A pro-Israel group named Stand With Us Now says the son of a prominent Palestinian intellectual should not be considered for a law professor post at Wayne State, but local leaders of Palestinian and Arab descent say the effort is part of an attempt to marginalize their community in Metro Detroit. Wadie Said, son of Edward Said, a scholar and outspoken Palestinian activist until his death in 2003, is a candidate for one of several WSU Law School faculty positions. He is a lawyer and professor in California. Stand With Us Now has outlined its objections in a paper addressed to President Irvin D. Reid and Dean Frank Wu. The Michigan director of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee accused the Jewish group of "political labeling, political profiling and political blackmail." Robert Cohen, executive director of the Jewish Community Council in Metro Detroit, said he is confident the university will fill the law school post based on qualifications, in the spirit of academic freedom.