NewU: Marya Bangee: Coverage of Religious Clubs Biased

No time to comment right now other than this:

We do not attack Judaism or Jews

Marya, when one of your most invited speakers comes on campus and states, as he did in May 2006, "Zionists, your days are numbered", that isn't just political dissent. That is a direct threat against Jews and Judaism, and is just one of the many threats made by MSU speakers, in MSU editorials in the NewU, and in MSU publications - all of which target Jews and Judaism.

The concept of the creation of Jewish state - Zionism - is the core belief of every single practicing Jew - we say "Next Year in Jerusalem" every Passover for this very reason. We pray every Sabbath for the creation of the Third Temple in Jerusalem "in our time" (how that will happen is not explained - may it be because the Messiah comes and it is created peacefully). We connect ourselves ethnically back to the land of our forefathers - Canaan - which is now, more or less, Israel.

That's all I have time to write right now - more later as time permits.

Link to article

Opinion
Letter to the Editor
Coverage of Religious Clubs Biased
By Marya Bangee

The New University ran a piece last week that discussed relations between Jewish and Muslim groups on campus (“Hillel Hopes to End Campus Conflicts,” Oct. 16, 2006). There were several things about the article that were disturbing and very misleading.

The article covered the activities and viewpoints of Hillel, and addressed a perceived conflict on this campus between that club and the Muslim Student Union. It was heavily biased in favor of one organization in this “conflict” (as can be seen by the title alone), and specifically covered, erroneously, a joint event between the two organizations. Is it not standard journalistic procedure to interview all groups involved in order to produce a complete picture of the situation? In this case, the article only served to show that one group on campus was attempting to solve “the problem”—and what was worse, a problem that does not exist.

Muslim students, and the MSU, have no “feud” with Jewish students at UC Irvine. As has been stated before, the MSU does not agree with the racist political ideology of Zionism. This is greatly at odds with how we see Judaism, however; we believe Judaism is a rich, beautiful faith that is rooted in the Abrahamic traditions from which we draw our own religious beliefs. Jews, as well as Christians, are considered our “brothers and sisters of the book” in Islam, and we are taught to treat them with respect. If we were to be anti-Semitic, it would go against the very ideals our religion preaches. The conflict on this campus is over politics, not faith.

In regards to the “interfaith forum” that is being held at UC Irvine on Nov. 1, the MSU spoke with the administration about a program where all faiths could be explored equally, and recommended Shaykh Sadullah Khan from the Islamic Center of Irvine, who originally suggested the format being used for the event. To say that one particular club is attempting to “end campus conflict” is extremely biased; there is a deliberate lie of omission regarding the other organizations involved and their stances.

The MSU is a large, active club on campus that provides social, academic, religious and political outlets for all its members. It is unfair to routinely characterize an organization based solely on its political views, which are often grossly misrepresented. We ask the New University to follow standard journalistic procedure and show integrity by covering all issues fairly and objectively. We invite the New University and all its readers to contact the Muslim Student Union directly with all questions and concerns. (Visit our web site at http://www.uci-msu.com).

Finally, in regards to the letter sent in by the Zionist Organization of America: Stop trying to silence political dissent by labelling it hate speech. The right to free speech is integral to the United States, and is one of our most sacred rights as citizens. We do not attack Judaism or Jews; stop attacking Muslims and Islam because you do not agree with our political views. There are no facts to credit your claims that Jewish students feel anti-Semitism on campus, especially from Muslims or the MSU, as can be evidenced in the article run in the New University two weeks ago (“UCI Responds to Anti-Semitism Claims,” Oct. 9, 2006). Our campus is one of diversity, which includes diversity in perspective; this does not mean we attack others based on their beliefs.

Marya Bangee
External Public Relations
Muslim Student Union

NewU: Armenian Genocide Deserves Recognition

Just wanted to point out the discussion in this article about free speech and Holocaust Denial. Will comment later if I have time.

Link to article

Opinion
Armenian Genocide Deserves Recognition
Commentary
By Arin Torabian-Shams

On Oct. 12, the lower house of the French parliament adopted a bill that, once signed into law, will make it a crime to deny the Armenian genocide of 1915-1923 carried out by the Ottoman Turks.

The passage of this bill has led to a general Turkish upheaval. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the measure a “great shame and black stain for freedom of expression,” saying, “A historical mistake has been committed.”

However, Erdogan’s statement is misleading. The Armenian genocide committed by the Turks was unjust and cruel. The massacre of 1.5 million Armenians and its subsequent denial is the real shame.

Turkish author Orhan Pamuk, a recent recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature, publicly acknowledges the Armenian genocide, which has led to his imprisonment in Istanbul on numerous occasions under the “insult to Turkishness” clause.

