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Ithaca College

I was sad to hear of the response that some IC alumni had to Professor Asma Barlas’s essay. The intolerance of non-mainstream ideas has me questioning why people pursue liberal arts educations. As a recent alum, I feel I have to add my two cents to the discussion.

While I don’t always agree with Professor Barlas, I do respect her and her opinions. I’ve taken at least three courses with her; each course challenged my beliefs and my "formal" education. When my time was up at Ithaca, I looked back and realized that she had played a substantial role in my education and in my development as a person.

With that being said, I shall turn my attention to her essay. At first glance I could see how it might rub some people the wrong way. After further thought I found myself wondering what exactly the problem was. I could only come up with one answer: comfort. Americans like to feel comfortable with ourselves. At the very instant we are uncomfortable, we tend to either change the channel or point the finger. Professor Barlas’s ideas tend to make people uncomfortable.

As a human first and an American second, I was horrified by the events of 9-11-01. I don’t condone what was done in any way. But I can understand how some people might feel pushed to take extreme measures.

The United States has committed a countless number of atrocities over the years, with very little repercussion. I have to ask myself, Is the terror that I felt on 9/11 just a sample of the terror that "We" inflict on "Others"? I find it obscene that "We" as Americans can point the finger at "Others" before we look objectively in the mirror.

My education at IC left me feeling extremely "uncomfortable." It is that very same uncomfortable feeling that pushes me to learn more each day. Professor Barlas and a few professors like her are the reasons I’m proud to tell people that I graduated from Ithaca College.

Kenneth Duane Martin ’00
Dayton, Ohio