Yale Scholar Supports Sharia Law if it Bans Lewd [gay] Behavior

Fri, Mar 26, 2010 at 8:35 AM: Asad Ahmed, Ph.D. (Aligarh '61) and Ph.D. (Yale 64) was in Aligarh just a few weeks ago in connection with the Summer University. He feels that there is no evidence of a "rot" in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). He claims to have noticed improvements for the first time in many years. According to him “campus was peaceful, students were busy with their studies, security was good, and the Guest House was surprisingly clean. Even some teaching Departments showed signs of improvement.”

Asad Ahmed on Suspension of Gay AMU Teacher Dr Siras by Dr P K Abdul Azis, VC, AMU.

Dr Asad prefers to refer to indulgence in consensual sex by the gay AMU teacher, Dr Siras, as gay "acrobatic acts”! In his opinion, “laws of the land represent the minimal rules of conduct that are essential for running a civilized society. The acrobatics in which the Chairman [Dr Ramchandra Siras] was caught were legal but morally reprehensible, especially in a conservative place like Aligarh. Societies all over the world expect a higher standard of morality from the universities, well above the laws that govern ordinary citizens. Indeed, the universities set the standards of acceptable moral and ethical behavior in a society. It has nothing to do with the Sharia law. (And if the Sharia law bans lewd behavior of this kind, I am all for it.) Had the Chairman been a plumber or a janitor or a rickshaw-wala, I would say that it was within his rights to practise those acts. But being a university professor and a Chairman imposes certain constraints on acceptable behavior.” Hence the Vice Chancellor [Dr P K Abdul Azis] acted correctly in expelling the Chairman from the campus. Dr Asad goes on to say that “the research scholar who planted the video camera did trespass, but performed a useful service to the university.”

Socially and culturally, Aligarh, remains a vibrant and interesting place as it has always been with all its ups and downs; but there is no "rot" in it. The Vice Chancellor is attempting to bring about a change in the attitudes of the Aligarh faculty and this may lie at the bottom of this unwarranted criticism.

Asad Ahmed, Ph.D. (Aligarh '61), Ph.D. (Yale 64), Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Complete Mail by Dr Asad to Aligarh Muslim University Related Network
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From: Asad Ahmed 
To: amunetwork@yahoogroups.com
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 08:35:17 +0530
Subject: [AMUNetwork] Re: AMU: Who will stem the rot

Dear Sir:

This is in response to a letter dated March 11th entitled "AMU: Who will stem the rot" by an unnamed "senior faculty member" at AMU. If the faculty member believes in what he has written, he should stand behind his words and identify himself. Anyway, I was in Aligarh just a few weeks ago in connection with the Summer University and saw no evidence of a "rot". If anything, I noticed improvements for the first time in many years. The campus was peaceful, students were busy with their studies, security was good, and the Guest House was surprisingly clean. Even some teaching Departments showed signs of improvement.

The letter from the "senior faculty member" is centered around a case that involves unbecoming conduct of a Department Chairman who was close to retirement but was asked to leave the AMU by the Vice Chancellor. The "senior faculty member" is right in pointing out that the particular acrobatic acts he performed in the privacy of his home - but caught on video - were legal. However, he fails to realize that the laws of the land represent the minimal rules of conduct that are essential for running a civilized society.The acrobatics in which the Chairman was caught were legal but morally reprehensible, especially in a conservative place like Aligarh. Societies all over the world expect a higher standard of morality from the universities, well above the laws that govern ordinary citizens. Indeed, the universities set the standards of acceptable moral and ethical behavior in a society. It has nothing to do with the Sharia law. (And if the Sharia law bans lewd behavior of this kind, I am all for it.) Had the Chairman been a plumber or a janitor or a rickshaw-wala, I would say that it was within his rights to practise those acts. But being a university professor and a Chairman imposes certain constraints on acceptable behavior. Hence the Vice Chancellor acted correctly in expelling the Chairman from the campus. To think that he left Aligarh out of his principles is incorrect; he probably left out of shame - unable to face his colleagues and Aligarh students. The research scholar who planted the video camera did trespass, but performed a useful service to the university. At least he had the good sense to deliver the video only to the university authorities and not to sites like the YouTube. In contrast, the "senior faculty member" has apparently sent this scandalous letter to a newspaper only to malign the institution.

What is particularly ridiculous in this ridiculous letter is that, on the one hand, he blames the Sharia law and, on the other, blames an eminent Marxist historian in Aligarh for not speaking out against this dismissal. The reason given is that this eminent historian was appointed a Professor Emeritus by the Vice Chancellor so he remained silent. The truth is that this historian enjoys such a stature that he did not need to be honored by this appointment; it is the community of Aligarh professor emeriti that was honored by his appointment. I do not understand  why he was dragged into this silly episode. Nor do I understand what is the connection between Gay pride, the Sharia law, and Marxism.

Socially and culturally, Aligarh remains a vibrant and interesting place as it has always been with all its ups and downs; but there is no "rot" in it. However, there are alarming faults in its academic activity - that is, teaching, research and other scholarly activities. But the "senior faculty member" has remained completely silent about this real issue. Perhaps senior faculty members (including the anonymous faculty member himself) should look at themselves for this dismal sate of affairs.

Irresponsible and unjustified criticism like this simply dilutes out genuine, constructive criticism that Aligarh needs. The Vice Chancellor is attempting to bring about a change in the attitudes of the Aligarh faculty and this may lie at the bottom of this unwarranted criticism.

Asad Ahmed, Ph.D. (Aligarh '61), Ph.D. (Yale 64)
Edmonton, AB, Canada
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