Academia finally noticing Terror War?

Well, when one of their own is suffering under the persecution of Islamic Fascism, as reported by the Washington Post:

The Middle East Studies Association of North America, which
has 2,700 members worldwide, has written to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warning that
the detention of scholars has triggered "grave concern" and that Esfandiari's
imprisonment has sent a "chilling message to scholars throughout the world."
Esfandiari is director of Middle East programs at the Smithsonian's Woodrow Wilson
International Center for Scholars.

"Harassment and detention of scholars is always cause for
grave concern, but in this case it should be noted that the scholar in question
is widely respected both for her knowledge and ability to provide clear and
dispassionate analysis," the letter added. It also charged that Iran's action
against the 67-year-old grandmother, who was visiting Iran to help her ailing
mother, 93, violates the republic's constitution because she has been denied
legal counsel.

MIT professor Noam Chomsky also
issued a statement yesterday calling Esfandiari's detention "deplorable" and
warned that the action by Iran's intelligence ministry was "a gift" to American
policymakers trying to organize support for military action against
Iran.

The heck with the hundreds of millions of poor suffering from intimidation by terrorists, from Palestine to Pakistan, and around the world. This scholar is actually a "respected" person, and needs special treatment.