Editorial: Terrorism poses tough dilemma for professors
Iranian extremists have declared it permissible to spill the blood of a UCLA Islamic law professor, claiming he advised President Bush to support Israel’s recent strike against Lebanon and resist a cease-fire with Hezbollah.
Khaled Abou el Fadl, who is now receiving threats on his life from Islamic extremists, said he faced an attempted murder in April, when a bullet passed his ear and lodged in a book as he stood in front of an open door in his living room, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
El Fadl has reportedly said he will not relinquish victory to those threatening his life. And the law professor is not alone in being confronted with the incredibly difficult question of how to respond when terrorism reaches one’s own doorstep.
In another case, the danger that comes from conducting animal research became too much for Dario Ringach, an associate professor of neuroscience who participated in animal research. In a letter titled “You Win,” Ringach announced to an activist group that he would cease his research.
Ringach’s aptly titled e-mail shows how difficult it is to stand up against terrorist threats when your own family is in danger.
With these scenarios, we see two professors faced with very similar threats but coming to their own very different decisions. Though the mentality in the U.S. is that people should never give in to terrorism and that those who change their lives after a terrorist attack are allowing the terrorists to win, the reality of resistance is a very different beast.
We can’t determine whether the decisions of either professor were right or wrong – there is just too much at stake in both situations. When it comes down to a choice between upholding ideals and protecting your life and the lives of your loved ones, it isn’t so hard to see why, when targeted at homes and individuals, terrorism can be a ghastly but effective way to make a point.
Unsigned editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily Bruin Editorial Board.
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