Outrage in Florida: Tenured Professor Fired for Opposing Bush War Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit [This is Florida, second only to Texas in racism and mindless yahooism. Florida, where rightwing Cuban exile terrorists are pampered and praised and the undercover agents who monitor them are thrown in jail. Florida, where they learned how to count votes in Old Mayor Daley's Chicago machine classroom. Florida -- Elian's drunken kidnappers call it home; so does the USA War Machine's Central Command. Florida -- where firefighters who object to decking out their trucks in red, white and blue get suspended and where tenured professors are fired for exercising their alleged freedom of speech. Florida -- where there seems precious little interest in defending academic freedom, or for that matter, any kind of freedom. But then, should we be surprised by this? To pharaphrase George Bernard Shaw, a "Florida University" is a contradiction in terms. (He said it about a Catholic University.) -- NY Transfer] source - "AMC Media " In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 20, 2001 CONTACT: Faiz Rehman, Communications Director (202) 789-2262 ext 205 faiz@amconline.org Professor Al-Arian's Termination Under Pressure from Media, Says AMC WASHINGTON, DC, December 20, 2001: The American Muslim Council termed the termination of Dr. Sami Al-Arian from University of South Florida as unjust and a result of persecution by media. Yesterday Judy Genshaft, president of USF issued a letter dismissing Dr. Sami A. Al- Arian from his tenured position at the university. Earlier, Dr. Al- Arian was sent home on paid leave following his interview with O'Reilly Factor at Fox News. "Al-Arian's dismissal is a typical case of media's unquenchable thirst for sensationalism. In this case, Dr. Al-Arian was indicted, tried, and sentenced by the media," said Aly Abuzaakouk, AMC Executive Director. "Unfortunately, USF President Judy Genshaft played into the hands of a few ruthless reporters, who were bent upon destroying a decent human being", he added. No criminal inquiry has ever been brought out against Dr. Al-Arian. His brother-in-law, Dr Mazen Al-Najjar spent more than three and half years because of Secret Evidence. He was released last year after a judge found no ground to keep him in jail. Al-Najjar was re-arrested in November on charges relating to immigration. Dr. Al-Arian became involved in the national campaign against secret evidence and to get the release of his brother-in-law. He was elected as President of the National Coalition to Protect Political Freedom (NCPPF). AMC was one of the founding members, and AMC Executive Director is the current Treasurer of the coalition. His persuasion with lawmakers and the candor with which he presented his case was admired publicly by many lawmakers in Washington. "Dr. Sami A. Al-Arian's [termination] ... is clearly an affront to principles of free speech and academic freedom, principles that have been sacrosanct and protected in the U.S. constitution throughout American history. Genshaft's decision was undoubtedly politically motivated -- because of Dr. Sami Al-Arian's political opinions," says a statement issued by Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace. AMC asks the university president to re-consider her decision and restore Dr. Al-Arian with full dignity and honor. "The decision to terminate Al-Arian has put core values of our society under strain," it adds. -30- Join AMC today...online https://opaline.site-secure.net/halfpricedomain/memform.htm ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytrc-12.21.01-21:13:30-9233