In this column:
List of
Signatories to the Open Letter.
An extract from
the article which was published, with the List of Signatories, on
the sites 'The Disorder of Things' and 'Campaign against Arms Trade
Universities Network.'
Although the article is short, it
makes all too clear what
the signatories were opposing, or thought they were opposing.
Profiles of academics (and others) who signed the Open
Letter
List of profiles, with links
Mona Baker, Professor of Translation Studies (Emerita), Manchester
University: Mona Baker and half-baked monomania.
Adam Ferhani, Postdoctoral Fellow, Sheffield
University Department of Politics and International Relations
List of Signatories to the Open
Letter
I point out in the introductory material in the column
to the left that the claim made by the organizers of the open letter that
the signatories were all academics is false. Scanning the list will show
that this is so. The majority of the people who signed the list were
academics but the claim that they are 'academics working on topics related
to war, conflict, security, human rights, and international relations' is
false.
Signed by,
Professor Sara Ahmed, Independent
Professor Nadje Al-Ali, SOAS
Professor Judith Butler, University of California, Berkeley
Professor Boaventura de Sousa Santos, University of Coimbra
Professor Lisa Duggan, New York University
Professor Cynthia Enloe, Clark University
Professor Arturo Escobar, University of North Carolina
Professor Lewis Gordon, Global Centre for Advanced Study; UCONN-Storrs;
Rhodes University
Professor David Graeber, LSE
Professor Derek Gregory, University of British Colombia
Professor John Holloway, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla,
Puebla
Professor Richard Jackson, University of Otago
Professor Laleh Khalili, SOAS, University of London
Professor Saskia Sassen, Colombia University, New York
Professor Vron Ware, Kingston University
Siân Addicott, Swansea College of Art
Dr Linda Åhäll, Keele University
Dr Kirsten Ainley, LSE
Hilary Aked, University of Bath
Simona Alexandra, Demilitarise King’s
Mehmet Ali, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Dr Jamie Allinson, University of Edinburgh
James Angel, King’s College London
Dr Leonie Ansems de Vries, King’s College London
Dr Claudia Aradau, King’s College London
Dr Gordon Asher, University of the West of Scotland
Dr Grietje Baars, City University of London
Dr Catherine Baker, University of Hull
Professor Mona Baker, University of Manchester
Dr Sita Balani, King’s College London
Dr Victoria Basham, Cardiff University
Mareike Beck, University of Sussex
Dr Laurie Benson, King’s College London
Professor G. K. Bhambra, University of Warwick
Jon Bigger, Loughborough University
Dr Ira Bliatka, Independent
Professor Lindsey Blumell, City University London
Dr Shannon Brincat, Griffith University
Dr Maria Brock, Södertörn University College
Dr Christopher Browning, University of Warwick
Dr Ian Bruff, University of Manchester
Mirjam Büdenbender, KU Leuven
Dr Sarah Bulmer, University of Exeter
Olimpia Burchiellaro, University of Westminster
Dr Rosalind Carr, University of East London
Dr Veronique Chance, Anglia Ruskin University
Dr Catherine Charrett, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Simon Choat, Kingston University
Dr Alex Christoyannopoulos, Loughborough University
Dr Chris Clarke, University of Warwick
Rosalie Clarke, NTU
Dr Thomas Clément Mercier, King’s College London
Professor Cynthia Cockburn, Retired
Lydia Cole, Aberystwyth University
Sam Cook, University of California, Santa Cruz
Amy Cooper, Birkbeck, University of London
Amy Corcoran, Queen Mary University of London
Clare Coultas, LSE
Thomas Cowan, King’s College London
Dr Ruth Craggs, King’s College London
Dr Rhys Crilley, University of Warwick
Dr Giran A. Cutanda, University of Granada
Ida Danewid, LSE
Kelcy Davenport, Anglia Ruskin University
Lou Dear, University of Glasgow
Dr Carl Death, University of Manchester
