You would think elite universities and colleges would be centers for scholarship and academic freedom, but they tend to be cauldrons for a type of liberalism which stifles dissenting opinion. William F. Buckley Jr. warned about this collectivist mindset over a half century ago in his famous book titled God and Man at Yale. Now we are seeing the fruit of this poisonous tree.

One area affected is Middle East studies. A recent ‘discussion’ at Harvard reveals how dangerous academic discourse on Middle East studies has become lately. The panel discussion named “Anti-Muslim Sentiment in the US: Challenges and Perspectives,” peddled the false narrative of ‘islamophobia’ and how it has become so widespread throughout America. It’s worth noting the panel’s sponsor, Harvard University’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, is a wealthy member of the House of Saud and has given at least $20 million for the university’s Islamic studies program. It’s nice to know Islamic ‘expertise’ is being funded by the largest exporters of Wahhabism. Director of Alwaleed Islamic Studies Program, Ali Asani, lead the discussion by postulating anti-Muslim sentiment is the product of social polarization and religious ignorance. I guess all we need is more Wahhabi funded groups to educate us on Islam, right? Wrong! But this Islamist inspired panel wouldn’t be complete without demonizing its critics.

The panelists berated opponents of radical Islam. Christopher Bail, a Harvard alumnus, proposed the “mainstreaming of anti-Muslim sentiment” in the U.S. is not because of terrorism but due to “anti-Muslim organizations,” saying,

… [a] very well-coordinated effort by a small network of anti-Muslim organizations who have succeeded not only in captivating the mass media but also, increasingly, in influencing our counter-terrorism policy and … American public opinion about Islam.

Of course Bail gave examples of these ‘anti-Muslim’ organizations listing respected institutions and individuals such as: The Middle East Forum, Daniel Pipes, Frank Gaffney, Middle East Media Research Institute, etc. Bail and other like-minded academics are duped by Islamists into thinking ‘Islamophobia’ is a bigger problem than Islamic terrorism. So much for the over 28,000 Islamic terrorist attacks which have taken place worldwide since 9/11. The underlying goal of the panel was to make challengers of radical Islam out to be mere bigots. The ultimate aim is to silence the opposition. So much for academic freedom, right? Frank Gaffney, national security expert, provides a broader explanation of what’s leading this kind of hostility against academic freedom on university campuses throughout America, a concept called groupthink:

“Groupthink refers today to the radical left in America, the progressive liberalism as it’s become. We can recognize it in our university campuses where you find speech codes and demands for safe spaces. Shouting down people you disagree with, disinviting prominent speakers from campuses. Very authoritarian almost totalitarian mindset, that’s probably the worst but it’s not the only place… If you go across the board, not only ideologically and philosophically in the university, you find a monolithic view, a very strong monolithic ideological view where everyone pretty much instinctively agrees and there’s a consensus about what is right and what is wrong. What is true and what is not. It is not only in the universities, it is in the media, it’s certainly in government officials, state, local and federal, journalists, academics, activists, researchers, many of whom are funded directly or indirectly by the government. These make up what I call the ruling class, the new ruling class in America.”

If prestigious universities like Harvard and Yale want to keep their credibility, they need to address the problem of groupthink. It may in fact be too late for them but it’s not too late for America and the next generation. We will not be silenced.