Perhaps I’m an idealist – why should NYUAD make a public statement when it’s government partner cracks down on dissent?

I’m reminded of Martin Niemoller’s famous words:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.

I would also like the question the views of “Food for Thought.” One can find examples of terrible injustices around the world. Is this ever a reason not to take a position or action when a particular injustice comes to your attention, and others explicitly call for your reaction and support? I’d also love to hear what exactly you have been doing to advocate on behalf of all of those whose plight you are apparently so much more concerned by and deem so much more worthy.

Lastly, a major issue on the table as NYU morphs itself into a “Global Network University” is whether it is going to accept the position of being an academic mercenary — taking hundreds of millions of bucks from the UAE, China and elsewhere in exchange for bringing its brand and prestige — and accept that it will silently accept and issue “We don’t take political stand” statements in response to every issue that comes its way. Alternatively, the GNU could say to its current and future/prospective “partners”: our ‘global’ institution’s official stand is that we support the UN Declaration of Human Rights, and we will not remain silent and complicit if and when your government does things in violation of these most basic, fundamental and universal of human rights. The latter option gets my strong vote.

At the rate things are evolving, nothing is really certain. It is precisely because of this that the NYUAD community is, from the way I see it, acting in a cautious way. Now, the mere fact here is that NYC is different from AD and I think this is something that some NYU NYC students are failing to recognize properly. Yes, NYUAD was built -or rather is being built- under the same standards of freedom as NYU NYC was. However, AD was not built under the same principles as NYC was and this is an inescapable fact that the NYUAD community faces every day.

I, for one, did not apply to NYU in NYC. I exclusively applied to NYUAD because I am interested in the way it works and the way it copes with the extremely difficult cultural clashes that exist in the UAE. What is happening now is an example of this and it is, in my opinion, an opportunity for NYUAD to show their opinion and their clear stand in a way that is respectful and correct. When in Rome…

It is easy to criticize and ask for public outcry when you live in a country like the US, and especially when you live in a city like NYC where the loudest is the first heard. I think students in NYU NYC need a deeper sense of tolerance in order to understand the delicate situation that exists in the whole Arab world at the moment to then begin to understand how NYUAD fits into this and then maybe try and have empathy towards the NYUAD community before they go on criticizing it and accusing it of lack of courage.

I have no doubt that students and faculty at NYUAD have a voice. But I also have no doubt that they are smart enough to be cautious. I trust that what NYUADvocacy and the numerous groups at NYUAD that deal with cultural clashes are doing will show results that will speak louder than any public protest. Let’s just hope that students at NYU NYC understand what NYUAD is trying to do and more importantly, learn to put things into context and understand that theirs is different than ours.

@Western Observor
I’m skeptical of Sexton’s argument. Unless the UAE decides the downsides of repression (international criticism etc.) outweigh the upsides (maintaining control of the state), the “constructive engagement” he advocates will have no more effect than that of Ronald Reagan in South Africa. Sure, he may win some minor concessions on issues directly related to the NYU campus, but he’s not going to win any broad reforms. If the elites believe it’s in their interests to maintain the status quo, they will, unless mass disruption of some kind (on the part of the UAE citizens) puts enough pressure on them to reform. That logic is quite obvious elsewhere in the Middle East right now.

A different example: NYU Shanghai. Does Sexton think China will reform because NYU is there? They don’t listen to Western governments; they’re not going to listen to a university administration. I would argue that the same applies to Abu Dhabi.

An article explaining what is going on right now in AD:
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/04/14/the_making_of_a_police_state?page=0,0

First of all, I think its too much to expect the NYUAD students to actually be able to do anything: they are visitors with limited rights, and probably don’t want to end up on the front page of the NYTimes as that American student arrested for protesting.

Second, so many people have been talking a whole lot about how you can’t compare Westernized/American this and that standard to a different culture/place/historical context etc. What I have to say is that “let’s be real” as some of you have put it, I doubt anyone here is trying to legitimize a country’s clear violation of human rights just because it is Muslim and doesn’t allow drinking, in the same way that we wouldn’t legitimize a communist nation’s violations. We live in a globalized society, we have an international human rights creed, there is a standard that CANNOT be considered only “Western.” Approaching it as so is basically saying that people can’t cry out, as those citizens did, because they live in a “backwards” or “not progressive” society, at least not one thats progressed enough to allow individuals to speak out.