Posts on Middle East History Classes at UCI

Note: there will be some overlap due to entries with both tags as well as dual coverage

My posts tagged with "Lina Kreidie", UCI lecturer

Reut R Cohen's posts tagged with "Lina Kreidie"

My posts tagged with "Mark LeVine", UCI Professor of the Modern Middle East

Reut R Cohen's posts tagged with "Mark LeVine"

Google Search of Red County's posts on Mark LeVine

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Mark LeVine's interview in 2004 on Fox News Note: Then Student President of the Anteaters for Israel Merav Ceren was supposed to be interviewed on the same program.

Mark LeVine's HuffPo articles

Professor Mark LeVine's UCI Faculty Page (warning: it's set to automatically start playing a interview - scroll to the bottom of the page after the audio starts to access the audio controls)

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Keep monitoring Reut Cohen's Blog

Reut Cohen is doing a stellar job of reporting on the anti-Semitism at UC Irvine. Make sure to check her blog daily for the latest videos and articles at http://reutrcohen.blogspot.com

(photo is from StandWithUs)

New UCI Blogger: Reut Cohen

I've blogged about some of Reut's articles in the past. Now she's got her own blog:

http://reutrcohen.blogspot.com/

Welcome, Reut, to the UCI blog scene.

Until they change their tune, keep the pressure on the MSU, SAS, and their cohorts.

Until the pervasive hostile environment towards students of Jewish ancestry on campus disappears, keep the pressure on the UCI administration.

Remember the words of US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis: "Sunshine is the best disinfectant."

NewU UCLA Tasering Roundup

Link to news article

News
UC Irvine Community Reacts to UCLA Taser Incident
POLICE: Students comment on both sides of the issue concerning a UCLA student who was Tasered by UCPD.
By Stella Cho
Staff Writer

On Nov. 14 around 11:30 p.m. in the Powell Library at UC Los Angeles, fourth-year double major in philosophy and Middle Eastern and North African studies Mostafa Tabatabainejad was Tasered up to five times by UC police for failing to show his Bruin ID card to community service officers and refusing to leave a computer lab.

Tabatabainejad, a U.S. citizen of Iranian descent, hired civil rights attorney Stephen Yagman on Nov. 17 and filed a lawsuit against the UC Police Department for “brutal excessive force” and false arrest.

According to a Nov. 22 article in The Los Angeles Times, Yagman said on Nov. 21 that he was no longer representing Tabatabainejad. The status of the lawsuit is uncertain.

Tabatabainejad did not comply when repeatedly asked to leave the premises by CSOs performing routine ID checks. Yagman explained that his client did not leave because he felt that he was being singled out through racial profiling. The library, open 24 hours, permits only students, faculty and staff members after 11 p.m. for security purposes. When Tabatabainejad remained in the library, CSOs left and returned with four UCPD officers, one of whom used a Taser on Tabatabainejad.

The incident was recorded as a six-minute video on a student’s cell phone and released on CBS News and YouTube.

In the grainy video, Tabatabainejad is shown being Tasered as he yells, “Here’s your PATRIOT Act! Here’s your fucking abuse of power!” Police repeatedly tell him to “stand up” or “get up.”

“I got Tased for no reason,” Tabatabainejad says after he is first Tasered. “I was leaving this God-forsaken place.

Students from across the nation were outraged by the video, spawning a Facebook group called “UCLA’s UCPD Brutality” which has more than 9,000 members including approximately 150 UC Irvine students.”

“I believe what the police did … constitutes torture, since they were inflicting massive amounts of pain on a non-violent subject to force his compliance rather than just walk out of the building with him,” said Daniel Byers, fourth-year double major in music and ethnomusicology. “While the student was not cooperating with the officers, nothing he did gave the officers reason to torture him. The officers should be discharged from the force and criminal charges should be placed against them.”

“Police are well-trained to deal with people who won’t remove themselves from buildings – such as protestors – and should not have to resort to using a Taser,” said Patrick Bruso, fourth-year double major in philosophy and political science. “A Taser should only be used when someone is threatening the police with bodily harm.”

Others feel that the police officers’ actions were justified. Some such students formed another Facebook group, “The UCLA Student That Got Tasered by UCPD Deserved It.” This group is much smaller, with about 200 members, 20 of whom are UCI students.

“For [Tabatabainejad] to say it wasn’t fair is considered ridiculous,” said fourth-year double major in mechanical and aerospace engineering Christine Lee. “You got caught breaking the rule, so leave.”

