A Reprehensible Bias

Ruth R. Wisse talks about American universities:

Tens of thousands of families sent children and loved ones into battle. Democracies are notoriously--and commendably--reluctant to resort to military action, which means that almost every sector of society joined the debate over how best to respond to the aggression against us.

The elite universities alone kept silent. They did not undertake an inquiry into the reliability and adequacy of programs in Islamic and Middle East Studies, much less encourage those who "do well" academically to volunteer in the national defense. The only anxieties I heard expressed at faculty meetings since 9/11 were over the anthrax scare as it might affect the campus, and the potential encroachments on privacy of the Patriot Act. Not a word about new responsibilities the university might assume for a democratic way of life under attack.

Read the whole thing.

Comments

[Josh Scholar]

OT: Some bad news that might interest you:

Among other things a new study shows that 36% of young (under 25) British Muslims think that murtads should suffer death, while only 19% of the older generation (>55) thinks this.

Forty per cent of Muslims said they would prefer to live under sharia law in Britain.

One in eight young Muslims said they admired groups such as al-Qa'eda that "are prepared to fight the West".

Three out of four young Muslims would prefer Muslim women to "choose to wear the veil or hijab," compared to only a quarter of over-55s.

Support was also strong for Islamic schools, according to the Populus survey of 1,000 people commissioned by Policy Exchange.

Forty per cent of younger Muslims said they would want their children to attend an Islamic school, compared to only 20 per cent of over-55s.

Britain's foreign policies were a key issue among the Muslim population as a whole, with 58 per cent arguing that many of the world's problems are "a result of arrogant Western attitudes". However, knowledge of foreign affairs was sketchy, with only one in five knowing that Mahmoud Abbas was the Palestinian president.

[Josh Scholar]

I expect that American Muslims would do better on such a survey.

But one problem I've always had with surveys is the question of whether people tell the truth on them.

[Isaac Schrödinger]

"Among other things a new study shows that 36% of young (under 25) British Muslims think that murtads should suffer death, [...]"

This is one of the big reasons why Islam is growing so rapidly today -- those who're born into Muslim families can't leave Islam or if they do, they keep their mouth shut. It's understandable when 1 out of 3 of your "brothers" would support killing you.

"But one problem I've always had with surveys is the question of whether people tell the truth on them."

I think that's where trends become helpful. It's hard to judge opinion by just a one-time poll but when the numbers come in the same after multiple polls then we have a good idea.

Another thing: the opinions stated are barbaric. Usually people try to hide or lie about such things. So, my thinking is that the poll is underestimating the numbers of Muslims who want sharia!