Why did Fresno State cancel search for Edward Said position?

Fresno State’s faculty search for the Edward Said chair appears to have been canceled by the Israeli lobby. It’s not possible to draw another conclusion after reading Professor Vida Samiian’s letter of resignation.

The search was canceled only when the finalists’ names for the chair were submitted – four scholars of Middle Eastern descent. Edward Said himself was Palestinian and one of the most influential literary theorists of the 20th Century.

Would the Fresno State administration have treated him in the same shameful manner? The evidence is clear. Yes, it would have. This discriminatory attack on academic freedom and excellence should roil this university and this town. It cannot be tolerated.

This story was originally published June 6, 2017 at 1:31 PM with the headline "Why did Fresno State cancel search for Edward Said position?."