“In the video, he was resisting arrest and yelling out obscenities,” said third-year biomedical engineering major Chris Clawson. “Therefore, he deserved the shocks he received. He sure had enough strength to scream out the way he did; he could get up easily.”

According to UC Irvine Police Chief Paul Henisey, a Taser “specifically affects nervous system which controls the muscles, which ceases resistance. It is used for a short amount of time to incapacitate someone for about 10 seconds. Almost all physical capabilities come back, and in most cases they’re in control about 20 seconds later.”

UCLA is the only UC campus that allows the use of Tasers on people passively resisting arrest.

UC San Diego officers used a Taser to subdue a man who pulled a switchblade on a woman in a campus parking lot.

UC Davis police used a Taser on a man who, agitated by a recent break-up with his girlfriend, fired at officers with a semiautomatic weapon.

UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco and UC Santa Cruz police do not use Tasers at all, and while UC Barbara officers do not carry them, city police use Tasers to help out campus officers when they must subdue someone.

Henisey said that UCIPD “uses a Taser on a violent or potentially violent individual.”

According to The Daily Bruin, UCPD Assistant Chief of Police Jeff Young said that there was no way for the police to know if Tabatabainejad was a student or if he was armed.

“The advantage of a Taser gun is that there are no permanent injuries such as other alternatives like pepper spray [which] affects people for a longer period of time,” Henisey said. “Cardiac arrests [involved with Tasers] are due to the involvement of phencyclidine, cocaine and methamphetamines, which increase the heart rate.”

“The incident at UCLA seemed unfortunate, but I don’t have enough information to a make a judgment,” said Vice Chancellor Manuel Gomez, who watched the video online. “Anyone who has any concern regarding our campus police, the first person I would acknowledge is our Police Chief Paul Henisey [because] he takes complete responsibility in assuring that our police are professionals and providing security and safety. It’s a very unfortunate situation and I hope it’s resolved in a quick fashion.”

Link to editorial (click to also view the NewU's cartoon on the incident)

Opinion
UCLA Student Reveals Martyr Complex
Editorial
By Editorial Board

On Nov. 14 at UC Los Angeles’ Powell Library, Mostafa Tabatabainejad, a fourth-year philosophy and Middle Eastern and North African studies major of Iranian descent, was stunned five times with a Taser by UC police for not displaying proper identification when asked for it.

Due in large part to video captured by another student on a cell phone camera, the incident has garnered both local and worldwide media attention via YouTube.

The general opinion among students seems to be that the Tasering was excessive—a view with which we agree. According to the Los Angeles Times, Terrence Duren, the officer who Tasered Tabatabainejad, has been involved with the university’s police department for 18 years. Duren was named officer of the year in 2001, but has been involved in other questionable incidents, including shooting a homeless man.

However, whether or not the police acted excessively, no small part of the blame lies with Tabatabainejad for needlessly escalating the situation to violence.

Unfortunately, no one thought to record Tabatabainejad’s initial confrontation with community service officers, so all we have is footage of Tabatabainejad being stunned, dragged and yelling a few arbitrary accusations. It’s nearly impossible to judge the appropriateness of this response without seeing what came before.

That Tabatabainejad refused to show his identification when asked for it – a routine request of late-night library patrons – has not been disputed. After community service officers left the defiant Tabatabainejad to summon the UC Police Department, Tabatabainejad reportedly began to head toward the library’s exit, though it is unclear whether Tabatabainejad began to exit the building of his own accord after speaking with the CSOs or whether he only began to flee after seeing UCPD officers.

Tabatabainejad was grabbed by the arm by police, after which he began shouting, “Don’t touch me!” Police also report that he “went limp and refused to exit as the officers attempted to escort him out” and that he “encouraged library patrons to join his resistance.” While being Tasered, Tabatabainejad yelled, “Here’s your PATRIOT Act! Here’s your fucking abuse of power!” He also reportedly asked other students, “Am I the only martyr?”

Of course, Tabatabainejad’s passivity didn’t last very long after the actual incident—he almost immediately decided to sue police, perhaps ushering in a trend of students unwisely mouthing off to police in hopes of financial gain.

Stephen Yagman, Tabatabainejad’s attorney, claims that his client was being racially profiled when he was asked for his identification—which is why he failed to procure it. Tabatabainejad evidently suffers from some sort of martyr complex; he went into the situation looking to create a scene—which is exactly what he got.

