This spring, Andrew Pessin, a professor of philosophy at Connecticut College, was subjected to ferocious criticism and harassment—first by student groups, and then by the college’s faculty and administration—over a Facebook post in which he compared Hamas to “a rabid pit bull.” The episode culminated in Pessin’s taking a leave of absence. Richard Landes explains how an entire college campus surrendered to the mob:
The predictable tragedy of the whole affair was how, in the name of progressive goals, a revolutionary moment empowered some of the most anti-progressive forces on campus. The administration quickly appointed three interim “deans of institutional equity and inclusion” [in response to the uproar over Pessin], . . . who planned a series of events that, at least where Israel was concerned, systematically pumped hate propaganda into the campus community. . . .
One can make a case that the entire incident resembles an unalloyed, albeit small-scale, victory in the cognitive war being waged by Islamists against Western democracy. To most of those prominently involved, especially in postmodern [and] post-colonial guilds like race and gender studies, such a claim seems outlandish, even paranoid: in their minds the Pessin business had nothing to do with jihad or Islamism, but everything to do with human rights, dignity, and democracy. They may genuinely believe as much, however, and still be useful dupes in service to those with different priorities.
Anyone familiar with Islamist [tactics] would see the Pessin affair as a major success across the board. Consider: it served up extensive cooperation between the global jihadist right and the global progressive left, all in the name of a common revolutionary desire to transform the nascent global community and oppose U.S. imperialism. It bonded the [the two groups] over their shared view of Israel as the Antichrist, the apocalyptic enemy in the battle for world salvation. Destroy Israel for World Peace!
Read more on American Interest: http://www.the-american-interest.com/2015/07/30/salem-on-the-thames/