My latest in PJ Media:
For quite some time, it has been obvious that our nation’s colleges and universities are no longer institutions of higher learning, but radioactive wastelands of leftist indoctrination and antifa recruitment. Resounding confirmation of this came Tuesday from the University of Michigan, when a Jewish student was condemned for telling the truth and groveled before his persecutors with an abject apology that is unlikely to remove the cloud of suspicion over him that he is guilty of wrongthink.
JNS.org reported that “the student government at the University of Michigan has passed a resolution condemning its president for remarks critical of the Palestinians he made as a high school senior.”
Yes, as a high school senior. As far as we know, Benjamin Gerstein, the condemned student, has been in total ideological lockstep with leftist totalitarians during his entire time at the University of Michigan. If he had not been, they would certainly have condemned him for that, as well. But as it stands, the condemnation is for things he said before he even got there.
What kind of star chamber is the University of Michigan student government running, that they would censure this young man for statements he made before he was a University of Michigan student, and for which he has issued an abject apology? The snotty little Nazis who condemned Gerstein are now demanding that one march in ideological lockstep with them every day of one’s life or pay the consequences for dissent, no matter how callow one was at the time of the dissent, and how groveling one’s apology.
The University of Michigan student government further covered itself in shame with the fact that the vote wasn’t even close. Those who will dare to stand for the truth and freedom there are apparently quite thin on the ground. JNS reported that “the final vote of the Feb. 25 resolution rebuking Central Student Government president Ben Gerstein was 25 in favor, zero against and four abstentions.”
What double-plus ungood things did Gerstein say? On the TV show “North Town News Magazine” in 2017, he said: “There should be a test for what type of people deserve a state and what type of people don’t. I think the Palestinian people, with rejecting constant peace deals, with their financing of terror, with their raising kids to hate people purely because of their religion, I don’t think that people deserve a state at this point in time. Until we see a significant change in the Palestinian mentality and a significant change in the Palestinian leadership, I don’t think they deserve a state at this point.”
These statements are true. The “Palestinians” are indeed “rejecting constant peace deals,” financing terror, and “raising kids to hate people purely because of their religion.” So what was Gerstein apologizing for?
Even worse, his apology could not have been more servile, more reminiscent of the self-incrimination of a Chinese victim of the Cultural Revolution at its most febrile and hysterical:
“In this video as well as an op-ed,” Gerstein wrote, “I made statements that erase the history of the Palestinian people.”
What history? The “Palestinian people” are a propaganda fiction, a people that has no history, as The Palestinian Delusion proves. They were invented in the 1960s. Before that, even in the tumultuous days of the founding of the modern State of Israel, there is not a single mention in the international press, the deliberations of the UN, or the statements of Muslim Arab leaders of any “Palestinian people.” They’re the local Arabs, indistinguishable culturally, religiously, ethnically, and linguistically from the Arabs of Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. So what history did Gerstein “erase”?
And how would it even have been possible for an American high school student to “erase” the history of an entire people with a few oppositional statements, even if that people did exist? Is this the kind of flaccid, flabby, lazy thinking that the University of Michigan is encouraging? Yes.
There is much more. Read the rest here.
RichardL says
I understand people who shut up when they face a mob but this guy is behaving despicably. Just because he wants to hold on to power. The plucked eyebrows are a warning sign…
Westman says
As Leon Trotsky discovered, the lockstep ends when the Marxist herd finally gains control of government.
These students have no idea of how their present neo-Bolshevik attitudes will undermine their future.
Patrick Huffman says
What do we expect from a college that installed foot baths for muslims? I’m from Michigan and this (like most) universities is being run by the inmates. This is the everybody wins a trophy generation coming to fruition.
WCM says
Ditto, from SW MI.
Kilfincelt says
I don’t live in Michigan but I’m a graduate of the U of M. I don’t give them any money because I’m thoroughly disgusted with what is going on there and have written to the university president on several occasions as well as the alumni magazine. When I found out about this incident, I again wrote to the university president but haven’t had a response. Here is the last paragraph of what I wrote:
As a university of higher learning, you have an obligation to teach truth and not political correctness to your students. You have an obligation to permit the truth to be heard despite the possible hurt feelings of others. Above all, you have an obligation to protect free speech even if some find it hateful. The university should always be a place of learning and not indoctrination which is, unfortunately, what many campuses in this country have become. Universities and colleges need to stand up to bullies, be they faculty or students, who use intimidation to silence those who disagree with them. Such bullies should be sent packing as they add nothing to the conversation and negatively affect the safety and security of university/college community. Failure to do so would be ruinous to this country and the ideals of our founding fathers. Further, you would be aiding and abetting our enemies which, I believe, is the definition of treason.
