SAN FRANCISCO, March 31: Muslim professors, especially those who are of Arab origin, are target of the neo-conservatives and the Evangelical Christian right while the funding coming from the Arab and Muslim endowments is labelled as “blood money,” says Dr Hatem Bazian, Professor at the Near East and Ethnic Studies Department, University of California, Berkeley. In a speech at the University of California, Dr Bazian pointed out that the case of Colombia University of New York is the latest attack on Arab and Muslim professors where four professors are under attack by pro-Israel students.

It may be pointed out that a pro-Israeli group, David Project, has produced a 40-minute film ‘Columbia Unbecoming’ showing testimony from a number of Jewish students about the alleged intimidation they face in the classroom from Arab professors. Based on the film, which was also watched and admired by Natan Sharansky, Israel’s minister for Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs, the Colombia University president has established a special committee to investigate the Middle East studies programme.

The professors under attack are Joseph Massad, Hamid Dabashi, George Saliba and Rashid Khaldi. Dr Bazian said that the second attack is directed at the endowment funding that can be traced to Arabs and Muslims which are mainly from Saudi Arabia or other Gulf countries.

He said that the attack on the Arab and Muslim source of funding has strong racial undertone as it implies that Arab/Muslim money is somehow illegitimate or is often expressed as being blood money.