NYUNEWS.COM | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
OPINION
EDITED BY RAQUEL WOODRUFF OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
RELIGION
Pope Francis’ actions show signs of tolerance By RAQUEL WOODRUFF AND PETER KEFFER
Pope Francis’ recent criticisms of the Catholic Church for its incessant focus on gay marriage, abortion and contraception marks another defining moment in papal history. Even more significant is the largely positive Catholic response to his comments — evidence of a growing desire for change in the church’s rhetoric and teachings, as it has fallen out of line with a world concerned with individual liberties. Francis has expressed a desire to shift the Catholic Church away from a culture of prohibition and toward one of tolerance. Francis’ appeal to tolerance in matters of personal choice is a continuation of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s decision to resign. Benedict’s papacy was one of both strict theological doctrine and unpopular orthodoxy. The explicit representation of Roman Catholic Church teaching was not only a harsh contrast to the popular papacy of Pope John Paul II, but it was also a catalyst for mass
public criticism. Benedict’s resignation — largely criticized as going against church teachings and tradition — indicated the appearance of personal choice as a force within the church. Francis has extended the utility of personal choice from the pontificate himself to the people he guides. The underlying significance is that for the first time, the pontiff is beginning to establish a balance between faith and autonomy. However, this by no means is a radical change for the tenets of the Catholic Church. Francis is asking to shift focus, but is not calling for a revision in church doctrine. Just last week he denounced abortion among Catholic doctors. We must make a distinction between Francis promoting universal acceptance into the Catholic Church
and promoting acceptance of egalitarian social positions. As Cardinal Francis George, who praised Francis’ statements, said, “Everybody is welcome [in the Catholic Church], but not everything we do can be acceptable.” Francis’ message is more deeply one of compassion — an age-old Catholic principle — than a change in church policy. This is not to discount Francis’ sweeping displays of reform as pope. He opts for a Ford Focus over a chariot and sports more modest footwear than handmade red shoes. Francis has certainly emphasized humility as a central obligation of the Catholic Church. This approach should not only be exemplified in the actions within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, but also in the teachings they profess. But this is merely a first step in the church’s new trajectory towards encompassing the personal choices of all people. Raquel Woodruff is opinion editor. Peter Keffer is a deputy opinion editor. Email them at opinion@nyunews.com.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Response to ‘Sexton, Lipton stray from NYU vision’
To the Editor:
Raquel Woodruff and Edward Radzivilovskiy’s recent article “Sexton, Lipton stray from NYU vision” is shockingly one-sided and laden with errors or half-truths, just the type of journalism to make any reasonable person look elsewhere for news about NYU. As Chair of the Faculty Senators Council for the past two years, and as Chair of the Space Priorities Working Group, I was contacted by Radzivilovskiy last week. Nothing I said appears in the article. Presumably, the authors had already made up their minds. The authors fail to point out, for example, that roughly half of the department resolutions on [NYU] 2031 expressed concern rather than opposition about the original 2031 plan. Any reasonable person would understand the qualitative difference between concern and opposition, and would want to know that those resolutions took place before the city’s approvals, which reduced
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the density, eliminated the hotel and prohibited construction on the Washington Square Village block before 2022. The FSC’s own survey in 2012 showed that a majority of respondents might feel differently about 2031 if the scale was reduced, and that the hotel and construction on the North Block were the primary points of concern. Even worse, the authors say nothing about the recent Interim Report of the Space Priorities Working Group, which can hardly be said to have recommended that the university “execute” the original plan. Too much detail and too much background reading for WSN, apparently. The authors seem equally naïve about governance. The shared governance principles they refer to articulate a new vision for governance at NYU. They were negotiated between the FSC and administration over a two-month period in fall 2012 and passed by the Board of Trustees. Those principles now inform all the interactions between the FSC and the
administration, and also inform the recent memo from the Board of Trustees that sets NYU on a path to improve its mechanisms of governance. I would have expected WSN to welcome this moment and undertake some serious journalism on the topic of best practices in governance; instead, we get something between a cop out and the fallacious argument that because all isn’t right in the world now or in the past, nothing will ever change. I can only hope that somewhere down the road WSN will exhibit the ability to tackle these issues responsibly, by acknowledging their complexity, doing a bit of homework, broadening its range of sources and making a good faith effort to serve the university community. — TED MAGDER, Chair, University Space Priorities Working Group Past Chair, Faculty Senators Council, 2011-2013 Media, Culture and Communication, Steinhardt
STAFF EDITORIAL
Kenya can prevent future terrorist attacks
The attack perpetrated by al-Shabab militants on the Westgate shopping center, which is situated in an affluent suburb in Nairobi, Kenya, has so far claimed the lives of over 60 people. In recent months, many international affairs experts have signaled that Shabab’s influence was waning in Somalia and North Africa. They were mistaken. Shabab, a Somali-based terrorist group, immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter, declaring it was retaliation for the inclusion of Kenyan troops in the African Union Mission in Somalia. This is the deadliest attack to occur in Kenya since the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombing in Nairobi. The AMISOM in Somalia has been reliant on a strong Kenyan contingent since 2007. They have been effective in supporting the Somali government and expelling Shabab from the region. Kenya, a country with a majority Christian and minority Muslim population, is historically known for its religious tolerance. However, ethnic tensions have been escalating in recent months, primarily because of an increase in radical Islamist activity in the region and multiple attacks on churches. The shocking attack at Westgate is evidence of this escalation. According to reporters who were giving firsthand accounts, it was multipronged in its approach, with several waves of militant fighters besieging the shopping mall. Indeed, there are still hostages trapped inside the center. At one point, Shabab controlled large areas of Somalia, but recently, African Union forces have pushed them out of many of their strongholds. This is the militia’s most audacious attack to date, preceded by two bombings in Somalia at the United Nations and Turkish mission offices. It has caused the international community to re-evaluate claims about the militia’s prominence. For a region torn by years of conflict, this tragedy is a sign of resurgence of sub-Saharan terrorism. The money the United States pumps into Kenya’s counterterrorism efforts has proven ineffective, as Shabab’s attack on innocent shoppers runs counter to the Obama administration’s claims that alQaeda and its affiliates — of which Shabab is a party — are weakening. While more Kenyan aid may benefit the cause, falsely suggesting that terrorism is on the decline will not. The ramifications from this attack will be significant. Shabab’s goal is to create an Islamic state in Somalia. The Kenyan government must consider the lessons learned from other countries in Africa and the Middle East. There are sobering examples of governments unable to stop terrorist organizations from operating in their region and the consequences have been devastating. Underestimating the prominence of extremist groups only cripples attempts to defeat them. Kenya needs to extract all of its resources — including U.S. aid — to effectively fight terrorism and jihadi insurgency in the region.
Email the WSN Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com. EDITORIAL BOARD: Raquel Woodruff (Chair), Edward Radzivilovskiy (Co-chair), Peter Keffer (Co-chair).
Send mail to: 838 Broadway, Fifth Floor New York, N.Y. 10003 or email: opinion@nyunews.com WSN welcomes letters to the editor, opinion pieces and articles relevant to the NYU community, or in response to articles. Letters should be less than 450 words. All submissions must be typed or emailed and must include the author’s name, address and phone number. Members of the NYU community must include a year and school or job title.
WSN does not print unsigned letters or editorials. WSN reserves the right to reject any submission and edit accepted submissions in any and all ways. With the exception of the staff editorial, opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.