Watching a person appear on the O'Reilly Factor can be a lot like watching an unsuspecting guest on The Jerry Springer Show. You're not sure what sort of abuse the guest is in for, but you know it's not going to be pretty unless his or her political views are staunchly rightwing.
Last week University of South Florida computer engineering professor Sami Al-Arian appeared on the show, he thought, to have a reasoned discussion about a defunct Islamic think tank that he had been a member of. Bill O'Reilly, the show's combative host, had something else in mind.
During the show, O'Reilly launched an attack against USF and Al-Arian. He grilled the professor on his less-than six-degrees of separation from a former USF colleague who later became the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and suggested that USF, "may be a hotbed of support for Arab militants."
The school was inundated with calls from worried parents, and Al-Arian received death threats at the university after the show aired, said USF spokesman Michael Reich. Al-Arian was forced to take a paid leave of absence until university administrators and police could be sure it was safe. Safe for whom was unclear in Genshaft's memo. "I will maintain this university as a safe and secure learning environment," it says. "This is why Dr. Al-Arian is being removed from our campus." Reich insists that removing Al-Arian from campus was as much for his own good as anybody else's and that O'Reilly didn't factor into the decision.
"The issue is the safety issue from the threats, not his appearance," he says. However a statement issued to the faculty from USF President Judy Genshaft suggests that the move had more to do with keeping USF safe from bad publicity.
In her statement, Genshaft says that in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 disaster, "Americans are being deluged with an uncertain mix of fact speculation and rumor." USF is not immune, she says, and she wanted to set the record straight on two counts. First, she says, was the radio report that Muslim students at USF celebrated in the library after the attacks. Not true, she says, and she has a few words for those responsible for the misinformation. "The allegations were not only false, they were reckless and irresponsible."
The second issue Genshaft addresses is Al-Arian's appearance on the O'Reilly Factor. In spite of his inflammatory and unsubstantiated suggestion that something ominous is brewing at USF, O'Reilly does not get painted as, "reckless and irresponsible." Instead, Genshaft seems to legitimize O'Reilly's attack. After acknowledging that Al-Arian and the university were alleged to have ties to terrorism in the '90s she says, "The attack on America has created a new media interest in those allegations."
Genshaft seeks to distance the university from its employee, stating, "Dr. Al-Arian does not speak for the University and it is incorrect to suggest that his views represent USF in any fashion. His views are his own."
Al-Arian could not be reached for comment, but in a prepared statement he says that while he was asked by the show's producers to speak about the think tank's involvement with USF, he requested to be identified as the chairman of a coalition established to defend civil rights. This request was ignored, he says.
According to Al-Arian, he was asked to appear on the O'Reilly Factor to talk about the purpose of the World and Islam Studies Enterprise, a now-defunct think tank affiliated with the USF in the 1990s. Controversy swirled around the organization six years ago when a USF professor involved with the organization, Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, left the country and emerged six months later as the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The FBI investigated allegations that WISE had terrorist connections and found no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of Al-Arian. A separate investigation by USF officials also yielded no evidence.
At the time the lack of evidence of wrongdoing prompted USF to allow the tenured Al-Arian to continue teaching. Now however, Genshaft suggests that something has changed, and it's not the threats against Al-Arian's life.
" USF cooperated fully with federal law enforcement agencies and returned the professor to the classroom only after the Justice Department provided no information that would justify other action by the university. However, at this time, we are concerned about the safety of the many other people who work and study on campus," she says.
It's not the reactionaries that the students and staff at USF have to worry about, Genshaft seems to suggest, but Al-Arian himself.
In her attempt to convey her concern for her staff's safety, Genshaft neglects to reassure them that their right to free speech is safe. Her statement does not mention any effort by the university police to find the individuals who threatened the life of a university employee and bring them to justice.
Genshaft did not respond to requests for comment on her statement.
As for Al-Arian, he says he does not want to let the reactionaries win by making him afraid to do his job. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, Al-Arian has been prominent in the media, expressing his grief and trying to dispel myths that all Arabs are terrorists, despite the fact that he has received death threats before. Al-Arian could not be reached for comment but in a prepared statement he says, "I regret the decision (for paid leave). I mostly regret the fact that over 90 of my students will be affected by this decision. I hope that I soon return to my students and classes."
Contact Staff Writer Rochelle Renford at rochelle.renford@weeklyplanet.com or 813-248-8888 ext. 163.
This article appears in Oct 4-10, 2001.