| "Israel has been killing Palestinians and destroying homes. ... Isn't that the definition of terrorism?'' said University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian. "Why is it the Palestinians are always considered the terrorists, and the pure, innocent Israelis are the victims?'' Al-Arian, a Palestinian put on paid leave by USF after a post-Sept. 11 network television appearance prompted campus security concerns, spoke at an event put on by the Tampa Bay Local Group of Amnesty International, an arm of the worldwide organization dedicated to ensuring human rights. He is the brother-in-law of Mazen Al-Najjar, a Tampa researcher whom the U.S. Justice Department suspects is a national security threat connected to the fundamentalist Islamic Jihad. |