supported and his arguments to be cogent and convincing. However, I part company with Mr. Pipes when he describes Middle Eastern extremists and their supporters as "leftists" or "left-wing extremists."

Those who support or praise suicide bombers are not leftists. Those who ignore facts and mischaracterize Israel as a "terrorist state" or call Israelis "baby-killers" are not leftists. And those who claim Israel is engaging in genocide are not leftists. Indeed, those who support such politics are less than humane. They not only peddle in scurrilous propaganda based on monstrous falsehoods; even worse they seem to be driven by hate and have no qualms about murder.

Let there be no mistake. I agree with Mr. Pipes that those "professors" who do and say the things he reports have no business teaching classes in American universities, whether the courses they teach purport to be about Middle East history, poetry or some other academic subject. The reason, of course, is that universities should be places which advance both the free flow of ideas and the development of the truth, not places that foster hate or deliberately distort the truth for political aims -- particularly political aims which endorse murder.

It is important to me, however, that we not call these misguided miscreants "leftists." Though I generally find myself agreeing with much of what Mr. Pipes says, I must tell you that some of my good friends (who call themselves "conservatives") will characterize me as either a "liberal" or a "leftist." I am so characterized because I, for example, believe that women ought to be able to decide whether they wish to get an abortion. I am also opposed to capital punishment. And I favor most environmental protection laws. I could go on about my various political positions. But the point is, if these positions make me a "liberal" or a "leftist," I am proud to be a "liberal" or a "leftist." But never --NEVER -- let it be said that I support or am an apologist for any of the outrageous statements or conduct described by Mr. Pipes in this article. Whatever a "leftist" is, those who conduct themselves in the manner described in this article do not deserve to be called or associated with being a "leftist."

Thank you for this opportunity to let my voice be heard on this subject.
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Reader comments (46) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Re those Arabs fans of Hitler - Hitler, use of Arabs: a fan of Islam but Hitler, Nazis hated the Arabs, ethnicity, culture [334 words]WilliamOct 24, 2022 07:40287799
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1In Canada, there is an " Israeli Apartheid Week" a university hate fest, 6 years running . . . Mar 2010 [323 words]Phil GreendMar 3, 2010 20:54169650
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3Arab Islamic Apartheid's Racism of propagating the "apartheid" and "racism" slur against multi-racial truly democratic - equality Israel [24487 words]DianaMay 22, 2011 00:40169650
Arab "Palestinian" journalist Mariam Barghouti calls for the end of the State of Israel: 'Can not exist beyond 2022' (- Washington Post "columnist") [142 words]TaraMay 13, 2022 15:53169650
It will only get worse [44 words]LarryJul 12, 2002 22:031264
How to Deal with the Anti-Semitic Problem [49 words]DanielJul 8, 2002 10:581184
Leftists in Denial [145 words]Irfan KhawajaJul 4, 2002 15:251162
profiling [136 words]dallaskilgoreSep 3, 2007 11:541162
Turn of opinion - hah! [45 words]Jack RossJul 3, 2002 18:241149
Speaking from the radical end of campus [514 words]Rachel LinsteadJul 3, 2002 14:331138
The San Francisco Hooligans [298 words]Yosie Lipschutz-GoldmanJul 2, 2002 19:261106
Immigration naivete [133 words]Brenda WalkerJul 1, 2002 23:331099
The turn of openion among the American public [55 words]R. SolomonJun 29, 2002 16:411083
No Shar'ia Here! [288 words]Steven BlogginsJun 29, 2002 01:251079
A Wake Up Call in Response to Student Extremists [164 words]Mary FoyeJun 28, 2002 21:141077
How Can This Behavior Be Tolerated?! [97 words]Gene BiegelJun 28, 2002 01:491070
Leftist??? [9 words]Jenifer LudbrookJun 27, 2002 20:161068
How Can Scholars Come to Such a Conclusion?! [25 words]Loe NooJun 27, 2002 18:331067
The Masks are Off! [77 words]Jewel AtkinsJun 27, 2002 13:191063
Binghamton University Has Its Troubles, But... [387 words]Liz CohenJun 27, 2002 12:481061
Dont worry, be Happy [96 words]Tariq ShararaJun 27, 2002 02:011057
Anti- Israel Professors [105 words]RichardJun 27, 2002 00:591056
Not Surprised [113 words]Bruce CramerJun 26, 2002 23:041055
Ashamed [240 words]Jean MartinJun 26, 2002 20:501049
Long Overdue [225 words]William EiglesJun 26, 2002 19:051045
The Closed System of Postmodernism [169 words]Vic JonesJun 26, 2002 17:181041
Deconstruction is to blame? [110 words]Marcus VerhaeghJun 26, 2002 16:291037
We remember our friends in their time of need. [277 words]John SuarezJun 26, 2002 14:031026
Take our educational institutions back [101 words]Mark PatrickJun 26, 2002 13:191022
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Ideologues and Higher Education [130 words]Brian O'ConnorJun 26, 2002 10:141014
Don't be afraid, be angry [187 words]BenJun 26, 2002 10:111012
Pin heads [51 words]Glenn KlotzJun 25, 2002 19:44972
How Frightening! [22 words]Julian LeeJun 25, 2002 17:09964
I, a holocoust survivor, am frightened by all this antisemitism [62 words]Sally ScheinokJun 25, 2002 17:08963
A question about Britian's school system [24 words]Phillip WilliamsApr 9, 2007 16:06963
Palestinian extremists and their supporters are not "leftists" [426 words]Robert UngerJun 25, 2002 14:31955
Which side really wears the mask of Nazism? [595 words]Clinton GatewoodJun 25, 2002 09:57934
1How Can We Stop Extremism on Campus? [111 words]C.W.Jun 25, 2002 09:42933

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