The UCPD’s policy on Tasering allows for use of the “Drive Stun” capacity of the Taser as “pain compliance against passive resistors.” Other UC schools, including UC Irvine, only allow use of such a weapon against suspects who pose a threat to police. Whether or not this policy is just, it is clear that UCPD officers acted within their rights against Tabatabainejad as a passive resistor.

Tabatabainejad needs to choose his battles more carefully. Though Iranians may be victims of racial profiling, Tabatabainejad seems to be of the mindset that any bad thing that happens to him is a result of racial prejudice. Why else would something as innocuous as a request to see a library card be considered as such?

Taking a stand against the police is admirable in certain circumstances, but it has consequences. Tabatabainejad defied police for a stupid reason and he dealt with the consequences.

Link to commentary by Anam Siddiq

Opinion
Much Still Unknown About UCLA Tasering
Commentary
By Anam Siddiq

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past two weeks, you’ve heard about the UC Los Angeles student Mostafa Tabatabainejad, who was shot with a Taser by UCLA police on Nov. 14. Chances are that you have also seen the famous video of the incident taken with a student’s camera phone.

You may have even gone one step further and left a comment about the video stating your opinion. If you did, you joined the hundreds of students participating in fierce debates online, mainly through popular Web sites such as YouTube and Facebook. The former site, for the most part, contained viewpoints directly related to the video’s content, while the latter included several groups dedicated to arguing the issue of the police’s actions in general.

Though reading through all the comments on either of these Web sites is next to impossible, I was able to read enough to determine what these students were most concerned about.

Upon viewing the video for the first time, I would assume that anybody would be at least slightly alarmed by the effect of the Taser on the man. My first reaction was questioning why this handcuffed, defenseless and apparently non-violent student was being treated so harshly.

Several other students seemed to have the same question. Many wondered why four policemen could not simply drag out “skinny” Tabatabainejad, instead of resorting to such “brutal measures.”

Even a police officer stated on a Web site that the UCLA police officers’ actions were completely uncalled for, and physical contact or force should not have been used if the student was passively resisting.

Other students argued the effects of the multiple shocks delivered and whether or not Tabatabainejad would have been able to physically comply with the officers’ consistent demands to stand. Some even went so far as to list the precise number of seconds between each shock and compare it to the amount of time it takes for one to recover after being Tasered.

No one but Tabatabainejad knows whether or not he could have easily obeyed the officers’ orders after being shocked, but I agree the officers should not have used the Taser on him that many times, or at all for that matter.

Not only did these policemen use the Taser on Tabatabainejad, but according to several witnesses, they threatened to use it on students in the crowd who requested the officers’ badge numbers. Even if what was done to Tabatabainejad was acceptable because of his resistance, there is no law that gives the police the right to threaten innocent bystanders, especially since they were simply requesting information.

Some have said that the questioning was preventing the officers from enforcing the law against Tabatabainejad. However, one student said that he had asked for the number after Tabatabainejad had been taken away, and was still threatened.

The UC Police Department’s response to the incident primarily said that Tabatabainejad was encouraging other students to join in his resistance, although many argue that that wasn’t true, according to what they saw in the video. In order to avoid a larger crowd, the statement says it was necessary to get Tabatabainejad out of the building. However, using a Taser, which is bound to elicit painful screams, is not the most subtle way of removing a person from the area.

According to Tabatabainejad’s lawyer in a video interview on YouTube, Tabatabainejad believed himself to be a victim of racial profiling, which is why he resisted when the officers grabbed his arm. The Iranian student felt he was being singled out because of his Middle Eastern appearance. From what I have read, most people seem uncomfortable playing the race card, and prefer to focus more on what was done to this particular student rather than why.

Tabatabainejad’s actions and words were a little extreme, and may have aggravated the situation; he could have made his opinions clear in another way. However, race should not be completely set aside as a possible factor because, believe it or not, racism and prejudice still exist, a fact most recently displayed by Michael Richards’ infamous racial outburst.

Of course, there are several different issues and viewpoints that exist, half of which could never be completely settled by simply viewing the video, which we can all agree is not the most professional bit of camerawork and does not cover the entire incident.

