We Have News From Arkansas

Remember my post concerning Prof. Phyllis Chesler being disinvited from an academic conference, one at which she was actually the only academic qualified to speak to the subject?

Well, there's been a development:

Mideast studies chief at UA suspended after canceling presentation from speaker known for criticizing Islam

The director of a Middle East studies center at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville was suspended Wednesday from his administrative duties after canceling a Skype presentation from a speaker known for remarks critical of Islam.Tom Paradise, a geosciences professor who joined the university faculty in 2000, dropped scholar Phyllis Chesler from an academic symposium on honor-based violence in Western countries held April 13-14 at UA, university spokesman Mark Rushing said.

"The decision to disinvite a participant for his or her views is not reflective of the values and practices of our institution," Rushing said in a statement Wednesday. "The decision, made without informing leadership, has resulted in the director's responsibilities for administrative and operational control being suspended pending an internal review focused on the circumstances that led to this decision."

Rushing said in a phone interview that Paradise is not suspended as a faculty member. His faculty salary of $114,512 is unaffected, but his compensation as director of the King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies -- which over the course of a year would be an additional $28,628 -- is being withheld...
Chesler was to give a lunchtime talk titled Worldwide Trends in Honor Killings, according to materials prepared in advance of the symposium sponsored by UA's King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies and the UA School of Law.
 Three UA faculty members with the center -- Mohja Kahf, Ted Swedenburg and Joel Gordon -- wrote in an April 7 email that they "cannot countenance official Center endorsement (without some protest noted) of the participation on campus in an academic forum of the kind of hate speech that has been included and therefore tacitly accepted as part of the discourse."
Rushing, in his statement announcing the suspension, said: "We believe that the cancellation was an isolated incident and not indicative of a broader approach toward one ideological viewpoint. However, in an abundance of caution, we are actively working to reinforce an inclusive approach to special events with the goal of maintaining an environment where a diversity of ideas is welcomed."

If my post helped, I am glad.

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UPDATE

Another item.

Unfortunately, it describes Prof. Chesler's work (and her) as "anti-Islam;" quotes Professor Lisa Avalos as saying something that is not true --  there was not talk about whether Skyping equaled non-payment of the honorarium (since she knew that the specific work had been done already as per her specific request); continues the line that publishing in  Breitbart is the new Original Sin and more.

The article does quote Chesler correctly on defending Tom Paradise who is being scapegoated for what the bullies have done and does quote on her work which, overall, documents that human sacrifice/honor killing is tribal in origin and not specific to any one religion--although no religion has worked to abolish this crime.

^