I said much more. particularly about Islam, but the full text is too long to quote here.
Denjnis Galt says
Absolutely right on target. Political Correctness & the loss of common sense is ruining this country.
Norman Gardner says
It would not surprise me to find out that their may be financial support from external Muslim sources for the university or for some of the staff. It is reported that former Prime Minister Gord Brown of the U.K. is alleged to have received some funding from Muslim sources to keep information about the Muslim rape gangs that were taking advantage of hundreds of girls from being exposed. So who is educating the present buffoons at Michigan?
Silence Dogood says
Hoy! You just need to unleash you mind. These are not foot baths; they are dog watering bowls. Just the thing for a thirsty Fido. Growwr arf!
mortimer says
Agree with RL … it is a lynch mob with a blood lust to punish a heretic.
Dieks says
Clearly, you’re one of them leftist socialist-Marxist Bolsjewicks that make up their own history!
tom parry says
I guess no one involved read the book palestinian delusion, I suppose it is banned on campus.
The student needs to read this book and Jodon petersons 12 rules Forgo this marxist U
get areal education save your soul
carpediadem says
Even if they were interested – which they aren’t – the book only came out several months ago, it takes time for books to travel through readership.
mortimer says
Benjamin Gerstein needs urgently to read ‘The Palestinian Delusion’ and ‘The Case for Israel’ by Dershowitz.
GOLDMANN says
Yes and no Mr Parry ONLY JESUS CHRIST CAN SAVES SOUL’S ???
Wellington says
Short comment by yours truly, will post. Long comment by yours truly will not. What the hell is going on?
gravenimage says
Wellington, I am sorry this is happening to you, Have you heard back from Marc Louis yet?
James Lincoln says
Wellington,
As I said in a previous post, I have had problems posting in the past.
Try using different Internet service providers, different public Wi-Fi signals, and your own smartphone as a hotspot.
And save any work on your clipboard/Word document.
And may be a techie at JW can help.
Hope you get it fixed soon, your posts are among the best at Jihad Watch.
gravenimage says
U of Michigan Jewish Student Apologizes for ‘Islamophobic’ (and Accurate) Statements, Is Still Condemned
………………………..
grim–but who can be surprised?
mgoldberg says
The ‘cultural revolution’ that brought the red guards in China in the 60’s was actually similar to this example. The mea culpas of fools like this one, only ennabled the ignorant march towards the totalitarian world they relished; the one view world, the view that ruined a nation, as it always does.
Jack Holan says
SAD! What’s occurring today should be called the Western Cultural Revolution. Maybe a good title for ROBERT SPENCER OR PAMELA GELLERS NEXT BOOK
mortimer says
PSYCHOLOGICAL PROJECTION is the manipulation of people by pretending that one’s own flaws are present in one’s opponents. For instance, a rude person accuses others of being rude to him.
Islam teaches Muslims this technique of projection at an early age. They learn through osmosis, but it is found in Islam’s scriptures. Muslims are always looking for scapegoats because scapegoating is the Sunna of Islam’s prophet. Mohammed ordered the killing of almost everyone who criticized him.
Westerners know instinctively that Muslims will hunt and kill blasphemers when they have the numbers and encouragement to do so. If they do not get the blasphemer, they will punish the community of the blasphemer by burning their homes or places of worship.
AL WALAA WAL BARAA is the MOTIVATING DOCTRINE of all jihad. Allah hates the dirty kufaar and decrees that Muslims should hate them too. Kafirs do not have to DO anything to provoke Muslims.
-Imam Abdul-Latif ibn Abdur-Rahman Rahimullah said, “It is not possible for someone to realize Tawheed (Islamic faith) and act upon it, and yet not be HOSTILE against the mushrikeen (i.e. wrong worshippers). So anyone who isn’t HOSTILE against the mushrikeen, then it cannot be said that he acts upon Tawheed nor that he realizes it.” [ad-Durar as-Saniyyah 8/167]
– “The Muslim should regard the Kuffaar as ENEMIES and HATE them because of their kufr (wrong belief), just as he hates their kufr (disbelief) itself.” – from Umar Sulayman ‘Abd-Allaah al-Ashqar, “Belief in Allah”
-“The doctrine of al Walaa wal Baraa is the REAL IMAGE for the actual practice of this faith.” – source “Al Walaa wal Baraa According to the Aqeedah of the Salaf”, by Sheikh Muhammad Saeed al Qatani, authoritative Saudi Sharia lawyer and imam at the Abu Bakr and Al Furqan Mosques in Mecca.
n says
The University of Michigan should have a scheduled debate with well-informed people arguing for and against the thesis that “Israel has a Right to Exist”.
