[Arabesque]

MC,

I don't see what the problem is in using the media to expose such racism and bigotry against Arabs and Muslims. Like you said, the Jews do it all the time, and it's proved to be effective. I sent her an email telling her that I supported her wholeheartedly, and I do. She had done the right thing.

Sending a professor a nasty email back is just so childish and unprofessional. The right thing to do is to keep a paper-trail and then file a complaint against the teacher. This teacher was being a racist when he said that Asma was "preying on some sort of Western liberal guilt." Liberal guilt? Haha! Do they feel guilty about the massacres their governments are committing in our part of the world? Guilt fi 3ainah. That was a very condescending and clearly racist remark.

One more thing: universities make a lot of money out of international students. I'm sure the university doesn't want to lose so much money for that one professor. They may have let it pass for him in the US, but New Zealand is not the US. He shouldn't have crossed his limits outside his country. There's an Arabic saying, "ya 9'ayf, et2addab."

Everybody has the right to ask for an extension, with our without a valid reason. It's just a question. He could have either said yes or no. He didn't have to go nasty on her. And the fact that he's teaching politics would make you think he knew a little bit about being diplomatic. He's a racist and an unprofessional embarrassment for the university and academia.

He deserved what he got.