Is a woman's place in the books?

University decision sparks debate over women in the academy

EUGENE, Ore. (RWN) - Last week's University of Oregon decision to ban women from its faculty resonated through the campus today, as the entire female staff and faculty marched through the campus in protest.

"What kind of nation is this?" they called. "A nation of fools!" they responded.

The group - some 500 women - marched to the university president's office to plead their case, but were not let into the building.

"Since they are no longer members of the university community, they have to wait their turn for access with President Morning Star the same as any other group," university spokesman Matt Mahdi said. "And there are lots of groups ahead of them on the list."

Outside, in a misting rain, Mayra Tarriq-Azziz got drenched and watched her career get washed away.

"I've been at this university for 20 years," the former professor of engineering said. "I've published, I've taught thousands of students, I've sweat blood for this institution. And to treat me … no, to treat all women this way, is unbelievable."

Karen Schriver, a former professor of library and information sciences, said that the university president's decision has shaken her faith in Islam. "I was always under the impression that Islam was about opening the umbrella, not closing it," said the professor, who considers herself a good Muslim. "This is lunacy."

The university's president, Abdul Morning Star, was appointed six months ago by the Oregon Board of Regents, after a voter-approved initiative completely changed the nature of the board from modern to fundamentalist. Morning Star, who had been the vice-provost at The College of Kings in Boston, had a strong academic reputation, but was also known as a by-the-book Muslim.

His first official action on campus was to severely curtail the budgets of the social science departments, calling them "wasteful." The university would focus much more on physical sciences.

"This is sort of amazing to me," said Barbara Jaffir, a former professor of biology. "For centuries, the Muslim world led the way in advances. In navigation, in letters, in math, it was Muslims who made discoveries. It's only in the last several centuries that we've seen the shying away from technology and the future, and it's in the last two weeks that we've seen someone completely slam the door shut.

"I guess I'll just go home and make babies for my husband," Jaffir said, "even though he's been dead three years."


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