Table of Contents
Greg: Brandeis’ Censorship Problem Didn’t Begin with Hirsi Ali
Last week, Brandeis University reversed its decision to grant an honorary degree to women’s rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali because of her criticism of Islam. It is unfortunate that Brandeis’ class of 2014 was denied the opportunity to at commencement, but the controversy is a symptom of a much deeper problem—both at Brandeis and across the country. FIREPresident Greg Lukianoff puts the incident in context in an article for today with a reminder of Brandeis’ worrying past on free speech issues and of what’s at stake for the future.
Recent Articles
FIRE’s award-winning Newsdesk covers the free speech news you need to stay informed.
‘I hate freedom of opinion’ meme leads to sentencing in German court
A meme lands a German editor in court, a U.S. academic faces trial in Thailand, and censorship crackdowns rage from Nigeria to Hong Kong.
Revoking Harvard’s tax-exempt status will threaten all nonprofits
Targeting Harvard’s tax-exempt status for its views isn’t just political payback — it’s a threat to every nonprofit’s right to dissent.
Grandpa’s advice for the new wave of American censors
When Iowa officials try to silence citizens for asking tough questions, it's not just bad policy — it’s an insult to an entire generation of WWII vets and the freedoms they fought to defend.
FIREPOLL: Only 1/4 of Americans support deporting foreigners for pro-Palestinian views
The latest National Speech Index also finds that the number expressing “little” or “no” confidence Donald Trump will protect First Amendment rights has risen 10 points since his inauguration.