Dr Maria del Carmen Garcia Alonso, University of Kent
Dr Helen Dexter, The University of Leicester
Sam Donaldson, Solidarity
Jack Doyle, University of Oxford
Dr Synne Dyvik, University of Sussex
Elizabeth Eade, Brighton University
Dr Cassie Earl, University of Bristol
Dr James Eastwood, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Nathan Eisenstadt, University of Bristol
Dr Emmy Eklundh, King’s College London
Professor Miriam Estrada-Castillo, United Nations University for Peace
Catrin Evans, University of Glasgow
Dr Jonathan Evershed, Queen’s University Belfast
Syada Fatima Dastagir, Birkbeck, University of London
Adam Ferhani, University of Sheffield
Peter Finn, Kingston University
Kathrin Fischer, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Adam Fishwick, De Montfort University
Matthew Flinders, UCL
Dr Ludovic Foster, Independent
Dr Maria Fotou, University of Leicester
Guillaume Foulquie, University of Worcester
Dr Sylvia C. Frain, University of Otago & University of Guam
Dr Lola Frost, War Studies, King’s College London
Dr Sol Gamsu, University of Bath
Santiago García de Leaniz, EFA European Film Academy
Craig Gent, University of Warwick
Dr Jill Gibbon, Leeds Beckett University
Professor Emily Gilbert, University of Toronto
Dr Ciaran Gillespie, University of Surrey
Dr Rebecca Gould, University of Bristol
Leslie Gonzalez, University of Bristol
Dr Uri Gordon, University of Nottingham
Chloe Gott, University of Kent
Dr Sofa Gradin, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Harriet Gray, University of Gothenburg
Savannah Green, University of York
A Gregg, Independent
Dr Thomas Gregory, University of Auckland
Dr Mark Griffiths, Northumbria University
Dr Sandy Hager, City University of London
Jo Hague, Independent
Joseph Haigh, University of Warwick
Professor Janet Hargreaves, University of Huddersfield
Dr Sophie Harman, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Jason Hart, University of Bath
Dr Lou Harvey, University of Leeds
Dr Susanna Hast, University of Helsinki
Josefin Hedlund, King’s College London
Sita Hidayah, University of Freiburg
Dr Andy Higginbottom, Kingston University
Dr Peter Hill, Christ Church, University of Oxford
Dr Michael Hirsch, STFC
Dr Aggie Hirst, Kings College London
Jennifer Hobbs, University of Manchester
Dr Stephen Hobden, University of East London
Professor Jana Hoenke, University of Groningen
Dr Alison Howell, Rutgers University
Professor Jef Huysmans, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Marta Iñiguez de Heredia, Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals
Cody Jackson, Texas Women’s University
Louisa Jane Di Felice, Autonomous University of Barcelona
Professor Christina Jarvis, State University of New York
Dr Jamie M. Johnson, University of Leicester
Dr Katharina Karcher, University of Cambridge
Dr Oliver Kearns, Independent
Dr Paul Kelemen, University of Manchester
Margareta Kern, University of the Arts London
Professor Ruth Kinna, Loughborough University
Dr Paul Kirby, University of Sussex
Dr Sara Koopman, Kent State University
Dr Daniela Lai, UCL
Imane Lauraux, Independent
Dr Andrew Law, Newcastle University
Dr Sophie Lewis, University of Manchester
Matheus Lock Santos, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Matt Lee, Free University Brighton
Iris Loukopoulos, TansActional Athens
Dr Paulette Luff, Anglia Ruskin University
Julian Mair, MCI Management Centre
Dr Nivi Manchanda, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Tracy Marafiote, State University of New York
Professor Luke Martell, University of Sussex
Dr Maria Martin de Almagro Iniesta, University of Cambridge
Nicholas Martindale, University of Oxford
Dr Rachel Massey, University of Manchester
Dr Cristina Masters, University of Manchester
Dr Lauren McCarthy, Royal Holloway University of London
Dr Trevor McCrisken, University of Warwick
Dr Kevin McSorley, University of Portsmouth
Dr John McTague, University of Bristol
Angus McNelly, Queen Mary University of London
