Students' protests at AUB

Some students at AUB have been asking me to comment on what is happening. Well, there is no reason why I should. I mean, i never took the status of AUB seriously, and never thought that it deserved any attention whatsoever, just as designer shoes don't deserve any more extra attention than Damascene sandals (qabaqib). I am now often accused of covering up for AUB or of softening my criticisms of AUB just because the new provost of AUB, Ahmad Dallal, is a dear friend and comrade of many many years. But that is not true: I mean, I criticized AUB last January on campus during my talk there. And Ahmad was provost then. I am still for the nationalization of AUB, and i am against the control of AUB by a remote board based in NYC and led by the White Man. I will be in Beirut in a matter of days and I shall be meeting with Ahmad to know what is going on. Of course, i would also like to meet with students, except those belonging to Lebanese Forces or Phalanges. I know that the "leader" of the movement belongs to the Lebanese Forces, and that gives me worries. I know that the leadership of the movement kicked out the Palestinian club the other day, and that raises more worries. Having said all that: i cant meet a strike, a rebellion, a mutiny, and movement directed against the state or authority or university that i don't support, unless it is managed and led by right-wing forces. So more later.