Students For Academic Freedom

David Horowitz Disinvited . . . For Criticizing Islamo-Fascism? · 01 October 2009

Today's Inside Higher Ed covers Saint Louis University's decision to block David Horowitz from delivering an address called "Islamo-Fascism Awareness and Civil Rights."

Apparently, the university believed the program as planned was "attacking another faith" and could cause "derision" on campus (whatever that means). Let's not forget, of course, that we're actually at war with practitioners of Islamo-fascism even now. And I, for one, feel no reluctance in attacking their beliefs or actions and hope that they are so utterly discredited in the marketplace of ideas that the practitioners (and their sympathizers) are derided at every turn.

The following represents a partial list of the crimes committed by Islamo-fascists during my year in Diyala Province, Iraq:

*Raping women to "shame" them into suicide bombings to redeem their family honor.

*Giving backpacks full of explosives to mentally challenged boys and girls and then blowing them up by remote control.

*Decapitating most of the residents of a village and filming the beheadings up close while deliriously shouting "Allah akhbar!"

*Shooting infant children in front of their families as an "intimidation tactic."

*Exploding suicide bombs at restaurants, then following up with a second set of bombs designed to kill doctors and nurses as they tended to the wounded.

*Sending their own children to family events with bags packed with explosives, then remotely detonating them, to punish those who cooperated with the legitimate government of Iraq.

*Decapitating village elders and putting their heads on stakes outside villages.

But of course we wouldn't want to attack the mindset that spawned these hideous crimes. Especially when it might distract us from the real problems facing our culture. Like the concentration camp at Gitmo! Or Republican hate at town-hall meetings! Or the Bush administration's assault on civil liberties!

It is my understanding that the traditional "Jesuit mission" involves speaking truth and fighting injustice.  I can think of few fights more vital than the struggle against the twisted barbarism of Islamo-fascism, and few injustices more severe than the atrocities I outline above.

Let David Horowitz speak. You might learn something.

—