Academic Freedom Media Review – January 14 – 20, 2012

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

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A Good and Bad Week for Free Speech
Christopher Jon Sprigman, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 1/20
Information update: Scholars at Risk welcomes the release of Vietnamese professor, Pham Minh Hoang; Syrian activist’s brother, Yassin Ziadeh
Scholars at Risk, 1/20
IAEA Rejects Iran Accusation Over Scientist Killing
The New York Times, 1/20
KENYA: Bogus colleges crackdown, 21 charged
Gilbert Nganga, University World News, 1/19
College Groups Back U. of Colorado’s Immunity Claim in Churchill Case
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 1/19
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SAR Academic Freedom Media Review – January 7-13, 2012

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

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Texas Can Regulate Secular Matters at Religious Colleges, Opinion Says
Katherine Mangan, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 1/13
US teachers offered support for climate change lessons
Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian, 1/13
Free Speech and (Offensive) Art
Daniel Grant, Inside Higher Ed, 1/13
Stormy waters ahead as ‘disruptive forces’ sweep the old guard
Sarah Cunnane, Times Higher Education, 1/12
Independence, transparency key to research work of ESRI
Frances Ruane, The Irish Times, 1/12
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SAR Academic Freedom Media Review, December 10 – 16, 2011

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

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EUROPE: Block Belarus bid to join HE area – Students
Brendan O’Malley, University World News, 12/16
NIGERIA: Striking academics close public universities
Tunde Fatunde, University World News, 12/16
Christian Bale Attacked by Chinese Guards
Andrew Jacobs, The New York Times, 12/16
EGYPT: Tough challenges for new universities minister
Ashraf Khaled, University World News, 12/15
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Congress Busy on 220th Anniversary of the Bill of Rights

US Senate voted 86 to 13 in favor of the NDAA for FY 2012

220 years ago, on the 15th of December 1791 the Bills of Rights was ratified.  The first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America enshrined in law basic freedoms for all Americans, including freedom of speech, religion, the press, assembly and the right to bear arms.  It also protects us from unlawful search and seizure, gives us the right to a trial, and protects us from excessive punishment, among other things.  It’s a good text to know, because it enshrines some of our most basic rights as a people.
On this, its 22oth anniversary, Congress was once again in session, theoretically doing the peoples business, though I am not so sure that is what they were doing.  Here are two things that marked the day for them.  You be the judge.
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Scholars at Risk Academic Freedom Media Review – December 3-9, 2011

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

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Kazakh University Students To Sue Over Hijab Ban
Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty, 12/9

Russian Case Against Researcher Of Soviet Germans Closed
Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty, 12/8

Postcards For Jailed Dissidents
Xin Yu, Radio Free Asia, 12/8

Over the Line
Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed, 12/8

Questions raised on Arab education
Iman Sherif, Gulf News, 12/8

Texas Argues Against Supreme Court Review of Its Use of Race in Admissions
Peter Schmidt, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 12/8

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Academic Freedom Media Review – November 12 – 18, 2011

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

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Ai Weiwei investigated over nude art
Jonathan Watts, The Guardian, 11/18
English universities enjoy ‘most freedom’ in Europe
Jack Grove, Times Higher Education, 11/17
CHILE: Opposition and students unveil reform plan
María Elena Hurtado, University World News, 11/17
East and West, African sector a middle-class fortress
David Matthews, Times Higher Education, 11/17
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The Internet Blacklist Bill and International Studies

Today, Congress held hearings on the PROTECT IP Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). There’s probably not too many reading this that would argue with the goals laid out in the titles of those two bills, but don’t be deceived. It’s not the objective of the bills we object to, but rather the means. As the Vimeo blog today notes, both bills

would give the power to the government and content owners to censor and block websites that host even just one piece of content that allegedly infringes a copyright…a much more severe House bill was just introduced and is set up to pass soon if we don’t take action NOW. These bills threaten the very essence of the web and the communities that have risen from it.

As an area studies scholar and someone who believes that in general open and free communications between cultures around the world is a good thing, I’d like to point out another objection to this law. It has the potential to greatly complicate my research and the free flow of knowledge by throwing up barriers to information that the internet only recently opened. My research delves into constructions of identity through literature, popular culture and the performing arts, and it always a great relief when I find useful research materials online. The internet has made music videos, movies, the popular press, and so much more available to me online from my living room or wherever my computer is.
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Scholars at Risk Academic Freedom Media Review, October 28-November 4, 2011

The media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

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TURKEY 11/3/11: Ragip Zarakolu releases public letter from prison
PEN, 11/3
Russian Terror Law Has Unlikely Targets
Sophia Kishkovksy, The New York Times, 11/3
Climate change scientist Michael Mann fends off sceptic group’s raid on emails
Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian, 11/2
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Campaign Ads, Satirical Magazines and Religious Intolerance

I’m used to negative politics and personal attack ads.  The strategy of attacking your opponents character is probably as old as politics itself, but it’s gotten particularly virulent in recent years.  Unfortunately, it’s seldom elucidating in terms of someone’s ability to govern.  Women and men who have made mistakes in their past or who have truly disastrous personal lives, may well be effective policy makers.  At the very least, though, we ought to be able to expect these personal attacks to be factual, and far too often they aren’t.  Just follow FactCheck.org or Politifact.com and you will see far to many examples of ads called to task for being untrue.
Sadly, I’ve grown used to these.  They disgust me, but they don’t infuriate me.  What does enrage me is negative campaigning the resounds beyond the campaign and affects our society more broadly.  This is advertising that plays on fear, intolerance and ignorance, impugning the character not only of an individual candidate but of an entire race, religion, ethnicity, or other group.  In a particularly egregious example, popular Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison, a Democrat and a Muslim, is now being challenged in the race by Gary Boisclair, an anti-abortion activist, and member of Randall Terry’s Society for Truth and Justice (STJ), one of 25 candidates they are running in carefully selected advertising markets, less in hopes of getting the candidate elected than as a cover for running explicit anti-abortion tv advertising.  It’s a sleazy but clever strategy, one that the organization itself cops to.  I kind of admire it.  But Bosclair is also using campaign ads promote a Islamophobic agenda, running ads that explicitly attack Ellison’s religion, and that is unacceptable.
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Academic Freedom Media Review-October 8 – 14, 2011

Here, with my apologies, is a delayed reposting of the Scholars at Risk Academic Freedom Media Review.  It is published every Friday, this one on Friday, October 14.  

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available online. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.

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IRAQ: Sweeping higher education reforms planned
Wagdy Sawahel, University World News

EGYPT: Elections reinstate some university leaders
Ashraf Khaled, University World News

Myanmar prisoner amnesty prompts call for all political detainees to be freed, not just 10 pct
Associated Press, Washington Post, 10/13

Pressure Builds Over Chen
Grace Kei Lai-see, Radio Free Asia, 10/13

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