[NYTr] Catholic Univ's Law School Protests Banning of Desmond Tutu

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Informed Comment -Oct 9, 2007
http://www.juancole.com/2007/10/university-of-st-thomas-law-school.html

University of St. Thomas Law School Protests Exclusion of Desmond Tutu

by Juan Cole

University of St. Thomas Law School faculty weighs in on the refusal of
a speaking invitation to Archbishop Desmond Tutu (pacifist,
anti-Apartheid activist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize), on
grounds that his criticisms of Israeli policies toward the Palestinians
are hurtful to Jewish feelings and therefore anti-Semitic. 

 From "Mirror of Justice"
http://www.mirrorofjustice.com/mirrorofjustice/2007/10/letter-on-abp-t.html

October 8, 2007

Dear Father Dease and Dr. Rochon,

We are members of the School of Law faculty with a variety of political
and religious perspectives. We write in our capacity as faculty of the
University of St. Thomas and with respect for the leadership you
provide the University. We are concerned by the recent decision to veto
an invitation to Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu to speak at St.
Thomas. We urge you to reconsider this decision and to join in inviting
Abp. Tutu to speak in the Twin Cities.

In general, the appearance at UST of a Nobel-Peace-Prize winner, a
major figure in the nonviolent movement against apartheid, would be a
magnificent opportunity for the University community. Although the
conference at which Abp. Tutu would speak is sponsored by an outside
group, without a doubt his appearance here would benefit UST students,
faculty, and staff, and enhance the University’s reputation as a place
engaged in dialogue with figures of international distinction.

We are distressed at the rejection of this opportunity, and especially
at the rationale that the administration has publicly asserted: that
the University should not host a speaker who, in comments on the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has said things that are offensive or
“hurtful to members of the Jewish community.”

At the outset, we note that the asserted rationale here is not that
Abp. Tutu has been invited to speak directly to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict during his appearance at UST. Rather, the administration’s
rationale, that he has made statements that are hurtful to some on
other occasions, reflects a far more restrictive attitude toward
hosting speakers who are distinguished but in some way controversial.

To reject a distinguished speaker based on worries that his words may
cause hurt or offense to some is entirely at odds with the search for
truth that should characterize a Catholic university. Speech taking
positions on controversial subjects will often be offensive or hurtful
to some people. Nevertheless, a Catholic university should be willing
to open itself to such speech – and criticisms of that speech – in
order to learn the truth. Only with such an approach can a university
carry out its mission of “consecrat[ing] itself without reserve to the
cause of truth” (Ex Corde Ecclesiae ¶4 (our emphasis)). To give
controlling weight to worries about hurt or offense cannot be
reconciled with the University’s charge to pursue “all aspects of
truth . . . without fear but rather with enthusiasm, dedicating itself
to every path of knowledge” (id.). We could easily cite secular
academic norms as well, for in this case they harmonize with Catholic
norms.

That an otherwise distinguished speaker should be rejected because he
has made statements on disputed political issues that hurt or offend
some people is a principle of breathtaking scope. Under this rationale,
it appears, the University would refuse to invite former President
Jimmy Carter or Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to speak on any matter
of human rights or public affairs. Proposals for speakers who have
worthwhile ideas but are less well known might fare even worse under
this calculus.

We recognize that Abp. Tutu has spoken on a broad range of issues, and
that his opinions do not always comport with the views of the Catholic
Church. However, Abp. Tutu was to receive no award, honor, or
generalized endorsement from the University; and his views on issues
other than those he has been invited to address simply are not relevant
in this particular case.

We urge that the administration issue Abp. Tutu an invitation in
connection with the Peacejam conference, and in the absence of an
invitation, that the University issue a statement acknowledging that it
was a mistake to reject the invitation on the ground that has been
offered.

Respectfully,

Ann Bateson
Thomas Berg
Elizabeth Brown
Teresa Collett
Robert Delahunty
Neil Hamilton
Robert Kahn
Joel Nichols
Julie Oseid
Charles Reid
Elizabeth Schiltz
Gregory Sisk
Susan Stabile
Scott Taylor
Robert Vischer
Fr. Reginald Whitt
Virgil Wiebe
Jennifer Wright