However, several visitors to the sites which debate these topics seem certain that their opinions are ultimately correct. Some have even gone so far to show their support for the victim that they have created T-shirts with Tabatabainejad’s now well-known declaration: “Here’s your PATRIOT Act! Here’s your fucking abuse of power!” And although I may not agree with the police’s actions, I don’t think I will be buying one of these shirts, either.

Anam Siddiq is a first-year literary journalism major.

Link to Reut Cohen's op-ed piece

Opinion
UCLAPD Acted Harshly
By Reut R. Cohen

Police officers repeatedly shocked a UCLA student with a Taser after he purportedly refused to leave a campus library computer lab. The student, Mostafa Tabatabainejad, 23, was using the Powell Library computer lab at 11:30 p.m. and refused to show identification to a campus security officer.

UCLA policy, for public safety reasons, requires that students using library amenities show a valid student ID after 11 p.m. Eyewitnesses and a video shot from a camera phone confirm that Tabatabainejad and the police struggled for a few minutes, but that the student was Tasered multiple times after he had declared that he would leave the library.

Tabatabainejad apparently did not provide campus police with a student ID and did not leave the library after a campus police officer asked. The officer left and returned with more campus police who then proceeded to ask the student to leave “multiple times,” according to a statement by the UC Police Department.

“He continued to refuse,” said an official with the UCPD. “As the officers attempted to escort him out, he went limp and continued to refuse to cooperate with officers or leave the building.”

“Tabatabainejad encouraged library patrons to join his resistance,” police said. “The officers deemed it necessary to use the Taser.”

The Taser was set in “drive stun” mode, which immobilizes the local area of the body where it hits, not the entire body.

Some witnesses said that Tabatabainejad had begun to walk toward the door with his backpack when extra campus police arrived. When an officer approached him and grabbed his arm, according to witnesses, Tabatabainejad told the officer to let go, yelling “Get off me!” several times.

A lot has been said about whether or not the police acted appropriately in this case. While I do not want to judge these things precipitately, I believe that much is working against UCPD in this case, and for good reason.

In the video, for example, police officers repeatedly order Tabatabainejad to stand up. It is also clear that every time the student is ready to get up and shouts that he will leave, the officer Tasers him again.

Tabatabainejad, unfortunately, was not helping his case by shouting things like, “Am I the only martyr?” and condemning the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act while cursing at officers. Some of the eyewitnesses, moreover, acted a bit foolishly by trying to come between the student and police.

Following the incident, it was confirmed that Terrence Duren, the UCLA police officer who Tasered the student, had also shot a homeless man at a campus study hall room three years ago and was connected with an alleged assault on Fraternity Row. The officer has served with the UCPD for 18 years.

It is safe to say that UCLA police demonstrated tremendous incompetence when dealing with the Iranian student. Tasering a student and then threatening to Taser more students who scream “leave him alone” seems a bit much. Duren should have been released from duty long ago.

Despite the police department’s ineptitude in dealing with the student, Tabatabainejad should not have cursed at the police and should have simply left the library when he could not provide valid ID.

Asking for ID has little to do with race. This is a normal procedure at UCLA because – newsflash – Westwood is not the safest of neighborhoods. I’ve used the library facilities at UCLA and have lost track of time. When asked for ID after 11:00 p.m., I have apologized and left. I wouldn’t want to cause any controversy and be Tasered by police.

Some of the reactions of students at UCLA and other universities, moreover, have been extremely unwarranted, rash and illogical. Some students have been reporting to news agencies and Web sites that eyewitnesses not only tried to help the student, but wanted to overpower the police. I hate to break it to you, but using brute force with a police office just might result in warranted Tasering and arrests.

Reut R. Cohen is a third-year English major. She can be reached at rrcohen@uci.edu.

NewU Feature: A Lonely Soldier

Following up on this previous post:

Link to article

Features
A Lonely Soldier
By Reut R. Cohen
Staff Writer

Adam Harmon is an American citizen, but he once served for the Israeli Defense Forces and has written about his experiences. He spoke at UC Irvine on Monday, Nov. 6. The Anteaters for Israel co-sponsored the event with the College Republicans and the Young Democrats in order to promote what AFI called “awareness” and “coalition building” on the UC Irvine campus.

Harmon, whose book is titled “Lonely Soldier,” described himself as coming from a “typical American Jewish family.” Originally from New England, Harmon had the opportunity to visit Israel as a teenager in 1984, at which time he knew that he wanted to live there someday. In 1990, the Palestinian Intifada was well under way and Iraq was invading Kuwait. Harmon, who had only seen Israel through the eyes of a tourist, was just out of college and decided to join the Israeli military.

