DePaul Boycott Organized to Support Finkelstein

Mark Brady - 6/16/2007

For this and a host of other letters, go here.

From: Alfred de Zayas
To: dmattson[at]depaul.edu ; las[at]depaul.edu
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 7:53 AM
Subject: Professor Norman Finkelstein

To the President of
DePaul University
Chicago
The Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M

Dear Reverend Holtschneider,

as a former visiting professor at DePaul University College of Law (1993-94), I deplore the decision of the university faculty to deny Professor Norman Finkelstein tenure.

I have read Professor Finkelstein's books and consider them significant
contributions to academic discourse and most necessary in a democratic society. I have used several of his books in my courses and the students have considerably benefited from them. He challenges the reader and helps us discard old canards -- an important pedagogic gift since Socrates.

As I see it, universities ought to encourage pluralism rather than conformism. Finkelstein's academic candour has been badly rewarded.

As a retired senior lawyer with the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, Secretary of the Human Rights Committee and Chief of Petitions, I consider the decision a iscouragement to the exercise of academic freedom. As President of the PEN Club in the French speaking cantons of Switzerland, I view the negative vote on Finkelstein as a weakening of the
right to seek and impart information.

I have long considered Professor Finkelstein, together with Professor Cherif Bassiouni, to be the leading academics at DePaul. It is DePaul that loses prestige and credibility.

Sincerely yours,

Alfred de Zayas
Professor of international law at the Geneva School of Diplomacy
Professor of international relations at the Schiller International University in Leysin
www.alfreddezayas.com