Talk:Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi

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Created first revision of entry. -Splitpeasoup 06:00, 1 March 2006 (UTC)

Contents 1 Spelling 2 Further edits 3 Conservative reactions, John Fund, and edits to this article 4 Relevant information

[edit] Spelling

The name is spelt variously: common alternative spellings include Sayyid and Hashimi. However, the Yale directory says "Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi", and as that is the most recent official English spelling of his name, that is the appropriate spelling for the purposes of Wikipedia. -Splitpeasoup 06:13, 1 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Further edits

I revised the page re: current events surrounding Rahmatullah. Can someone please put the header that this is a on-going event? Also, I found the text of Cornyn's letter online but couldn't find a suitable reference to cite outside of blogs, etc. I am open to edits that add detail but please utilize references as the article is politically charged and the target of subjective opinions.

More biographical detail on his time in the Taliban would also be informative to the reader.

--64.30.71.18

[edit] Conservative reactions, John Fund, and edits to this article

Since I first authored this article, there has emerged a conservative campaign in the US to question Yale's decision to admit Hashemi. While this may very well be a valid viewpoint and certainly deserves to be reported, I do not wish this Wikipedia article to serve as a vehicle for partisans of any stripe to pursue their activism.

I notice that, at the time of this writing, the controversy with regard to Hashemi's admission to Yale dwarfs the rest of the biography. There are repeated references to a right-wing op-ed journalist called John Fund who, as far as I can see, is neither an expert nor an authorized spokesman for Yale, Hashemi, the US government, or anyone else.

What is emerging from the article now is a US-centric, conservative-centric color on the whole thing that does a disservice to Wikipedia's readership.

Most perturbing is the fact that all four of the external references added since the original two put in by me are conservative excoriations of the decision to admit Hashemi to Yale (two, again, by this John Fund.)

Accordingly, I am trimming the 'Recent Controversy' section to a size which is commensurate with that of the rest of Hashemi's biography. I am removing the references to John Fund. I am also taking out the latter three external references, two of which are letters by John Fund and one is another op-ed by Townhall.com which is atrociously biased.

PLEASE: if you feel there are compelling reasons to reinstate the words of John Fund or to reinstate the above links to right-wing propaganda sources, make sure you gather a consensus among other contributors on this discussion page before you do so. I find back-and-forth revert games childish and a waste of everyone's energy.

--Splitpeasoup 05:49, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

I've restored much (but not all) of what you removed. I don't think those removals were warranted. To take your points in order:

• John Fund is a widely known writer of commentary on public issues, and has done the bulk of the reporting on this issue to date. I don't see why he needs to be a spokesman for Hashemi, Yale, or anyone else, for his reporting to warrant inclusion.

• The article has a lot of focus on the United States, because Hashemi's presence in the U.S. and at Yale is one of only two things that makes him notable -- the other being his status as a former spokesman for the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

• The article is certainly tilted to a conservative point of view at the moment. If there are liberal points of view out there that you feel should be added, by all means do so.

• I have restored the references you removed, on the grounds that they provide direct links to sources for information included in the article. The Townhall.com reference, in particular, is the host for the attempt by some Yale alumni to persuade their fellow alumni to pressure Yale on this issue - which surely is relevant to the controversy.

• I agree that reversion wars are childish and a waste of time and energy. I have explained why I restored the information you deleted. I would respectfully suggest that it would have been more appropriate for you to bring your concerns here for discussion first, rather than making sweeping changes and then stating that it is up to those of us who had been working on the article to build consensus before we could add material that we felt was relevant.

Thanks for your time. Brandon39 07:27, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Relevant information

User eliminated critical information about Hashemi's past government activities and acquantainces. Must post a good reason to eliminate true information. Normal course of action is to add additional information and provide sources for the additional information.Mrdthree 21:10, 13 May 2006 (UTC)

Who is paying for his education? That is the most important question.