Harmon became known as a “chayal boded” or “lonely soldier,” the official term for a newcomer to Israel.

“On the one hand, I’m an American … but there is something about my connection to [Israel],” Harmon said, adding that each time he visited Israel, he felt “an even stronger relationship” to the country, even coming to feel that “Jerusalem [is] like home.”

The transition for Harmon was difficult because he could not speak Hebrew. He described entering the military as something new and a bit scary, but felt that he needed to do this because he “came to the country [to] build a life there.” Harmon knew that joining the Israeli Defense Forces was something that he wanted.

“Like every other Israeli, I had to serve in the army. I knew that I wanted to,” Harmon said.

In the army, Harmon, who became a paratrooper, learned much about the Israeli military culture and general way of life.

“I’m not a person who does well with authority figures,” Harmon said. “Israeli commanders didn’t scream in my face.”

Harmon suggested that the experience was “far more hospitable” than he had expected and that it was “fair.” Harmon characterized his time with the military as “good” and “positive.”

Harmon emphasized that the Israeli military is unique in its high regard for individualism. His commanders relied more on achieving agreement than on issuing commands. Harmon said that every soldier has the moral obligation to disobey an order.

Harmon also said that the “Israeli military experience is informing the American experience in Iraq today.”

Brock Hill, a fourth-year political science major and president of the College Republicans at UCI, said that the event was very engaging and that he was happy to have co-sponsored it with AFI.

“It was really informative,” Hill said. “Personally, I found this event right up my alley. I’ve always been interested in the IDF because this military is focused on urban warfare. The United States has a lot to learn from their military.”

“It was a really interesting event,” said Emily Shaaya, a second-year social ecology major and co-president of AFI. “It was a great way for AFI to work with other clubs at UCI and to educate the fellow students and community members about Israel.”

NewU: Author Marcos Aguinis Speaks on Jewish Life in South America

Link to Article

News
Author Marcos Aguinis Speaks on Jewish Life in South America
Religion: The Department of Spanish and Portuguese sponsored the author’s discussion.
By Reut R. Cohen
Staff Writer

Acclaimed Argentinean Jewish writer Marcos Aguinis, born in the region of Córdoba, spoke at UC Irvine on Monday, Oct. 16.

In 1983, when democracy was reestablished in his country, Aguinis was appointed Secretary of Culture. He has written 30 books, including “La Gesta del Marrano,” “Attack on Paradise” and “¿Qué Hacer?”

Aguinis is also a well-known columnist who has written on the Israeli-Arab conflict and anti-Semitism in Argentina.

In his lecture, which was sponsored by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and titled “The Presence of Jews in Latin America: Then and Now,” Aguinis emphasized the continued presence of Jews in many Latin American countries, including Argentina.

Aguinis said that whereas Jews in Argentina had “experienced humiliation … and personal attack” before democracy, after democracy was instituted in the 1980s, Jews were treated as first-class citizens.

This peace was broken by a terrorist attack in Buenos Aires on July 18, 1994. Aguinis, who suggested that he has felt anti-Semitism in both subtle and obvious manners, spoke about the incident, in which a bomb was planted inside the headquarters of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association, which killed “Jews and non-Jews alike.” This event, according to Aguinis, shocked the world and devastated Buenos Aires.

Still, Jewish culture continued to thrive in Argentina. But Aguinis argues that anti-Semitism is growing even today.

“Lately an unexpected and different phenomenon has broken out,” Aguinis said. “Latin-American Jewish and Muslim communities have always lived in harmony, but now, violence is spreading. Jews and Israel cannot be separated … and Jews are experiencing a new tsunami of anti-Semitism. The Jews have to be committed and democracy has to be prepared against this new wave.”

In Aguinis’ essay “What Being Jewish Means to Me,” he says that “being Jewish means loving culture and its primary symbols: the spoken and written word. The Jews transformed holy words – the Torah – into a portable homeland, thus insuring the historic unity of our people. Whether agnostics or mystics, conservatives or liberals, scientists or artists, we carry in our innermost selves a love for words.”

Vice Chancellor Gomez: "one person’s hate speech is another person’s education."

