YALE: A Muslim Student Was Falsely Accused of Rape. The People By His Side Were Jews.
Saifullah Khan grew up in a refugee camp in Afghanistan. In something of an American dream, he won a full scholarship to Yale University, where he studied neuroscience. Then, in November 2015, just one semester short of getting his degree, he was accused of raping a classmate. After more than two years of delays, the case finally went to trial, and last month Khan was acquitted. Yet he still faces possible deportation to his war-ravaged home country. Had Khan been tried on any other charge, his plight as a foreign-born Muslim man, found not guilty but still in jeopardy, would no doubt be a progressive cause célèbre, especially given that the case against him was marred by police improprieties and overtones of racial and religious prejudice. But because his case abutted against a liberal obsession — campus rape — progressive opinion has been on the side of the prosecution, and the outrage has been directed at the defense. Khan’s case raises many questions about changing moral and legal norms surrounding sexual conduct, as well as about media bias. But it’s also a tale of human generosity transcending cultural and religious barriers. Khan’s accuser is Jewish. And yet, one of the biggest sources of support for Khan, an embattled Muslim immigrant, has been the local Jewish community.
forward.com By Cathy Young