James Lincoln says
n,
I would love to see it, but is not likely to happen.
To use a phrase from the UK, it may cause a “breach of the peace”.
Stephen5970 says
Having such a debate means that Israel’s right to exist is literally up for debate. If those against win, what is Israel supposed to do? Vanish?
How about a debate whether Canada, the UK, France, the USA, Australia or any other nation has the right to exist and a debate is all it will take to end that nation’s sovereign status.
Dude says
Clearly universities are no longer halls of knowledge, but now hold onto fantasies of a utopian world, in which societies are great no matter how monstrous they are, no matter how ridiculous their morality is, no matter how inconsistent their philosophies are.
They now believe that the desert tribe invented the airplane in 700AD, then sent fleets of planes throughout Egypt, Africa, Spain, Babylonia, India, Polynesia, dropping holy Korans in tiny parachutes, converting the masses below into Mohammadens.
Academia now has the highest regard for this ancient technological feat. And while their teachings were obviously the mad ramblings of twisted perverts, like the early cave drawings they are heralded by academia as a stepping stone to modern advanced thought. When’s Spring Break?
mortimer says
The Palestinian Citizenship Order, 1925 was enacted by Britain on 24 July 1925. It began by granting Palestinian citizenship to “Turkish subjects habitually resident in the territory of Palestine upon the 1st day of August, 1925”. Transjordan was specifically excluded. Provision for citizenship under some conditions was also defined for some persons habitually resident abroad, as well as the children or wife of a Palestinian man. The Order contained no test based on race or religion, except that non-Arabs could opt out of Palestinian citizenship if they were accepted by another state in which their race was a majority.
This order held until 14 May 1948, when the People’s Council, representative of the Yishuv or Jewish Community, declared the creation of the Jewish State of Israel pursuant to the relevant UN resolution.
In 1948, any former ‘Palestinian’ automatically became Israeli and the former ‘Palestinian’ citizenship was superseded by Israeli citizenship.
Ellis Washington says
*N.B.: Regarding story posted on JihadWatch.org @ https://www.jihadwatch.org/2020/03/u-of-michigan-jewish-student-apologizes-for-islamophobic-and-accurate-statements-is-still-condemned#comments . . .
Please send this post to all U of M Administration and Faculty, Students and Student Organizations – [Facebook POST] COMMUNIST ACADEMY ALERT! Once again the Democidal Dictators at my alma mater University of Michigan (M.M. 1986; Michigan Law Review Staff Editor, 1989) are punishing Critical Thinking students to confirm to their brand of Socialist Slavery GROUPTHINK. I’m sorry to hear that this student succumbed to their evil pressure to confirm. . . I didn’t which is why I’ve been Blacklisted by the Marxist-Atheist-Eugenics Academy for over 30 Years! Yet their time is numbered.
MLK famously said, “If a man doesn’t stand for something, he’ll fall for anything.”
Here, this hapless U of M student was merely stating a truth exposing U of M’s hypocritical double standard of allow Muslims to do as they please while Jews and Christians are shackled in Concentration Camps of Political Correctness and Liberal Fascism = CENSORSHIP. This isn’t fair We the People have a First Amendment Freedom of Speech in our Constitution which no Fascist College ‘Speech Code’ can contravene. This student wasn’t crying antisemitism. He was speaking up for Christians like me also!
The American Academy and all evil, corrupted institutions of man will soon fall into Deconstruction and Damnation. I have recently written the Eulogy regarding the imminent death of the Atheist American Academy as we know it @ http://www.elliswashingtonreport.com/2020/03/08/the-damnation-and-deconstruction-of-harvard-university/
For further reading please see my biographical essay about being the firs Black Editor on the Michigan Law Review @ http://www.elliswashingtonreport.com/2019/10/29/essay-letter-to-megan-brown-the-first-black-editor-in-chief-of-the-michigan-law-review/
kilfincelt says
I’m also a graduate of the U of M and agree with much of what you have written. See an earlier comment of mine above.
Kilauea says
Don’t apologize! Tell them to eat some bacon and then kiss your ass!
Tim Carlo says
No sense in losing his head over it…But you never known with this crazy religion.
jca reid says
Should have told them to “shove it” long long ago.
Thomas Richard says
Never apologize for telling the truth! It’s a sign of……..weakness!