Hat Tip: LGF and MereRhetoric

Reut R. Cohen published an article on October 24th in Jewish Collegiate News titled "Jewish Students Discuss Vandalism With Chancellor". That article is a summary of an October 18th meeting between some of the Jewish students on campus and Chancellor Drake and Vice Chancellor Gomez regarding some recent vandalism on campus involving a swastika and vulgarities.

“I hate that things like this happen,” Drake responded, acknowledging that there has been speech on campus promoted by the Muslim Student Union (MSU) that is largely hateful. Drake called hate-speech “vile,” “awful,” and “stupid,” and said it is “weak” human beings who engage in such speech. The chancellor also asserted that hateful speech does absolutely nothing to promote understanding and tolerance.
Many Jewish students at the meeting blamed the Muslim Student Union for creating an environment in which hate speech can prosper, which they felt had a direct connection to the vandalism.

Some of the Jewish students at the meeting revealed that they and others had been subject to verbal and physical intimidation at the hands of MSU members, and that they had previously reported these claims to campus security. In light of this, some students asked that Drake place restrictions on where MSU events are held, saying that if their events were held in classrooms as opposed to public spaces, their effect would not be as broad. However, Chancellor Drake told Jewish students at the meeting that he cannot restrict any club, that it would be “violation of law to prohibit certain speech.”

Gomez emphasized that though hate speech may be present, he would not seek to curtail it, as “one person’s hate speech is another person’s education.”

Looks like the Vice Chancellor wants "equal time for Hitler".

NewU: Reut R. Cohen: Israeli Speaker Invites Discussion

No time now for comments. Link to Op-Ed.

Israeli Speaker Invites Discussion
By Reut R. Cohen

On Sept. 25, Ehud Danoch, Consul General of Israel, spoke at UC Irvine regarding current issues affecting Israel. The Anteaters for Israel-sponsored event attracted 350 individuals, including students, faculty and community.

Danoch described the many facets of Israel’s relations with its Arab neighbors.

“Soldiers gave eviction notices to families who have lived there for 35 years ... 35 years gone in one day,” Danoch said in regards to the August 2005 Gaza disengagement.

Danoch went on to explain that for the sake of peace, Israel will be willing to participate in peace talks when the situation improves.

“Israel is willing to negotiate,” Danoch said. “We are willing to do a lot. But now we don’t see any negotiation, unfortunately.”

The majority of Israelis are willing to sacrifice land if it means the end of suicide and homicide bombing, and if it produces a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The Israeli cabinet, in fact, acted in the interest of granting Palestinians their own state when it disengaged from Gaza.

Considering that Gaza today is a base for fundamentalists to launch Qassam missile attacks into cities recognized as part of Israel, I cannot fault the Israelis for refusing to negotiate with Hamas leaders. The fact of the matter is, as with Iran, Israel cannot negotiate with people who call for their annihilation.

The killing and kidnapping of Israeli soldiers by Palestinian radicals was also a hot topic.

“On June 25 of this year, a terror organization infiltrated Israel, killed two soldiers and kidnapped Gilad Shalit,” Danoch said.

Hamas and other radical groups have been hindering peace talks, and many Palestinians who would rather live in peace and work to support their families are placed in a precarious situation.

While Hamas might occasionally support Palestinians by building a school or clinic, they also represent a corrupt group of individuals who are responsible for dozens of attacks against Jewish, Christian and Muslim Israelis. The current Palestinian government, which receives millions in aid from Israel every month, is certainly not known for seeking peace.

Perhaps the most controversial topic discussed, however, was Israel’s recent war against Hezbollah. Danoch pointed out that the war was not against Lebanese civilians but against Hezbollah and its supporters.

“The Hezbollah infiltrated Israel and killed eight soldiers and kidnapped two,” Danoch said. “The population of Israel is seven million. ... Approximately one million Israelis were displaced, about one-seventh of the population.”

Israel and Lebanon should not have been in any conflict because the borders between the two countries are clearly recognized. Because of Hezbollah’s unwarranted attack on Israel, Israeli and Lebanese citizens suffered tremendous loss of life. The events this summer in Lebanon and Israel were tragic in the extreme.

In respect to Lebanon, I do, however, place much of the blame on Hezbollah, whose supporters surrounded themselves with innocent civilians and refused to let them leave Beirut.

Although I do not agree with the manner in which the war was fought and find that I cannot wholeheartedly support the current Israeli administration, I can observe, with pride, that the Israeli army is in fact very moral. The Israeli Defense Forces minimize damage to infrastructure and warn civilians of impending attacks, minimizing civilian casualties in wars.

