Noting that the conduct of Tufts University’s Committee on Student Life in the disciplinary action taken against The Primary Source reflects on the reputation and character of Tufts University, we would like to invite the Committee on Student Life to clarify some things for us.

With the exception of conspiracy theorists at MoveOn.org and the Jeff Rense Show, most Americans agree that hijacked aircraft killed almost 3000 innocent people six years ago today. However, Tufts University’s Committee on Student Life, during a disciplinary hearing against The Primary Source, stated that “labeling Islam violent is unacceptable in any way, shape or form.”

This leaves us with the following possibilities:

(1) The Committee on Student Life contends that missiles fired by the Bush Administration or the Zionist Occupied Government (popular theories at MoveOn.org’s disgraced Action Forum) destroyed the Twin Towers, and that no airplanes were involved.

(2) Although cell phone calls from the doomed airplanes reported that the hijackers were chanting “Allah akbar!” while they slit the flight attendants’ throats and killed the flight crews, the Committee on Student Life asserts that they were really chanting “Shma Yisrael,” “Jesus Saves,” or “Hare Krishna.” Although videos of the beheadings of Daniel Pearl, Nick Berg, and so on also seem to contain chants to Allah, Tufts University, as represented by its Committee on Student Life, argues that the brutal murderers were really praying to the Virgin Mary or performing a Buddhist chant instead.

(3) We looked up Sura 8:12 in our own copy of the Koran, and it says, “I will cast a dread into the hearts of the infidels. Strike off their heads then, and strike off from them every finger-tip.” Is Tufts University, as represented by its Committee on Student Life, contending that (a) this verse does not appear in the Koran, or that (b) “strike off their heads” is not a violent statement?

(4) Sura 5:51 of our Koran says, “O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.” Does Tufts University, as represented by its Committee on Student Life, contend that (a) this statement does not appear in the Koran, or that (b) it is not an intolerant and hate-promoting statement?

(5) Sura 9:30 of our Koran says, “And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!” Does Tufts University, as represented by its Committee on Student Life, contend that (a) this statement does not appear in the Koran, or that (b) “may Allah destroy them” is not an intolerant and violence-promoting statement?

(6) “As for what a true martyr can expect, Chief Mufti of the Palestinian Authority Police, Sheik Abd Al-Salam Skheidm, spelled it out in 1999. “From the moment his first drop of blood spills, he feels no pain and he is absolved of all his sins; he sees his seat in heaven; he is spared the tortures of the grave; he is spared the horrors of the Day of Judgment; he is married to 70 black-eyed women; he can vouch for 70 of his family members to enter paradise; he earns the crown of glory, whose precious stone is worth all the world.” (Mona Charen, “U.S. needs to recognize differences between Palestinian, Israeli responses.”) Does Tufts University, as represented by its Committee on Student Life, contend that (a) the Chief Mufti of the Palestinian Police did not say this, or that (b) its purpose is not to encourage violence?

(7) Speroforum reports (http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?idCategory=33&idsub=122&id=6454&t=Indonesian+schoolgirls+beheadings+) “The trial of three Islamists began on November 8 in Jakarta, with the men standing accused of murdering three Christian schoolgirls in Poso, Central Sulawesi province, on October 29, 2005. The court was told that the ringleader said the beheading was as an action of “Muslim charity”.” Does Tufts University, as represented by its Committee on Student Life, contend that (a) contrary to this and other reports, the perpetrators really didn’t define themselves and their actions as Islamic, or that (b) beheading three teenage girls and hacking a fourth in the face with a machete was a nonviolent act of civil disobedience?

Clarification on these matters by the Committee on Student Life would be welcome. The Primary Source, which we have copied on this letter, is welcome to reprint it in its entirety.

For the benefit of our readers, meanwhile, September is militant Islamic awareness month as shown by this calendar.