A Letter to the Editor of The Globe and Mail

Sir/Madam,

Your article 'Goodyear questions Mideast forum funds' did not state that SSHRC, as well as NSERC and CIHR, are mandated to run at arms-length from government to prevent political interference. While the controversy of the mideast crisis is clearly at play, Mr. Goodyear’s actions are a sign of a far more systemic problem of government interference in academia.

Universities are the only place we have set aside in our society that the great debates and controversies of our time can be freely discussed without fear of retribution. The freedom to take an unpopular stance on an issue is a fundamental requisite of creative problem solving; this is the rationale behind tenure.

Academics must be permitted to think, explore and debate without fear of persecution. As such the National Graduate Caucasus’ and the CAUT’s call for the dismissal of Mr. Goodyear is both appropriate and necessary. The last thing we need in these difficult times is to have our best and brightest minds afraid to seek creative solutions to the problems we face.

Sincerely,
Rafiq Rahemtulla – Sudbury, ON