Schools
After Outcry, Brandeis Rescinds Planned Honorary Degree to Controversial Figure
See why university officials changed their minds.
Brandeis University has rescinded its planned honorary degree to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born women’s rights activist who has made critical remarks about Islam.
After last week’s announcement, the university came under pressure to take back its offer to Hirsi Ali. In addition to outside influences, the university’s student newspaper published an editorial, “Disinvite Hirsi Ali from Commencement.”
On Tuesday, the university released the following statement about its decision:
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“Following a discussion today between President Frederick Lawrence and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Ms. Hirsi Ali’s name has been withdrawn as an honorary degree recipient at this year's commencement. She is a compelling public figure and advocate for women’s rights, and we respect and appreciate her work to protect and defend the rights of women and girls throughout the world. That said, we cannot overlook certain of her past statements that are inconsistent with Brandeis University's core values. For all concerned, we regret that we were not aware of these statements earlier.
“Commencement is about celebrating and honoring our extraordinary students and their accomplishments, and we are committed to providing an atmosphere that allows our community's focus to be squarely on our students. In the spirit of free expression that has defined Brandeis University throughout its history, Ms. Hirsi Ali is welcome to join us on campus in the future to engage in a dialogue about these important issues.”
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In 2007, Hirsi Ali told Reason magazine Islam need to be defeated, according to the Boston Globe.
“Once it’s defeated, it can mutate into something peaceful. It’s very difficult to even talk about peace now. They’re not interested in peace,” she was quoted in Reason.
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