Rasika Meena Kaushik, Tata Institute of Social Sciences
Dr Akanksha Mehta, University of Sussex
Dr Isabel Meier, University of East London
Dr Katharine Millar, LSE
Colin Millen, Campaign for Unity in Practice and Self-Governance
Amanda Mills, London College of Communication
Dr Laura Mills, University of St Andrews
Dr Lara Montesinos Coleman, University of Sussex
Lena Moore, University of Cambridge
Dr Dalia Mostafa, University of Manchester
Professor Josepa Munoz, Artist
Professor Peter Newell, University of Sussex
Dr Marijn Nieuwenhuis, University of Warwick
Dr Kerem Nisancioglu, SOAS, University of London
Dr Jonna Nyman, University of Sheffield
Dr Ronan O’Callaghan, University of Central Lancashire
Dr Kieran Oberman, Edinburgh University
Dr Louiza Odysseos, University of Sussex
Sofia Olsson, University of Brighton
Dr Ajay Parasram, Dalhousie University
Dr Owen Parker, University of Sheffield
Dr Katy Parry, University of Leeds
Dr Ruth Pearce, University of Leeds
Hazel Perry, Anarchist Studies Network
Dr Simon Philpott, Newcastle University
Dr Veronique Pin-Fat, University of Manchester
Dr Nicola Pratt, University of Warwick
Dr Kandida Purnell, University of Aberdeen
Nat Raha, University of Sussex
Sanaz Raji, Unis Resist Border Controls
Dr Elisa Randazzo, University of Hertfordshire
Dr Rahul Rao, SOAS University of London
George Renshaw, Reading University
Dr Matthew Rech, Plymouth University
Henry Redwood, King’s College London
Anastasia Siniori, Westminster University
Professor Dee Reynolds, University of Manchester
Hannah Richter, University of Hertfordshire
Dr Melanie Richter-Montpetit, University of Sheffield
Dr Judith Roads, Retired
Professor Bruce Robbins, Columbia University
Dr Roberto Roccu, King’s College London
Dr Chris Rossdale, LSE
Professor Eugene E. Ruyle, California State University, Long Beach
Dr Caitlin Ryan, University of Groningen
Dr Myriam Salama-Carr, University of Manchester
Dr Leon Sealey-Huggins, University of Warwick
Paschal Somers, Coventry Justice and Peace Group
Neil Stamper, Wordpower
Lucy Stroud, Aberdeen University
Professor Paulette Swartzfager, Rochester Institute of Technology
Dr Thomas Swann, Loughborough University
Dr Meera Sabaratnam, SOAS, University of London
Dr Elke Schwarz, University of Leicester
Professor Lynne Segal, Birkbeck, University of London
Rasha Shaheen, Academy of Contemporary Music
Dr Laura J. Shepherd, UNSW Sydney
Dr Jonathan Silver, Sheffield University
Dr Tom Smith, University of Portsmouth
Dr Nick Srnicek, King’s College London
Dr Liam Stanley, University of Sheffield
Dr Anna Stavrianakis, University of Sussex
Dr Maurice Stierl, University of California Davis
Dr Henrique Tavares Furtado, University of the West of England
Dr Nicholas Taylor, Goldsmiths, University of London
Sahra Taylor, City, University of London
Diana Teggi, University of Bath
Dr Lasse Thomassen, Queen Mary University of London
Professor Charles Thorpe, University of California, San Diego
Dr Joanna Tidy, University of Sheffield
Dr Lisa Tilley, University of Warwick
Dave Tinham, Kingston University
Dr Rebecca Tipton, University of Manchester
Dr Alen Toplisek, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Cornelis van der Haven, Ghent University
Mijke van der Drift, Goldsmiths, University of London
Sara Van Goozen, University of Manchester
Tom Vaughan, Aberystwyth University
Professor Stellan Vinthagen, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Eliana Voutsadakis, London Southbank University
Dr Dereck Wall, Goldsmiths College
Dr David Wearing, Royal Holloway University of London
Alister Wedderburn, King’s College London/Australian National University
Dr Julia Welland, University of Warwick
Dr Ben Whitham, De Montfort University
Professor Annick Wibben, University of San Francisco
Dr Jeremy Wildeman, University of Bath
Dr Joanie Willett, University of Exeter
Dr Al Williams, Rewilding Wales
Dr Elisa Wynne-Hughes, Cardiff University
Jakub Zahora, Charles University, Prague
