Rally for USF chief turns into debate

About 25 Judy Genshaft supporters and 50 detractors square off over the fate of professor Sami Al-Arian.

By BABITA PERSAUD, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 21, 2002

TAMPA -- Organizers of a rally Wednesday in support of University of South Florida president Judy Genshaft had no idea how many people would show up.

So they made up 300 yellow "I support Genshaft" buttons, put together 20 "Keep Our Campus Safe" fluorescent posters and planned to lock arm in arm.

Then the counterrally arrived.

Supporters of Sami Al-Arian, a tenured computer engineering professor who was suspended by Genshaft and soon may be fired, began chanting, "What do we want? Reinstate Al-Arian! What do we want? Reinstate Al-Arian now!"

The Genshaft supporters booed.

Six feet of space separated the two lines, with each side waving their handmade signs. Many on the pro-Genshaft side were from USF's Hillel Foundation, a Jewish organization. Most of the Al-Arian supporters were Muslim students. The women wore head scarves.

There was lots of hollering and red faces.

Genshaft supporters: Fire him! Fire him!

Al-Arian supporters: Support academic freedom!

At one point, the pro-Al-Arian crowd shouted: Stop the Violence! Stop the hate!

The pro-Genshaft group fell silent. "That's right. That's the point," they said.

And so it went for an hour, to no obvious effect. At its height, the pro-Genshaft side totaled 25; Al-Arian's, maybe 50.

But those numbers don't reflect the impact of the controversy on the university, which has been the focus of national attention -- much of it unfavorable -- since Genshaft announced in December her intention to fire Al-Arian.

She says he violated contractual agreements and poses a threat to campus security. Many faculty members think he should be reinstated. They say firing Al-Arian would violate the tenets of academic freedom and free speech.

Nearly 100 spectators, many eating lunch or going to class, watched the dueling demonstrations Wednesday.

Some were undecided. Some just shook their heads.

"This is a debacle," said Kelly Howard, who was sitting under an elm tree. "The issue is dividing our school."

"Can't we all just get along?" yelled Justin Mobley.

He could hardly be heard.

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