The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will be hosting controversial speaker Ward Churchill March 1. Churchill, a University of Colorado-Boulder professor, has recently become the center of controversy because of comments he made regarding the 9/11 attacks.

In an essay, Churchill referred to the victims of the 9/11 attacks as "little Eichmanns," referring to Adolph Hitler's top assistant, Adolph Eichmann, who assisted in many of the Nazi killings.

Churchill made the comparison because of what he refers to as the war between the "Christian West" and the "Islamic East." Churchill says the "Christian West" has been pursuing a war against and repressing the "Islamic East" since the time of the First Crusade. Because of this war and repression, Churchill said the 9/11 attacks were justifiable. He is surprised something like 9/11 did not happen sooner, he said in the essay.

Churchill wrote, "It is a testament to (the terrorists') patience and restraint," that the attacks did not happen sooner.

Because of these controversial views, Hamilton University in Clinton, N.Y., cancelled a speech he was scheduled to give Feb. 3. The university cited security concerns as the reason for their cancellation, according to Mary Hoying, spokeswoman for Hamilton University.

Hoying said Hamilton did not allow the controversy surrounding Churchill to sway the university's decision. It was security concerns alone, she said.

"After talking to our security staff it became evident we could not protect Mr. Churchill and, more importantly, the students in attendance," Hoying said.

Hoying said Hamilton received a number of bomb threats. People also threatened to bring guns to the event, she said.

Security is going to be the utmost concern when Churchill comes to UW-Whitewater, according to Brian Mattmiller, a university spokesman.

"We are most concerned with the safety and security issue. It's imperative we keep everyone involved safe," Mattmiller said.

Mattmiller said the university has yet to receive any threats but said this could change threat as the March 1 speech approaches.

Indifference seems to be the best term to describe the on-campus reaction toward the Churchill speech, according to David Wilder, president of UW-Whitewater student government.

"Students have not shown much interest either way," he said.

Although the student body is not showing interest, the university still has concerns. According to a statement released by University Chancellor Jack Miller, six stipulations need to be met in order for the speech to take place.

According to the statement, the safety of everyone involved must be assured first. Second, because of the controversial nature of the speech, tax money given to the university by the state may not be used in any capacity to fund the Churchill speech. Every aspect of the speech, including transportation, speaker and venue fees are being privately funded.

In addition, university professors are not allowed to require their students attend the lecture, the university must supply an area where protesters can assemble and Churchill must write a response to a letter by Miller which criticized his comments. In the letter, Miller gave specific examples of people on campus who were personally affected by 9/11.

Finally, UW-Whitewater must receive the results of a review being conducted by a UC-Boulder board looking into Churchill's writings. The review's purpose is to determine what punishment, if any, should be handed down to Churchill. Possible punishments include suspension or termination, according to Miller's statement.

Erik Ugland, an assistant professor in the College of Communication who teaches a media law course, said UC-Boulder should account for Churchill's academic freedom when deciding his fate.

"Professors need to have freedom to propose new ideas because colleges are the market place for new ideas," he said.

Ugland said it is possible for the university to fire a professor for obvious lack of knowledge of the their field, but since Churchill's comments came from outside the classroom, terminating him would require more than a disagreement with his views.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Feb. 17 2005.