Dr Chris Zebrowski, Loughborough University
Extract from the piece published on the site 'The Disorder of Things'
and 'Campaign Against Arms Trade Universities Network
https://thedisorderofthings.com/2017/09/18/academics-against-the-arms-fair/
https://caatunis.net/academics-against-the-arms-fair-an-open-letter/
Last week, about 1500 weapons manufacturers and representatives of more
than 100 states descended on London for Defence
and Security Equipment International (DSEI) – the
world’s largest arms fair. The companies have exhibited products ranging
from crowd control equipment and ammunition to fighter jets and military
vehicles, which they displayed to militaries, police forces and border
agencies from around the world. DSEI is a major event for the
international arms trade, and the deals done there play a major role in
reinforcing Western militarism, fuelling conflict, repressing dissent
and strengthening authoritarian regimes.
Two weeks ago, the Stop
the Arms Fair coalition held a week of action in an
attempt to prevent the arms fair from taking place. Anti-militarist
groups, working in solidarity with activists from countries which have
suffered the brutal consequences of the arms trade, held a series of
events to disrupt the setup of DSEI. One event during this week was ‘Conference
at the Gates’, an academic conference held in front of
the arms fair, where participants debated ideas about militarism while
taking action to resist it.
We support this week of action and Conference at the Gates, and
call on the UK government to end its support for DSEI. As academics
working on topics related to war, conflict, security, human rights, and
international relations, we are opposed to the presence of this arms
fair in London, and to the substantial support provided by the UK
government to make it happen. It is wrong to argue, as the government
does, that the arms trade contributes to security – it fuels conflict,
facilitates repression, and makes the world a more dangerous place. In a
world of complex challenges militarism should be regarded as part of the
problem, not the solution.
Profiles of academics (and others)
who signed the Open Letter
There These profiles will be revised and
extended. There are very few profiles
for the time being - the page was added to the site not long ago and it's
the newest on the site, but I intend to add more and more profiles,
and, also
comments on 'The Disorder of Things' and 'Campaign
against Arms Trade Universities Network.' In many cases, the profiles
give information about the views of these academic's on matters other
than armaments, views which I'd claim are based on illusion and delusion
- I provide quotations without very much comment, generally. Their views
on armaments and their views on other subjects have, I'd claim,
linkages.
Mona Baker, Professor of Translation Studies
(Emerita), Manchester
University: Mona Baker and half-baked monomania.
Monomania: 'exaggerated
or obsessive preoccupation with one thing.'
Example
of usage: 'Although Mona Baker has a wide range of interests and
prejudices, her preoccupation with Israel and its actions amounts to
monomania.'
Half-baked: not fully thought through: lacking a
sound basis.
Examples of usage: 'A half-baked conspiracy theory. By
failing to take account of a wide range of evidence, such as the
legality of same-sex relations in Israel, gay pride events in Israel and
the criminality of same sex relations in Gaza and the execution of
individuals for same sex relations in Iran, Mona Baker demonstrates that
again and again, her thinking is naive, distorted and half-baked.'
Some background information from Wikipedia followed by background
information of mine.
Wikipedia:
In 2002,
Mona Baker removed two Israeli academics, Dr. Miriam
Shlesinger of Bar-Ilan
University and
Professor Gideon
Toury of Tel
Aviv University, Israel,
from the editorial boards of her journals Translator and Translation
Studies Abstracts, based
on their affiliation to Israeli institutions.
