A local religious group sent a threat via e-mail against a visiting professor, with an expertise in Islam, sparking increased security at the fourth annual Judaic studies Scholar-in-Residence lecture.
As a result of the e-mail, three security guards were assigned to the lecture. Two officers stood at the door while a third patrolled the room. Normally, security would not have been assigned to the event, according to Director of Security Todd Pelazza.
After a close evaluation of the situation, Pelazza said he was confident that the threatening e-mail was simply no more than a threat.
In a phone interview, he maintained that while Fairfield University security was taking the e-mail seriously, there was no cause for alarm. He did acknowledge that there was some “initial concern” about the email but said security took all necessary precautions.
“There was no security concern at all,” Pelazza said about the night of the lecture.
The lecture was titled “Judaism, Christianity and Islam in Dialogue and Dissent,” and was presented by Dr. Reuven Firestone last Thursday evening. Firestone is a professor of Medieval Judaism and Islam at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles
The group allegedly responsible for the threatening email is comprised of both Jews and Christians from the Fairfield area. They disagreed with Firestone’s topic of discussion.
According to Dr. Ellen Umansky, the Director of the Judaic Studies program, this group believes that Holy War is a central tenet of Islam and that it is a religion of hate, not love.
They felt Firestone, who is considered an expert on early Islam, Islamic and Jewish relations as well as scriptural interpretations of the Bible and Qur’an, the main Islamic religious text, would give a favorable depiction of Islam. They wanted Firestone to say Islam was a religion of hate and threatened to disrupt the lecture if he was too favorable with his speech.
The group also warned Firestone and Umansky to be careful and that there would be fireworks. The e-mail also included a reference to someone being blown away. Umansky was nervous about the lecture.
Umansky received the e-mail through a network of forwarded emails about two weeks ago. She immediately contacted Firestone and security.
“While we had no reason to believe that something would happen but we also had no reason to believe it wouldn’t,” she said. Umansky credited the efficiency of the officers at the lecture with helping ease her concern. Security blocked off entrances to the lecture after it began and refused entrance to all latecomers as an added security measure.
“Security should be commended for its fine job protecting us and taking the proper measures to ensure that nothing would happen,” said Umansky. While the presence of the three Security guards was an important deterrence to a disruption, she also credited Firestone for successfully defusing the situation.
After reading the e-mail, Firestone replied to the author and everyone on the mailing list from the e-mail. He personally invited the entire group to come to the lecture. However, he made it clear that he would not tolerate any disruptions but welcomed any discussion or questions they might have.
Many people at the lecture were unaware of the threat. “If any threat is made concerning the university, students or staff, we should know before we get there” said Margot Krah ’05.
Others thought Fairfield was trying to hide the problem and avoid negative press. “Fairfield is always trying to sweep things under the carpet. What if something did happen at the lecture? The newspapers would have a field day because we were unknowingly endangered at a school sponsored lecture,” said Nick Colello ’05.
The threat has not left Firestone with a negative impression of Fairfield.
“The welcome I received has been great and I feel very well received. The leaves are beautiful but it is a bit colder than I am used to,” Firestone said. He felt that writing back to the group and acknowledging that both he and Umansky were aware of the threat was the best course of action.
Only three known group members were spotted in the audience, and they sat quietly throughout the entire discussion. They did not ask any questions or cause any type of disturbance.
The Judaic Studies Program was able to extend an invitation to Firestone because of a donation from Edith and David Chaifetz and Praxir Inc.
Members of the audience were pleased that more diversity was being brought to Fairfield. “Through well run programs like that of the lectures given by Dr. Firestone, the Judaic Studies Program has successfully exposed the student body to the different, yet interesting ways, beliefs and history of the Jewish community,” said Bethany Sprung, ’05.
However, Umansky was saddened that his visit may be overshadowed by the threats made by this group and stressed that she does not want it to be blown out of proportion.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to bring Dr. Firestone here so we can all learn from an expert,” Umansky said.
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