Here's a copy of my email to Sir Eric Neal, Chancellor of Flinders University:
Sir Eric Neal,
I refer to a Washington Post story by a Jewish Australian journalist, "Debunking the US/Australia alliance" by Antony Loewenstein. The online URL for this story is:
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/needtoknow/2006/09/the_usaustralia_alliance_debun.html
As you will see if you read the story, Loewenstein raises some important issues in regard to Australia's highly questionable support for the US invasion of Iraq. You may already be familiar with Loewenstein, the author of a new book, "My Israel Question", which closely examines the role of the pro-Zionist lobby in Australian politics.
Not surprisingly, Loewenstein's Post article was met with some rather fierce attacks, of an extremely ad hominem nature.
The person leading the online attacks at WaPo was signed "Dr Sue Williams". She echoed the previously discredited talking point criticisms of Mr Ted Lapkin (from the Australia/Jewish Affairs Council) and notorious pro-war blogger Tim Blair. "Dr Sue Williams" accused Loewenstein of unethical journalism and media manipulation, calling him "infantile", "hypocritical" and "cowardly". She claimed that Loewenstein "is wishing and hopng [sic] that our sons, brothers and friends get blown to pieces in Iraq and Afghanistan." She repeated that he "hopes that his countrymen will be murdered by Islamic extremists." She also repeatedly claimed that "Loewenstein thinks that Lebanon is half way between Haifa and Tel Aviv". Such language is not only puerile but also bordering on slander.
This "Dr Sue Williams" claimed to be a media insider (with access to pre-release publishing house copies of Loewenstein's book) with "over twenty years experience" in Australian institues of higher learning. I have searched the directories of Australian universities looking for someone by this name who meets these criteria and am able to find only one person.
Could you please confirm whether the person signing herself "Dr Sue Williams" at this WaPo URL is the same Ms Sue Williams (not a "Doctor", according to your online directory of staff) who works at Flinders University (English Postgraduate Students, Soc Sc Sth, Room 365S, extension 13556)? If so, please advise whether Flinders University supports her efforts on behalf of the pro-Zionist lobby in Australia? Is this part of her paid work for the University? And if not, please advise what action you will be taking in this regard.
If this is not the same Sue Williams, perhaps you should let your employee know that someone appears to be impersonating her online for questionable purposes.
I realise that this email itself may be considered a form of ad hominem attack, but we live in a time when those granted the privileges of authority are sorely abusing them. Many thousands are dead, while whole countries are decimated and treaties that guarded the peace for half a century are being tossed in the toilet. Our world is hurtling towards a violent, Orwellian future based on calculated lies, political protection rackets and orchestrated lobbying of the type perpetuated by Australia's pro-Zionist lobby, among others. Influential minorities scream for war, war and more war, while the peace-loving majority remain silent, either by choice or by media-fed ignorance.
In such a climate, I hope you will treat this email with the seriousness it deserves.
Sincerely,
"gandhi"