...
Subsequently, Baker announced that Translator will
no longer publish any research by Israeli scholars and will refuse to sell
books and journals to Israeli libraries.
Response from
Professors
In an email sent to Professor Toury on 8 June 2002, Baker asked him to
resign and warned him that she would "unappoint you" if he refused. Baker
justified her action by stating that "I do not wish to continue an official
association with any Israeli under the present circumstances", although she
also stated that her decision was "political, not personal" and that she
still regarded Professor Toury and Professor Shlesinger as friends.
Professor Toury subsequently responded that "I would appreciate it if the
announcement made it clear that 'he' (that is, I) was appointed as a scholar
and unappointed as an Israeli." Toury also stated that "I am certainly
worried, not because of the boycott itself but because it may get bigger and
bigger so that people will not be invited to conferences or lectures, or
periodicals will be judged not on merit, but the identity of the place where
the author lives."
Dr
Shlesinger responded that: "I don't think [Israeli prime minister] Ariel
Sharon is
going to withdraw from the West Bank because Israeli academics are being
boycotted. The idea is to boycott me as an Israeli, but I don't think it
achieves anything."
Criticism
Baker's
actions were sharply criticised by Professor Stephen
Greenblatt of Harvard
University and
the president of the Modern
Language Association of America, who called
the firings "repellent", "dangerous" and "morally
bankrupt". Greenblatt described Baker's
actions as an "attack on cultural cooperation" which "violates the essential
spirit of scholarly freedom and the pursuit of truth" ...
In the British
House of Commons, an Early Day Motion (EDM
1590) condemning Baker's actions was passed, stating that Parliament
"deplores discrimination against academics of any nationality, as being
inconsistent with the principle of academic freedom, regards such
discrimination as downright anti-semitic while pretending simply to be
opposed to Israeli government policy... and calls upon UMIST to apologise
for this disgusting act and to dismiss Professor Baker."
...
The National
Union of Students (NUS),
in addition to condemning academic boycotts as a whole, specifically
condemning Baker's sackings of the two Israeli professors as "racist." Mandy
Telford, president of the NUS, stated that "The National Union of Students
stands firmly against all forms of discrimination. This is an abuse of
academic freedom that can only have a negative impact on students at Umist...
In 2002
the European
Society for Translation Studies condemned
the ousting of Toury and Shlesinger, both members of the Society, arguing
that "in their intellectual work they are not representatives of their
country but individuals who are known for their research, their desire to
develop translation studies and to promote translation and intercultural
dialogue."
From my
page on Israel:
An extract from an article by Robert L. Bernstein published
in the 'New York Times,'
'As the founder of Human Rights Watch, its active chairman for 20 years
and now founding chairman emeritus, I must do something that I never
anticipated: I must publicly join the group’s critics. Human Rights Watch
had as its original mission to pry open closed societies, advocate basic
freedoms and support dissenters. But recently it has been issuing reports on
the Israeli-Arab conflict that are helping those who wish to turn Israel
into a pariah state.
'At Human Rights Watch, we always recognized that open, democratic
societies have faults and commit abuses. But we saw that they have the
ability to correct them — through vigorous public debate, an adversarial
press and many other mechanisms that encourage reform.
'That is why we sought to draw a sharp line between the democratic and
nondemocratic worlds, in an effort to create clarity in human rights. We
wanted to prevent the Soviet Union and its followers from playing a moral
equivalence game with the West and to encourage liberalization by drawing
attention to dissidents like Andrei Sakharov, Natan Sharansky and those in
the Soviet gulag — and the millions in China’s laogai, or labor camps.
'When I stepped aside in 1998, Human Rights Watch was active in 70
countries, most of them closed societies. Now the organization, with
increasing frequency, casts aside its important distinction between open and
closed societies.
