Nothing about Oberlin College would surprise me. Or so I thought. But I have to admit, when readers emailed me this story, I didn’t see it coming.I’ve covered some wild things at Oberlin College over the years. There’s just so much low-hanging news fruit.
The Great Oberlin Racism Hoax of 2013. Joy Karega, the Professor of ‘social justice writing’ who spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories on Facebook. The aggressive anti-Israel disruptions and activism. Protests against Christina Hoff Sommers. The 14-page student Demand List that included hiring and promotion based on race. Complaints about cultural appropriation of Asian food in the dining hall. John Doe No. 1 and John Doe No. 2. Oberlin’s Culture of Theft. And of course, the campus-wide and continuing assault on the Gibson Family and their bakery.
Nothing about Oberlin College would surprise me after all that. Or so I thought. But I have to admit, when readers emailed me this story, I didn’t see it coming.
Mohammad Jafar Mahallati, is nicknamed Oberlin College’s ‘Professor of Peace.’
Mahallati now stands accused by the Iranian opposition of being complicit in crimes against humanity by virtue of allegedly falsely denying mass killings in 1988 by the regime when he was Iran’s Ambassador to the U.N. (He is not accused of participating in the killings.)
The Chronicle newspaper in Oberlin was the first to report the story in an article by Jason Hawk. (Bonus question, who remembers the role Hawk played in the Gibson’s case?), Oberlin College professor, former diplomat under fire for 1988 mass killings in Iran:
A letter sent to college President Carmen Twillie Ambar on Wednesday calls for Mahallati’s termination.
It is signed by 626 people, including former political prisoners in Iran, the families of prisoners who were executed and human rights activists.
Mahallati, who now serves as the Nancy Schrom Dye Chair in Middle East and North African Studies at Oberlin College, was Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations from 1987 to 1989.
The letter said his role was to “obfuscate and lie to the international community about mass crimes perpetrated by the Iranian regime” specifically, the killing of thousands of political prisoners in 1988.
That year, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ordered political prisoners to be subjected to sham trials by so-called “death commissions,” according to Amnesty International….
The letter sent to Oberlin College accuses Mahallati of failing to use his position at the United Nations to draw attention to the massacre.
It also claims he denied the killings during a meeting with the U.N. Special Representative on human rights in Iran.
Amnesty International also said in 2018 that Mahallati was among the senior officials and diplomats who “were actively involved in denying the mass killings in media interviews and exchanges with the UN to shield those responsible from accountability.” ….
Mahallati joined Oberlin College in 2007. Since then, he has become known as the “professor of peace.”
Mahallati founded the annual Oberlin Friendship Festival, developed a religion course called “Ethics of Friendship: Perspectives in Religion, Politics, Economics and Arts” and launched the Oberlin Friendship Initiative to promote international, interfaith and intercultural justice and peace. He has also been a regular part of peace protests held at noon each Saturday on Tappan Square.
“What is really normal is friendship,” Mahallati said in an April 2019 talk at Kendal at Oberlin. “What is totally (not) normal is hatred, indifference and war.”….
Here is part of a Twitter threat by one of the people involved in the letter, which demands Mahallati’s termination.
1/ IMPORTANT. PLEASE RT
Today, on behalf of hundreds of victims, families & human rights experts, I wrote to @oberlincollege president @ctambar objecting to the employement of M.J. Mahallati, a man implicated in the coverup of the #1988massacre of political prisoners in Iran. pic.twitter.com/hAdFyug2eS
— Kaveh Shahrooz (@kshahrooz) October 8, 2020
9/ Here he is in the relevant UN report denying the “allegation” of killings and repeating the Iranian government’s lie that the killings took place on the battlefield.
I CAN’T STRESS JUST HOW MUCH OF A PERNICIOUS LIE THIS IS.https://t.co/3q1NQ4wqBtpic.twitter.com/qpcnjLP68E
— Kaveh Shahrooz (@kshahrooz) October 8, 2020
12/ As noted by famous UK Barrister Geoffrey Robertson in his report on the massacre, Mahallati may have legal liability for his role in the cover-up.https://t.co/z0xYEilHSKpic.twitter.com/9xUGqHSMDK
— Kaveh Shahrooz (@kshahrooz) October 8, 2020
15/ There are several hundred signatories, many like @azarnafisi, @AlinejadMasih, @RoyaTheWriter, @RoyaBoroumand, @LadiKhanom, @shahinmilani81, @GissouNia well-known to those who work on human rights in Iran.
— Kaveh Shahrooz (@kshahrooz) October 8, 2020
18/ And if you want to have your voice heard, I urge you to write to Oberlin’s president: cambar [at] oberlin [dot] edu.Please be respectful. But also let her know our demands.
— Kaveh Shahrooz (@kshahrooz) October 8, 2020
Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar apparently did not appreciate being included in the Twitter thread:
I wrote a respectful letter to, and subsequent Twitter thread directed at, the president of @oberlincollege asking her why her college employs a man known for denying crimes against humanity at the UN.
Not sure why this is her reaction. pic.twitter.com/pITvIIV276
— Kaveh Shahrooz (@kshahrooz) October 8, 2020
This tweet is by international human rights lawyer, and Executive Director of U.N. Watch:
Dear @ctambar: Why does your @OberlinCollege employ Iran’s ex-U.N. rep Mohammad Mahallati as a “Peace Scholar” when he whitewashed & enabled the infamous 1988 massacre of 3,800 prisoners, including 28 year-old Mehrdad Ashtari? Please explain to the victim’s nephew Kaveh Shahrooz. https://t.co/DEIhXypQsQpic.twitter.com/tpcX9pyhkB
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) October 8, 2020
The story elicited some on-point snark:
Is he Joy Karegas replacement?
— David Whelan (@WhelanHealth) October 8, 2020
It’s @oberlincollege ?Just tell them that Mahallati once ran a racist bakery in the local town https://t.co/9utMELT4xt
— Jonathan Kay (@jonkay) October 8, 2020
I emailed Oberlin College’s spokesman for comment, but as of this writing have not received a response.
I also emailed Professor Mahalatti seeking his response to the accusations and his point of view on this controversy, but also have not received a response as of this writing.read more
Oberlin College’s ‘Professor of Peace’ Accused By Iranian Opposition of Covering Up Regime Crimes Against Humanity
