SteveSilver.net

Blind Justice

No, I’m not talking about the sure-to-be-terrible cop show that debuted last night. But rather an op-ed in my college paper, The Justice, attacking Brandeis' Near-Eastern Judaic Studies professor, Kanan Makiya. Makiya, an Iraqi who was active for many years in that country’s exile movement, was a vocal supporter of the war in Iraq, and subsequently went on leave to assist in the re-building of his country following the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

I never knew of Makiya at 'deis, but always admired him for doing this- he went on sabbatical not to enjoy a vacation or to teach somewhere else- he did it because his country was liberated. And beyond that Makiya, an avowed Marxist, is likely not a supporter of the Bush Administration on much else. But he was of course enthusiastically supportive of the effort to overthrow the dictator who had pillaged his country and murdered his countrymen for nearly 25 years. Can you blame him?

If you’re Justice writer Joe Farbeann, you can. Farbeann writes that in acting within the exile community before and since the war, “Makiya’s actions [were] improper,” as though Makiya were somehow wrong to agitate for the liberation of his own people. And Fabeann wants him to “admit that he made a mistake"? Why in the world would he?

Then the author concludes this asinine diatribe by sharing that “things have not improved for the Iraqi people”- oh yea? They’re no longer under a despotic dictator, and they had an election. Things are certainly not perfect in Iraq now, but they’re well on the road to freedom, something that never would’ve happened without the invasion.

I didn’t think the Boston-area collegiate press could do worse this month than the Crimson/ “heteronormative” story, but apparently I was wrong. Follow Brandeis alum Josh has more.

For some much-needed levity, check out this review of the campus’ recent performance of “The Vagina Monologues,” which uses the unbelievable headline “’Vagina Monologues’ Fails To Climax.” We also learn that it was performed as part of both VaginaFest, and Vagina Week. (But isn’t every week Vagina Week?) Since the semi-negative review was written by a male, I expect at least 10 negative letters next week.