Arafat Merits Harvard's Ears

The ARCO Forum at the Institute of Politics is often the magnet for world leaders and controversial figures. Yasser Arafat, who will speak at the Forum today, fits into both of these categories. While he is recognized for his efforts to bring peace to the Middle East, many still focus on Arafat's past links to terrorism.

Arafat remains highly controversial in Israel and abroad. The legacy of terrorism associated with Arafat's Palestinian Liberation Organization leads some people to regard his strides toward peace as illegitimate. Right-wing politicians in Israel are bitterly contesting the peace agreements. And Arafat now faces bitter opposition from extremist Arab groups, such as Hamas, who are desperately trying to disrupt the peace process. Hamas has been responsible for recent suicide bombings in Israel. Fortunately, the peace process has continued despite the obstacles posed by radicals on both sides.

A few years ago, it seemed as if the bitter history of bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinian Arabs would continue indefinitely. But today, though some disagreements are still unresolved, a partial settlement has been reached. Peace now seems to be more than a futile dream. Arafat deserves praise for the peace agreement he helped to broker. He also deserves credit for cracking down on Hamas and trying to end the carnage in Israel.

Regardless of your personal views regarding Arafat, his right to speak at Harvard should be upheld. All of the speakers invited to this campus deserve this respect, although they may have questionable backgrounds or hold repugnant beliefs.

Like controversial speakers in the past, Arafat's appearance at the Forum has the potential to draw strident protests from members of the Harvard community. This is fine if these protests remain outside.

However, interrupting Arafat's address would not only be infantile, but would be a violation of the free speech standards that Harvard students should adhere to. In fact, a disruption of today's forum would have little more than symbolic influence and would undermine the principles of decent conduct.

It is possible to criticize and challenge Arafat without resorting to uncivilized tactics. Speeches at the Institute of Politics are customarily followed by a question and answer period. Those who disagree with Arafat can question him politely at this time. In fact, a few pointed inquiries directed at Arafat from inside the Forum--or for that matter, protests on J.F.K. street--will be far more effective than any internal disruptions of Arafat's speech.