'Nowhere is this more evident than in its work in the Middle East. The
region is populated by authoritarian regimes with appalling human rights
records. Yet in recent years Human Rights Watch has written far more
condemnations of Israel for violations of international law than of any
other country in the region.
'Israel, with a population of 7.4 million, is home to at least 80 human
rights organizations, a vibrant free press, a democratically elected
government, a judiciary that frequently rules against the government, a
politically active academia, multiple political parties and, judging by the
amount of news coverage, probably more journalists per capita than any other
country in the world — many of whom are there expressly to cover the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
'Meanwhile, the Arab and Iranian regimes rule over some 350 million
people, and most remain brutal, closed and autocratic, permitting little or
no internal dissent. The plight of their citizens who would most benefit
from the kind of attention a large and well-financed international human
rights organization can provide is being ignored as Human Rights Watch’s
Middle East division prepares report after report on Israel.
'Human Rights Watch has lost critical perspective on a conflict in which
Israel has been repeatedly attacked by Hamas and Hezbollah, organizations
that go after Israeli citizens and use their own people as human shields.
These groups are supported by the government of Iran, which has openly
declared its intention not just to destroy Israel but to murder Jews
everywhere. This incitement to genocide is a violation of the Convention on
the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
'Leaders of Human Rights Watch know that Hamas and Hezbollah chose to
wage war from densely populated areas, deliberately transforming
neighborhoods into battlefields.'
Above, gay pride event in Tel Aviv. The events are attended by about
250,000 people annually.
In Gaza, 'homosexual activity' (fully legal in Israel) is illegal and
can be punished by imprisonment for ten years. In Iran, it can be
punished with death by hanging.
Professor Baker and other signers: if Israel were unable to defend its
borders with advanced weapons, it would be invaded by ISIS or another
radical group that would make the situation for gay people impossible,
with arbitrary killing not just of these people but of other Israelis,
including Israelis of Arab origin. Advanced weaponry protects Israel.
The signers, with no weapon but words (and platitudes) offer no
protection to anyone. Their claim that only something amounting to a
revolution of ideas offers effective protection is simply false. When
the protection of weapons is removed, there is no chance at all for
their words to have any impact at all. The signers' ability to make
their pleas would be at an end. If anyone wants to come to the aid of
Mona Baker, to argue in her defence, then I'd be glad if they could
publicize their arguments. I'd be glad to make this site available for
the purpose but this shouldn't be necessary, given the resources
available to the signers and other people who share their views.
Adam Ferhani, Postdoctoral Fellow,
Sheffield University Department of Politics and International Relations
I've done my best to find out as much as I possibly can - or as much as
I practically can - about Adam Ferhani. I've had an exchange of emails
with him, which has confirmed the adverse view in the heading above. All
the same, this is a tentative judgement. He may have many strengths, but
I've not been able to find many and none of them distinctive or far
greater than the ordinary skills to be expected of any academic in his
field. His abilities as a speaker and explainer are poor. This video,
Simon Rushton and Adam Ferhani on Bordering Practices and Global Heath
Governance During Covid-19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfOz4JQs3Tk&t=138s
gives evidence. He's far less accomplished than Simon Rushton. He
stumbles often and repeats himself often:
'I mean ... you know ... you know ... you know ... if that makes
sense... I'm not sure I've explained that very well.
He wasn't very articulate in giving answers concerned with his
specialism, border controls during the Coronavirus epidemic. He has
opinions on other issues to do with border controls, surely, such as
management of migration. (This is supplementary material, before I come
to the issue of borders and armaments.) I'd be interested to hear his
answers if asked direct questions such as these: should the people who
cross the channel in rubber dinghies, people who fail to claim asylum in
the first country of safety, all be allowed to stay in this country? If
not, what criteria should be used to determine who is allowed to stay?
The cross-channel journey has obvious dangers. Should people be deterred
from risking the journey? If so, what methods would you suggest?