In light of the many anti-Israel activities that occur on campuses around the country, Danoch urged the UCI campus to talk about tolerance.

“Freedom of speech is important,” Danoch said. “But when incitement begins, that’s a problem.”

Emily Shaaya, president of AFI, said that the group is working to promote tolerance on campus.

“It is a part of AFI’s mission to educate our campus,” Shaaya said. “It is important to bring someone to campus who is a scholar to come speak to students, faculty and community. ... I think this was a great presentation and opportunity to have the community come out to show its support for UCI students, not only Jewish students but students from all political affiliations and backgrounds. AFI is working to build coalitions with different groups on campus this year, to welcome them and to educate them.”

AFI has been a great way for many pro-Israel students like me to explore political avenues and gain some semblance of acceptance at a university which has become extremely anti-Semitic, anti-Israel and even anti-American.

Reut Cohen is a third-year English major. She can be reached at rrcohen@uci.edu.

NewU: Reut R. Cohen: Radical Muslims Overreacting

To be discussed later as time permits. For now:

Link To Op-Ed

Radical Muslims Overreacting
By Reut R. Cohen

On Sept. 12, while visiting Regensburg University in Germany, Pope Benedict XVI quoted a Byzantine emperor during an academic speech and caused an uproar.

The pope quoted Manuel II Paleologos, the 14th-century Byzantine emperor, who said, “Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.” The Vatican has issued a statement that the pope was giving a speech in an academic setting with the intent to create more open dialogue between different religions.

The following Sunday, the pope issued his own apology. “I hope that this serves to appease hearts and to clarify the true meaning of my address, which in its totality was and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect,” Benedict said.

The apology was obviously unsuccessful in reducing the anger of many Muslims in countries ranging from Iraq to China, who were insulted that anyone would dare to suggest Islam is not a peaceful religion. To make the point that Islam is not violent, radical Muslims burned down dozens of Christian churches and allegedly shot and killed a 65-year-old nun in Somalia.

It was only a few short months ago that a Danish newspaper printed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims all over the world became incensed, suggesting in many cases, “to hell with freedom of speech.”

The reactions to the cartoons led to more than 100 killings so that radical Muslims could drive home the point that Islam is a peaceful religion.

Therefore, should we really be surprised that the pope’s quotation of Paleologos, initially intended to create more open dialogue between Catholics and Muslims, drove many fanatical Muslims to commit crimes against innocent civilians as they have done over and over again?

The fanatical Arab world is once again looking for yet another excuse to attack Western culture and attract freedom fighters to their morally reprehensible cause. The president of Iran constantly calls for the slaughter of the Jews and the elimination of Israel, suggesting that the Holocaust was nothing but a hoax. Al-Qaeda repeatedly declares its hatred for America and the West, recruiting more terrorists for the sake of holy war. It seems to me that radical Muslims can criticize, spurn and attack, but we must be wary of uttering a single thought about Islam for fear of being insulting.

Any other religion, race and culture can be attacked without fear of fundamental revolt.

The “New York Times” even went as far as to recommend that we ought to never insult Islam, but proposed that a picture of Jesus in a tank of urine is “art.” We should compare the reactions of Christians to such depictions of Jesus to the reactions of the Muslim world to the pope’s speech.

Much of the Arab world bestows virtually no rights to their people. In Saudi Arabia it is illegal to practice any religion besides Islam and completely legal for a husband to murder his wife if he suspects she is cheating. In many respects, the education afforded to citizens of the Arab world is one of brainwashing from infancy.

Although we may believe that every individual is entitled to his religion so long as it does not interfere with another’s ability to live, radical Muslims will not abide by other religions and will continue to perceive non-Muslims as infidels.

Radical Islam is not Islam.

Moderate Muslims have a duty to speak out against such violence, as it is the moderates who practice the most peaceful and purest form of Islam. It is the moderate Muslims who are educated and entitled to free thinking while the Arab world continues to place deadly restrictions on its citizens.

I can fully understand and sympathize with Muslims when they suggest that the pope should have been more respectful in his discussion of religion. I cannot, however, abide by violent uprisings which, sadly, are seen frequently in the Muslim world. Instead of burning down churches, Muslims should participate in creative dialogue so that non-Muslims can understand their culture and empathize with their hurt.

Reut Cohen is a third-year English major. She can be reached at rrcohen@uci.edu