Many people believe that the bill limits freedom of speech. Even though freedom of speech is a fundamental right for citizens granted by many governments, those governments also have the power to limit that entitlement. The bill is a mirror image of the Turkish laws, except that the French want to make denying the genocide the crime.

The issue has also become intertwined with Turkey’s attempts to join the European Union. French President Jacques Chirac has affirmed that in order for Turkey to join, it must recognize the Armenian genocide, among other requirements. Turkey believes that the European Union is using the Armenian genocide as an excuse to keep it out of the 25-member bloc. However, after World War II, Germany regained international dignity only after it took full responsibility for the Holocaust. Hence, if Turkey wants to be a member of the European Union, it would benefit them to admit to their crimes.

The bill still needs to be approved by the Senate and then signed by Chirac in order to become a law. If passed, the denial of the genocide would result in a one-year imprisonment sentence and a fine roughly equivalent to $56,000. Denial of the Jewish Holocaust also bears similar punishment and fines.

News of the legislation has sparked celebration among Armenians. Many Armenians believe that the passage of this bill is an unprecedented step towards the recognition of the genocide, which has yet to be officially recognized by many other countries, including the United States.

Although the bill may cause more inflated tensions between Armenia and Turkey, some people believe that consequences of this law may have even wider repercussions. Relations between France and Turkey will become especially unstable while the European Union pressures Turkey to improve its shoddy human rights record. It is clear that the French know what they are proposing and that they are well aware of the costs, indicating that they care more about humanity than Turkey’s involvement in the European Union.

Many critics believe the minority Socialist Party in France is only passing this legislation in order to gain the support of the Armenian voters in the upcoming elections. However, the Socialists are not the only ones who have supported the bill. Hervé Mariton, a member of the French conservative party, said, “The genocide is a fact. It is an absolute disgrace for the 20th century. It is an absolute disgrace for humanity. It has to be stated as such.”

The issues of humanity and justice are better understood in some parts of the world than others. After all, how would the Turks feel if the Armenians had killed 1.5 million Turks instead and never acknowledged it?

Arin Torabian-Shams is a second-year biological sciences major.

Holocaust Denial in a Middle East Politics course?

I was just tipped off to this by someone that will remain nameless unless he/she requests otherwise.

International Studies 179 / Political Science 159 (Schedule of Classes) (Course Website) taught by Lecturer Lina Kreidie (Contact Info) includes this in its list of "reader articles" in the official syllabus:

12. Finkelstein, Norman. 'Introduction and Chapter One: Capitalizing the Holocaust.' The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of the Jewish Suffering. UK: Verso. 2001. Pp. 1-38."

Ms. Kreidie, could you please explain why a book on Holocaust Denial is being used in a Middle East Studies course? For that matter, can the Deans of International Studies, Political Science, and/or Social Science explain this?

Trailer for StandWithUs's Documentary "Tolerating Intolerance"

UPDATE

Per Dave's request, here is a link to the video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZQUla3zJWTQ

For all of StandWithUs's videos, see:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=standwithus

Abridged Version of the movie Obsession

KUCI radio getting involved in Difficult Dialogues

Per Anteater Weekly:

Talk about a difficult dialogue and be on KUCI. KUCI in conjunction with the Difficult Dialogues project, is providing a venue to express how we approach a difficult subject with those who may disagree. KUCI will be interviewing students on difficult dialogues, academic freedom, and other important topics beginning November 6, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. (M-F). For information and/or interview appointments contact natalieb@uci.edu

Link to KUCI website - look for Internet audio streaming links in the upper right hand corner

The NoTerror.Info TV spots

Hat Tip: IsraellyCool.com and LittleGreenFootballs.com

These two TV spots have been airing on several Middle Eastern TV stations. They make a powerful statement about suicide bombing and Muslim-vs-Muslim attacks (which, word has it, is far outpacing the number of deaths of Palestinians and Lebanese attributed to Israel).

To the MSU members and leadership: I hope you think about these videos the next time you're about to shout "Allah Akhbar" (G-d is great) in praise of HAMAS, Hezbollah, and other Palestinian terrorists.

Washington Times Article

Producer's Web Site

NewU: Hillel Hopes To End Campus Conflicts

Alex Chazen is for playing nice with the MSU. If the MSU played nice with us, I'd be all for it - but they continue to bring anti-Semites on campus. Did Alex somehow miss Amir Abdel Malik Ali's multiple visits at the beginning of the quarter?

And now there's an event co-sponsored by the MSU and Hillel? (read below) What the heck is Rabbi Steinberg of Shir HaMa'alot doing sitting on the same stage as Sadullah Khan, who considers one of the Three Big Lies to be "Zionism is essential to Judaism"?

