Lincoln University President Ivory V. Nelson denounced the controversial statements made by Associate Professor Kaukab Siddique about Israel, calling them “an insult to all decent people” but maintained that the university “cannot take action at this time based on the content of Dr. Siddique’s statements and opinions.”
Siddique, a tenured associate professor in the school’s Department of English and Mass Communications, ignited a firestorm when he called for the dismantling of Israel at a September rally in Washington D.C. In earlier writings and pronouncements, Siddique has reportedly questioned whether the Holocaust actually occurred. The educator is a Muslim who originally hails from Pakistan.
He was quoted as saying, “We must stand united to defeat, to destroy, to dismantle Israel, if possible by peaceful means.”
“His latest activities, like his earlier writings and statements, are an insult to all decent people. I hope everyone understands that Dr. Siddique’s statements and assertions are his own, and they in no way represent the views of Lincoln University or me,” Nelson said in a statement issued by the university last Thursday. “His statements on this issue reflect poorly on the reputation and integrity of Lincoln University.”
The historically black college, one of the nation’s oldest, was founded in 1854. It is located in Lower Oxford Township.
Nelson distanced the university from Siddique’s comments and viewpoints, specifically those that suggested that the Holocaust didn’t take place.
“The University acknowledges the Holocaust as a well-documented historical fact and does not condone the incitement to destruct any population or state by any means,” he said.
Nelson said that the university won’t take action against Siddique at this time because “Like all faculty members, he is entitled to express his personal views in conversation or in public forums as long as he does not present such opinions as the views of the University. Dr. Siddique has made it apparent that his opinions are his own and are not a part of his curriculum. Like all professors, he is expected to adhere to an approved syllabus.”
Nelson concluded his statement by explaining, “We cannot take action at this time based on the content of Dr. Siddique’s statements and opinions—no matter how insidious they may be—without undermining the principles on which Lincoln University was founded and the values by which we exist today.”
