No to “Charlie Wilson’s Chair”
Progressive faculty at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin are currently seeking signatures on an open letter against the creation of the "Charlie Wilson Chair in Pakistan Studies."
Recently, the T.L.L. Temple Foundation announced it was donating a $500,000 "challenge" grant to the university for the creation of the chair. In a press release, the foundation praised Wilson as a "strong Texan who supported Pakistan's efforts to garner extensive aid for the Afghan fight against Russian Communism."
But as faculty members opposed to the creation of a chair in Wilson's name note, the former Texas congressman was a hardened "cold warrior" who supported not only the right-wing Somoza government in Nicaragua, but also mujahideen fighters in Afghanistan who became the forerunners of today's Taliban. The text of the letter follows.
WE, THE undersigned faculty and faculty affiliates of the University of Texas at Austin, along with scholars across the United States and the world, strongly object to the establishment of a chair in Pakistan studies named for former Texas congressman and misguided cold warrior Charlie Wilson.
In the late 1970s, Wilson strongly supported the right-wing Somoza government in Nicaragua. In the 1970s and 1980s, Wilson spearheaded the funding of the mujahideen (whose remnants were integral to the formation of the Taliban and al-Qaeda) in Afghanistan against the Soviets.
Without condoning the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, we do not believe that Wilson's record in South Asia warrants either academic legitimization or Hollywood levity. His involvement in the most massive covert foreign policy operation in U.S. history is disturbing because it bypassed the law and resulted in devastating consequences for the peoples of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States.
A named chair implies endorsement for the person and his legacy. Wilson is not a role model for what we should teach students about democracy in South Asia. However, we do support the university in seeking appropriate funding and recognition for this designated chair. We urge the administration to consult and work directly with University of Texas faculty, particularly those expert in South Asia studies, to find a suitable honoree.
Naming a chair in Pakistan studies after Charlie Wilson will discredit the both the chair and South Asia Studies at UT. Further, it will undermine the academic integrity of this institution. For these reasons, we strongly urge Randy Diehl, dean of UT's College of Liberal Arts, and Itty Abraham, Director of UT's South Asia Institute, to call a halt to "Charlie Wilson's Chair."
