Page 6 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, January 17, 1989
Profs. discuss growth of
anti-Semitism In society

BY MICHAEL LUSTIG
Two University professors pro-
posed varying explanations as to
why anti-Semitism exists and how
attacks on Jewish nationalism mask
racial bigotry.
A turnout of over 150 people
forced the organizers of the program,
part of yesterday's Martin Luther
King, Jr. Day activities, to find a
larger room than the one they were
initially assigned. English Prof.
Anita Norich, the moderator of the
program, said she was "overwhelmed
by response to this program."
Law School Prof. Joseph Weiler,
one of the two speakers, took a more
theoretical approach, illustrating his
explanation in a generalized context
before directing it to problems facing
Jews.
Weiler offered three theses to
support his point. The first centered
around general patterns of reaction
by discriminated groups to their dis-
crimination. This, he said, includes

discrimination on race, religion,
gender, and more.
Weiler's second thesis centered
around the evolution of human
rights as a philosophy and as a
politic in Western society.
As a politic, one important hu-
man right is the right to self-deter-
mination, or, to be governed by
oneselves. Pointing this out, Weiler
said, "French governed by French.
Zimbabweans governed by Zimbab-
weans."
Weiler's third thesis related the
previous two to Jews, Judaism, and
Jewish nationalism and how Jews
view themselves.
History Prof. Todd Endelman, di-
rector of the University's program of
Judaic Studies, traced the evolution
of the concept that Zionism is
racism, and said this theory first de-
veloped in the Soviet Union, where
anti-Semitism is deep-rooted.
The equation of Zionists as Nazis
originated in the Soviet Union, he

said, because of Russian hatred of
Nazism.
The tie of Zionism to Nazism
carried over to the Arab world in the
'60s and '70s, when the Soviet
Union formed alliances there, En-
delman said.
The culmination of this attitude,
he said, was the passage in 1975 of
the United Nations resolution calling
Zionism racist. "It's a meaningless
statement," Endelman said, adding
that to accept it is to say that all
forms of nationalism are racist.
At the University, Endelman said,
such views have been manifested in
the words of political science prof.
Ali Mazrui and in some of the
Daily's editorials.
"The match between the Nazi
state and the state of Israel is so far-
fetched that one has to wonder what
else is going on," Endelman said,
adding that when people draw these
connections "it's an acceptable way
of expressing dislike for Jews."

i-----

ROBIN LOZNAK/Daily
University Sociology Prof. Aldon Morris speaks before a re-enactment of the 1963 Ala-
bama court decision Walker v. Birmingham yesterday at the Law School.
Law School re-argues civil

rights
BY SCOTT LAHDE
The laws of our coun
been strategically used to
social movements from
equal rights, assoicate S
Prof. Aldon Morris told a
about 300 people at the La
yesterday.
"The law is usually ac
tive tool used by thosei
which may protect the in
the dominant social class
Morris.
His words were a pre
reargument of the 1963 W
Birmingham trial, in which
Martin Luther King Jr., al
his top associates, were cha
contempt of court for vi
court injunction prohibit
demonstration without a pe
The trial set a precedent
of the more important e
come in the later '60s, su
Civil Rights Act of 1964.
"The case raises issu

trial
freedom
itry have the role
o prevent Rights r
earning tion," s
ociology Bolling
crowd of judge in
w School The c
point in
conserva- - when
in power junction
terests of Easter A
es," said Befor
moment
face to a stifled b
salker vs. impleme
the Rev. tion law
long with The
rged with abama h
olating a to stop C
ing open they wer
rmit. Acco:
for many sor Ted
vents to Walker,
ch as the suppose
public W
es about "too iml

involving King
of speech, the role of law, of the injunctions left no time for
of the judiciary, the Civil King and his associate Wyatt Walker
Movement, and desegrega- to petition the Supreme Court.
aid Law School Dean Lee But Law School professor Fred
er, who served as a chief Schauer, on behalf of the city of
the moot court. Birmingham, said the defendants
ase occured during a pivotal could have sought "a quick and con-
the Civil Rights Movement venient remedy" by petitioning the
King first defied a court in- Supreme Court.
intended to prevent the Walker, .King and his aides chal-
[eekend marches of 1963. lenged the constitutionality of this
re this, King's efforts and the injunction in their trial.
um of civil rights were often "When they violated the injunc-
y Southern officials' timely tion, they put themselves in the po-
entation of anti-demonstra- sition, unable to challenge the con-
s. stitutionality of the injunction," said
city of Birmingham, Al- Schauer.
iad granted a court injuction Hence, the petitioners were in
he marches just days before clear violation of the injunction,
re to happen. forcing many of them to be jailed,
rding to Law School profes- which wass part of the Movement's
St. Antoine's argument for strategy.
demonstration permits were The trial "galvanized the move-
dly granted "on the basis of ment, they were able to fill all the
ielfare," which he said was jails, and bring down the walls of
precise." He said the timing legal segregation," said Morris.

B-school panel studies differences

BY NICOLE SHAW
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s
concept of a "common humanity" -
a feeling of compassion shared by
everyone- was discussed in the
Business School's panel discussion,
"Racism, Sexism, and Homophobia"
yesterday.
"We're not the same - we're
very different, but we share a com-
mon humanity," said Julie Steiner,
Director of the University's Sexual
Assault. Prevention and Awareness
Center. "And for that reason we
should be able to work together and
move forward towards equality."
But her words went further with
calls for action.
"Equality is key here - not only

affirmative action," Steiner said.
"We need a place where it feels
comfortable to go to school and
learn."
Steiner went on to question the
commitment of the Business school,
because they held-night classes.
"This day doesn't end at five
o'clock," she said, adding that she.
had considered not attending the
event to protest the classes that were
held yesterday.
Another panelist, Lawerence
Snowden, President of Black Busi-
ness Students Association, spoke on
the racial and sexist slurs commonly
heard on campus.
"We have to watch each others'
back. People always assume that

Blacks will watch out for Blacks and
women will watch out for women,"
he said in response to a question
concerning ways to eradicate racism
on campus. "But to get anywhere,
everyone must watch everyone else's
back. We all have to speak up
against offensive comments."
But the idea of "common human-
ity" went on to include other groups.
Ron Wheeler, a current Law
School student, described how het-
erosexism, prevalent in the Univer-
sity and in society, inhibits gay
males and lesbians from living their
normals lives.
Wheeler added that gays males and
lesbians of color face discrimination,
even within their own race.


Young
Continued from Page 1

dent Union executive board member,
said the speech emphasized "a hu-
manistic approach in dealing with
people and that reflects on all the

and Stevie Wonder. Though he was
not present, Wonder was instrumen-
tal in fighting for the King holiday.