Jewish Voice for Peace

Desmond Tutu barred from speaking at a Minnesota University

A peace and justice group at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minnesota has been forced by the university president to cancel an appearance by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

The cancellation was accompanied by the removal of the chair of the Justice and Peace Studies program, Prof. Cris Toffolo from her position as chair. She has tenure, but no longer heads the
department.

The university president, Father Dennis Dease, decided against Tutu's appearance after consulting one representative from the local Jewish Community Relations Council and several rabbis affiliated with the university. This, apparently, amounted to a Jewish "consensus" in Father Dease's mind.

The rumor of Tutu's alleged "anti-Semitism" is based entirely on a propaganda campaign waged by the extremist group, the Zionist Organization of America. Though he is outspoken in his criticism of Israel's occupation regime, sometimes even bellicose, Tutu has never displayed anything other than deep concern for all peoples and his sympathy for Palestinians suffering under the yoke of occupation.

Please write to Father Dease and urge that he reverse this tragic course. Tell him you want to see Prof. Toffolo reinstated as chair of the Justice and Peace Studies program and that the words and views of Bishop Tutu are important ones for the students at St. Thomas University to hear.

(GO HERE TO TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN.)

November 20, 2009

Subject:
Let Tutu Speak!

Dear Father Dease,

I am writing to you to urge you to reconsider your decision barring Archbishop Desmond Tutu from speaking at your campus and to reinstate Prof. Cris Toffolo to her position as chair of the Justice and Peace Studies Program.

Archbishop Tutu has certainly had very harsh words for Israel's occupation regime which imposes severe hardships and violence on the Palestinian people, while also putting Israeli citizens at increased risk.

But Archbishop Tutu, a Nobel Peace Laureate, has an unimpeachable reputation as a voice for people facing oppression everywhere. The complaints against him, based on a smear campaign led by the extremist Zionist Organization of America, has distorted both Tutu's words and their meaning and should not be permitted to hold sway in institutions of higher learning like St. Thomas.

Far from being an anti-Semite, Archbishop Tutu is one of our era's foremost people of courage and integrity. And far from there being a "Jewish consensus" that opposes his appearance, most Jews, whether they agree with him or not, believe he has every right and the moral stature after his years fighting apartheid, to be heard.

Stopping a voice like Tutu's from being heard is unjust and immoral. Moreover, far from being a favor to the Jewish community, actions like this will only foment greater anti-Semitism. I strongly urge you to reverse this decision, let Tutu appear and reinstate Prof. Toffolo.

We will add your signature from the information you provide.

First Name*

Last Name*

Email*

Street*

Street 2

City*

State/Province*

Zip/Postal Code*

Send an Email

For more information on efforts to stifle open debate about US-Israeli foreign policy, go to www.muzzlewatch.org

For in-depth analysis of this and other issues related to the Middle East, go to www.mideastanalysis.org