Letter to the Editor: In Support of Mitchell Silber
To the Editor:
Re “Student-Led Efforts Towards Anti-Racist Changes at SIPA Continue” (news article, July 13):
On Monday, July 13, The Morningside Post published an article reporting on the anti-racist efforts that a group of students are spearheading in consultation with Dean Janow. The article provided hope and pride for SIPA, as these measures are critical to an institution that promotes diversity, inclusion, and forward thinking.
The article references a public document shared by the student organizers that outlines their important efforts in detail. However, it also includes appalling and baseless accusations against SIPA professor, Mitchell Silber, and his “Modern Urban Terrorism” course. These charges claim that “Silber has shown over and over again through his past work, and even his current work and course that, to him, Islamophobia, racism, and imperialism are acceptable principles.” The students demanded that “Silber be fired for his racist, Islamophobic, and violent beliefs.” Most alarming, however, was that not one of the students making these claims had ever taken his course, yet Dean Janow and Vice Dean Barrett initiated an investigation based on the claims. We, his former students, wish to respond to these claims, assess his character, and correct the record.
Following a career in investment banking, Silber enrolled at SIPA in order to fulfill a sense of mission triggered by the 9/11 attacks. After graduating from SIPA he served as the NYPD’s Director of Intelligence Analysis (2005-2012) where he was the principal advisor to the Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence on counterterrorism policy and analysis. There he was responsible for strategic assessments of emerging and future threats to the City of New York.
In 2008, he became an adjunct professor at SIPA and in 2011, a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board. Most recently, Silber was tasked with leading the Community Security Initiative as its Executive Director to “secure... Jewish institutions” in the wake of rising anti-Semitism and violent extremism.
Had they ever stepped foot in Silber’s classroom, the accusers would have found a discussion-based course, in which students were pushed to question and challenge preconceived notions of terrorism. Silber made it clear that the 12-week course in question did not cover every facet of terrorism that has existed worldwide over time. He had designed the course to mostly focus on militant Islamist terrorism due to the threat facing major cities from groups such as al-Qa’ida and ISIS following the 9/11 attacks on New York City. Professor Silber never suggested that the only form of terrorism is Islamist, and, in fact, we studied at length Jewish terrorists, the Irish Republican Army (IRA), radical European terrorist groups active against West Germany, Puerto Rican separatist terrorists, and more. It is also crucial to note that “Islamist” refers to a political ideology whereas “Islamic” refers to a religious one.
The course also delved deeply into the psychology behind radicalism and groupthink, and looked broadly at the history of terrorism and efforts to counter violent extremism. In discussions of the latter, Silber emphasized the strength in Islam as the answer to deradicalization from violent extremism, not the problem, through community building and local programming. In fact, Professor Silber demonstrated how Islamophobia and racism hinder counterterrorism efforts, and that inclusion, equity, and religious tolerance are principles that lead to safer societies. The student organizers’ claims that “Silber is hell-bent on criminalizing Muslims [sic]” is downright appalling. In reality, Silber directed his subordinates at the NYPD “to develop a nuanced understanding of doctrines, ideology and historical and cultural references” in order to “mitigate abuse [in the police force].”
Never once throughout the course did Professor Silber condone violence, demean the religion of Islam, or espouse racist tropes. The accusations against Professor Silber are egregiously unfounded, and those of us who actually completed the course can attest to that. We take further offense from the charge that the course is Islamophobic as it implies that 300 students over a 12-year period would have willingly or unwittingly participated in a Monday night Islamophobia club. The claims that the course is “unconstitutional” or “imperialist” are simply absurd. None of the readings or aspects of Silber’s teaching ever discussed breaking the law or invading foreign countries.
We are further alarmed by the guilt by association charges that the students made due to Silber’s past service with the NYPD. In fact, this rhetoric is dangerous, and SIPA must remain an institution of nuance, due diligence, and thoughtfulness. It is especially upsetting that the administration has begun to entertain and investigate these claims without consulting students of his class. The administration’s investigative actions signal a dangerous approval of students threatening professors with inquisitions solely over the latter’s politics, real or perceived. This investigation is ironic considering the faculty’s 2011 decision to name Silber a SIPA Global Leadership Award recipient.
Accordingly, we the undersigned, call upon Dean Janow and Vice Dean Barrett to:
Dismiss these accusations and the investigation against Professor Silber without delay, but if the investigation continues, ensure that the Committee on Instruction is only made up of students who have taken Professor Silber’s course;
Issue a public apology to Professor Silber for the character assault this investigation has egregiously validated and affirm the faculty leadership’s commitment to academic freedom;
Consult prior students of the Modern Urban Terrorism course over these accusations;
Maintain the Modern Urban Terrorism course for future semesters.
We hope that this letter remedies the damage to Mitch Silber’s reputation - an outstanding professor, caring mentor, and respected public servant, lauded for foiling numerous terrorist plots against New York City and combating the rise of violent extremism and anti-Semitism.
For those whose doubts remain, we simply advise: Meet the real Mitch Silber - not the one imagined by a few - and take his class.
Rebecca Federman, SIPA 2020
Daniel Sorek, SIPA 2021
Saif Ur Rehman, SIPA 2020
Sarah Husain, SIPA 2020
Kelly Fagerman, SIPA 2020
Danielle Murad Waiss, SIPA 2021
Mikhail Seleznev, SIPA 2020
Tamara Hirsch, Barnard College 2013, SIPA 2014
Tinatin Japaridze, GSAS 2019
Jacob Gross, SIPA 2019
Jonathan Song, SIPA 2018
Edward Shim, SIPA 2018
Luis Martinez, SIPA 2021
Seeun Yim, SIPA 2020
Edna Simbi, SIPA 2017
Alessandra Lopez, SIPA 2020
Tamar Abraham, SIPA 2014
Anna Nejedla, Barnard College 2015, SIPA 2017
David Dabscheck, CBS 2013
Joshua H. Hunter, SIPA 2019
Craig MacFarlane, SIPA 2020
Kyle Andrew Dion, SIPA 2018
Joey Zhou, SIPA 2020
Anne Jacobs, SIPA 2019
Joon Sung Lee, SIPA 2020
Lara Simone, SIPA 2018
Anthony Pusatory, SIPA 2014
Hannah Kikano (nee Eibensteiner), SIPA 2018
Matthew Hinson, SIPA 2019
Daniel Solomon, SIPA 2015
Alejandro A. Guerrero, GS 2014, SIPA 2017
Samir Memon, SIPA 2015
Jessica Shaw, Barnard College 2019, SIPA 2020
CJ Dixon, SIPA 2019
Sharone Tobias, SIPA 2013
Jackie Burns Coven, SIPA 2017
Editor’s Note: The views and opinions expressed in this letter are those of the authors and do not reflect the stance of The Morningside Post. The letter references an investigation into claims against Professor Silber. The Morningside Post has confirmed that particular students have been made aware of actions taken by the SIPA administration to look into these allegations, but cannot confirm all details of these actions and all parties involved.