Tutu Speaks

City Pages learned of the controversy and broke the story several weeks ago. Other media outlets quickly picked it up, triggering an international outcry. Facing a barrage of angry emails and phone calls, University President Dennis Dease publicly admitted he'd made a mistake and reinvited Tutu to speak.

Last week, Tutu took a brief break from his lecture tour in Boston to give City Pages his take on the controversy.

City Pages: What was your initial reaction when you found out St. Thomas was unwilling to host your appearance?

Desmund Tutu: I was sorry, yes. I was distressed that a university seemed to be going against its very name, because even if one was saying things that were provocative or hurtful, normally you would have thought that a university would say, "We'll give the person an opportunity to speak and we can challenge him." I mean, Columbia University—even though they behaved very badly—invited the president of Iran, and obviously they were not in agreement with his point of view. But the important thing is that it was brought up, and I want to commend President Dease for doing something that is not easy to do, which is to acknowledge publicly that he had made a mistake. They apologized and I have accepted that apology and I commend him for his magnanimity, his graciousness in doing that. And I think that that's one of the important things that has come out of this.

CP: And you replied that you would accept the invitation to speak if the university would reinstate Professor Cris Toffolo to her position as chair of the Justice and Peace Studies program?

Tutu: Yes.

CP: How does that stand right now? Have you been in contact with the professor?

Tutu: Well, I gather that they have a process in the university, which she's free to use. I mean, I'm not interested in the internal workings of the university. I just wanted to say that for me it would be a matter of principle that—it seemed to me that she was being victimized for having been a whistle-blower. I wouldn't want to go into the details of the inner workings of the university. I have adjusted my position and it is up to them to do as the university regulations and procedures make provision for.

CP: Critics point to a speech you made in 2002, in which you said, "The Jewish lobby is very powerful." Could you expand on what you meant by that? Was it taken out of context?

Tutu: Well, I don't think we want to go over all of that. I said what I said. I stand by what I said then and what I said two or so weeks ago here in Boston at the Sabeel Conference. I'm seeking to be—I think I'm consistent in my own positions. I oppose injustice and oppression everywhere...I'm involved with trying to see whether we can do something in Burma. I'm involved in Darfur. I have spoken up against injustice in Zimbabwe.