When it came to the issue of signing up to the Open Letter, like all the
people who signed, he didn't need to answer direct questions, questions
he might find difficult to answer. He obviously felt he knew enough
about military matters and armaments and this further aspect of border
security to sign. What would be his answer to these direct, difficult
questions?
Are there effective ways of deterring an aggressor from crossing the
border into a country which make no use of armaments?
Are there effective ways of deterring an aggressor from crossing the
border into a country which make no use of armaments?
Is transforming attitudes throughout the world, including attitudes in
totalitarian countries so that the leaderships of these countries in
future decide never to invade?
Is it an achievable objective to ban
armaments throughout the world so that the leadership of these countries
aren't able to obtain armaments even if they wanted them?
Is Ukraine
justified in fighting Russian forces - using, of course, armaments?
Would Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland be justified in
opposing a Russian incursion into their borders using armaments?
Would Israel be justified in using armaments to oppose an incursion into
Israeli territory through their border with armaments - assuming the
invading force to be ISIS or an Iranian-backed terrorist force, which
would impose a radical fundamentalist regime if it got the chance?
I wonder how effective Adam Ferhani would be in answering questions like
those. I wonder how the other signers would cope.
The expertise which is valued in universities is necessarily in limited areas. In such fields as quantum mechanics,
thermodynamics, atomic and molecular structure, biosynthesis and all the
other fields which contribute to the massive, overwhelmingly impressive
achievement of science, extreme specialization is essential. In the
social sciences too, academics have their specialisms, perhaps with the
hope that one day, it will be their claim to fame, or at least wider
recognition by the academic community.
Many of the contributions
of these social science academics are impressive for one reason or
another, or for many reasons. The analytic skills on display may be
substantial. Sometimes, their contributions are genuinely useful.
But in science, impressive achievement in one minute area isn't usually
taken as an indication that the scientist has anything of value to
contribute to science generally or to the world of value judgments,
political decisions, ethical issues. In the social sciences, all too
often, people with achievement in one limited sphere are eager to show
that they can 'make a difference' in the wider world.
All too
often - very often - the expert in one field is shown up as a dilettante
in another. War studies - an intensely demanding field, demanding a
detailed knowledge of military history in modern times, surely. This is
a golden age of military history writing, and has been for a long time.
There are many non-academics in the field but the achievement of
academics has been massive.
The academic dabblers who wander into the field and who think they can
stake their claim are deluded. They underestimate the scale of the
challenge.
Whatever gave Adam Ferhani the idea that he should sign up to this
deluded manifesto? His specialism, or one of his specialisms, is in a
field far removed from the harsh world of military realities.
This is from one of his publications (written in collaboration with
Professor Simon Rushton):
The International Health Regulations, COVID-19, and bordering practices:
Who gets in, what gets out, and who gets rescued?
Abstract
Bringing insights from critical border studies and exploring the varied
ways in which the response to the COVID-19 crisis has been “bordered,”
we argue that a much broader understanding of “borders” is required in
the IHR and by the WHO, given that much of the exclusionary bordering we
find takes place away from physical points of entry.
The language of this, ' ... much of the
exclusionary bordering we find takes place away from physical points of
entry' is far removed from the extremities of language and experience
necessary to do justice to such events as the Battle of Stalingrad, the
bombardment of Ukrainian cities by the Russians, the mass executions
which have taken place in their millions when a state has not had the
necessary military power to withstand the actions of aggressors. And
those aggressors obviously aren't open to persuasion by anything that
appears in 'The Disorder of Things' or by such trivial-disturbing events
as the Signing of the Open Letter.
I'll give my
conclusion: Adam Ferhani was one of seven people from Sheffield
University who signed the Open Letter. Sheffield University, in
particular, the Department of Politics and International Relations,
contributed a larger number of signers than any other institution apart
from King's College, London. Given the gross irresponsibility of the
manifesto, its refusal to recognize realities - the case argued on this
page - I think that anyone thinking of applying to this Department would
be well advised to think of again.