Iranian extremists have declared it permissible to spill the
blood of a UCLA Islamic law professor, claiming he advised
President Bush to support Israel’s recent strike against
Lebanon and resist a cease-fire with Hezbollah.
Khaled Abou el Fadl, who is now receiving threats on his life
from Islamic extremists, said he faced an attempted murder in
April, when a bullet passed his ear and lodged in a book as he
stood in front of an open door in his living room, the Los Angeles
Times reported Sunday.
El Fadl has reportedly said he will not relinquish victory to
those threatening his life. And the law professor is not alone in
being confronted with the incredibly difficult question of how to
respond when terrorism reaches one’s own doorstep.
In another case, the danger that comes from conducting animal
research became too much for Dario Ringach, an associate professor
of neuroscience who participated in animal research. In a letter
titled “You Win,” Ringach announced to an activist
group that he would cease his research.
Ringach’s aptly titled e-mail shows how difficult it is to
stand up against terrorist threats when your own family is in
danger.
With these scenarios, we see two professors faced with very
similar threats but coming to their own very different decisions.
Though the mentality in the U.S. is that people should never give
in to terrorism and that those who change their lives after a
terrorist attack are allowing the terrorists to win, the reality of
resistance is a very different beast.
We can’t determine whether the decisions of either
professor were right or wrong ““ there is just too much at
stake in both situations. When it comes down to a choice between
upholding ideals and protecting your life and the lives of your
loved ones, it isn’t so hard to see why, when targeted at
homes and individuals, terrorism can be a ghastly but effective way
to make a point.
Unsigned editorials represent a majority opinion of the
Daily Bruin Editorial Board.