In a recent op-ed, junior Daniel Halper accused the Pathways interfaith dialogue program of using government funds to support "radical Islamist sympathizers," thereby promoting a "jihadist" agenda on campus ("Department of Homeland Security's funds bring Islamist sympathizers to Tufts," Jan. 31). However, as facilitators of the Pathways program, we find it necessary to respond to these incendiary claims which attempt to discredit the work Pathways has been doing over the past year and half at Tufts.
First, a few facts about Pathways. Pathways is part of a federally funded initiative whose aim is to create opportunities for dialogue on college campuses amongst students of different faith backgrounds to promote tolerance and inter-religious understanding. Past Pathways activities at Tufts have included BridgeBuilders, a pre-orientation program that explores issues of diversity and dialogue; several seminars offered through the ExCollege that promote dialogue on difficult issues of religion, politics and society; and a student-led Multi-Faith Council, which brings together students representing the variety of faith traditions on campus.
Since Pathways' inception, more than 250 students representing over a dozen faith traditions, as well as non-religious groups, have participated in these and other activities.
However, the program aside, the Halper op-ed also smeared the reputation of a respectable woman with a long history of working toward positive relations between the Muslim world and the West.
Edina Lekovic serves as the communications director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) and has been featured on various media outlets, including CNN, BBC, the History Channel, the Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times. She has also spoken at the United Nations as part of a seminar called "Confronting Islamophobia."
The accusations leveled at Lekovic concern her involvement with a campus newspaper while attending the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). During her time at the university, Lekovic was an outstanding journalist, serving as editor-in-chief of The Daily Bruin, and was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalism for her excellence in news writing. During her senior year, Lekovic served as an advisor to and managing editor for a publication called Al-Talib and was given "special thanks" on several occasions for her editorial advice.
However, the Al-Talib piece to which Halper refers, which called Bin Laden a "freedom fighter," was published after Lekovic graduated from UCLA and cannot even remotely be construed as representative of her political views. Lekovic publicly stated that she "abhor[s] the sentiments expressed in the article" and was not involved in its authorship. Lekovic and MPAC have repeatedly condemned the actions of violent extremists - including Bin Laden - and publicly stated their support of the use of non-violence in political disputes.
Unfortunately, those who have chosen to make a career out of defaming and discrediting prominent Muslim activists have succeeded in linking Edina's name to extremist viewpoints, thereby implying that her entire life's work and perspectives are somehow suspect or covertly anti-American. This represents nothing but a return to a McCarthy-esque era, which promotes fear, mistrust and censorship in the American public sphere.
However, Pathways has been working to promote honest dialogue and interaction between students of differing religious and political views on campus. The panel at which Lekovic spoke on campus was an example of an incredibly successful dialogue forum in which women from different faith backgrounds - a Mormon (Jane Clayson Johnson), a Jew (Judy Elkin) and a Muslim (Lekovic) - spoke candidly about their religious identity and how they incorporate their beliefs into their life's work. The discussion afterwards provided a forum for Tufts students to express their own views about the intersection of faith, values and career choices.
As Pathways facilitators, we invite students to take advantage of such opportunities to engage with others who hold beliefs or values that may differ from your own. On March 2, Tufts University, along with partners at Brandeis University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Wellesley College and the University of Maryland, will be hosting a conference called "Religious Pluralism in a Time of Extremism: The Campus Responds."
The conference will highlight new and innovative inter-religious dialogue work taking place on college campuses and how dialogue can serve as an effective response to inter-group tensions in a time of extremism and political conflict. It will showcase the work of students, academics and community activists and will be held right here on campus.
In today's difficult world, promoting honest dialogue and interaction amongst different groups is anything but easy. However, is it undoubtedly necessary, especially on college campuses where differing viewpoints and worldviews abound and where there is a precious window of opportunity for dialogue to take place in a non-judgmental atmosphere.
Shai Fuxman and Najiba Akbar are co-facilitators of the Pathways program
