ItcheSrulik: I certainly don’t. I don’t really know how much I can blame Brooklyn College – they were wrong, in my opinion, but what’s the president of a CUNY school to do when confronted by an overzealous city councilman known for being loud, abrasive, and more concerned with inventing issues to further his own political career than neutral principles.
Halevi: If his view is a valid point for debate, why not allow him to teach it so that it can be considered, debated, and perhaps rebutted with substance and research instead of 1 minute sound bites at a guest lecture?
Also, please keep in mind that he was hired to teach a graduate level class. Undergrad students should be able to think independently and evaluate and do their won research. Graduate students should certainly be expected to do as much. Really, I can think of much to be gained by having one with such views as a professor; I can think of very little that is gained by preventing students from considering his positions – ideas they would be unlikely to hear or consider otherwise. But, I suppose comfort and insulation from our own views being challenged has prevailed over intellectual debate, the entertainment of ALL views provided they are confined to academic discussions, and being pushed beyond our comfort level. Well done Mr. Hikind!