UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk's clear statement against antisemitism and terrorism sparked fury among radical faculty, leading the author to suggest they should be told to leave if they disagree with the university's moral stand.
The article sharply criticizes 'extremist left-wing professors' at UCLA for opposing Chancellor Julio Frenk's statement condemning antisemitism and terrorism. This controversy arose after a UCLA law school symposium on 9/11 featured a lawyer for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the attacks, sparking public outrage and criticism from Daniel Pearl's father, a UCLA professor. While Frenk didn't stop the event, his subsequent statement clarifying that 'UCLA’s values are clear. We reject antisemitism and terrorism in all their forms' and that 'Academic freedom does not require us to be neutral about antisemitism or terrorism' provoked the faculty senate. The author argues Frenk was too polite in his response to the faculty's 'concerns and reservations,' suggesting he should have firmly told them that if they have a problem with UCLA taking a stand against antisemitism and terrorism, they are 'free to leave.' The piece frames the conflict as a battle between 'civilization versus barbarism,' asserting that being outraged by terrorism is not merely a personal perspective but a demand for basic moral decency and physical security.