Hey Alex: is the MSU planning on holding another annual Anti-Zionism Week this coming May? If the answer to that question is anything but "no", what the are you doing even talking with them?

Somebody please slap Alex upside the head...

Features
Hillel Hopes to End Campus Conflicts
By Nadia Osman

UC Irvine’s Jewish Student Union, Hillel, has often been in the spotlight over the past few years because of intermittent clashes with the Muslim Student Union.

“I think that anyone who knows the delicate balance between the MSU and Hillel on campus knows that there are issues between our groups that need to be resolved,” said Alex Chazen, a third-year political science major and president of Hillel.

Chazen hopes to work this year to address these conflicts.

“Instead of avoiding past conflicts, I would love to confront and resolve these conflicts,” Chazen said. “I feel that it is important for people of all faiths to work together. There is so much common ground between the two religions, yet there is such an unwilling attitude to come together and partner in religious education.”

Hillel provides both a social and religious outlet for Jewish students at UCI. Hillel’s goals include increasing the comfort level of Jewish students on campus and creating a positive Jewish experience for its members.

“A very high percentage of people in this country believe in a god of some sort, and it doesn’t make sense for faith-based organizations to have feuds like the one that Hillel and MSU appear to have,” Chazen said.

Chazen is even willing to settle the feud by having a face-to-face meeting with MSU officers and members.

“I am most definitely willing to have a face-to-face meeting,” Chazen said. “I’ll do it in person. I’ll do it over the phone. I’ll do it over e-mail. I’ll do it on KUCI. I think it’s important that we sit and talk in a nonconfrontational manner. If this can be done, I believe it will be a giant step forward for our two groups on campus.”

One step forward is about to be taken as MSU and Hillel host “Religious Diversity: An Interfaith Dialogue,” their first cosponsored event on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. in HIB in partnership with the Cross-Cultural Center.

The program will feature two panelists, Sudallah Khan, executive director of religious affairs at the Islamic Center of Irvine, and Rabbi Richard Steinberg of the congregation Shir Ha-Ma’a lot.

Chazen is unsure of what lasting effects the program will have.

“I fear that with the exception of our cosponsored program there will be little dialogue, just as there has been in the past,” Chazen said.

Naz Farahdel, second-year social ecology major and vice president and social chair of Hillel, said, “I don’t know how much talks can solve problems, but I know that if done right, with a chance for both sides to speak, then they are a step towards helping.”

Aside from the group’s intermittent involvement in controversy, Hillel has plenty of other things to offer UCI and the community at large. In the past month, Hillel has celebrated the two holiest Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashana.

To honor these holidays, Hillel held widely attended services at the Bren Events Center for the second year in a row. The services included festival meals for both holidays, with a meal before and after the 25-hour fast on Yom Kippur, along with spiritual services.

In addition to celebrating the holy days, Hillel hosts Shabbat dinners at the Interfaith Center on a weekly basis. Other activities planned for the fall quarter include a visit from a Facebook executive on Nov. 2 to discuss the founding and organization of the popular Web site, community service projects with other Hillel chapters to benefit the greater Los Angeles area and hosting the annual Hanukkah party at the end of November. Hillel also built a Sukkah, an outdoor gathering area in honor of the holiday Sukkot, which can be found in front of Langson Library on Ring Road.

Members are cautiously optimistic about the upcoming year.

“I feel it’s frustrating because there’s so much animosity when there shouldn’t be,” Farahdel said. “It’s ironic; we’re both fighting to get peace. I really want to plan an event with [Hillel and MSU] and do something fun, like go bowling! We’re still people, and we still want the same things, we all want peace.”

MSU inviting Imam for the JIS 4 to speak on Thursday

Saw this in this week's MSU Week 4 Calendar:

THURSDAY:
Discussion –
Speaker: Sheikh Junaid Kharsany
12-1 pm
Location: TBD

Who's Sheikh Junaid Kharsany?

He's the Imam of Jamat-E-Masijidul Islam mosque in Inglewood. Three of the former members of that mosque's congregation were Levar Washington, Gregory Patterson, and Hammad Samana.

A little over a year ago - if anybody remembers - Washington and James were arrested for a series of gas station robberies. In the course of the ensuing investigation, the police and FBI indicted Washington, Patterson, Samana, and state inmate Kevin James on federal terrorism charges after:

Detectives searching Washington's apartment on West 27th Street in Los Angeles found bulletproof vests, "jihadist" materials, and the addresses of such locations as National Guard facilities, two synagogues, the Israeli Consulate and the El Al Israel Airlines ticket counter at LAX, The Times reported.

(source: http://www.nbc4.tv/news/4865332/detail.html)

A law enforcement report obtained by ABC News says the attacks were to take place on Sept. 11, and "the intent was to kill everyone at the target."

(source: http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=1042853&page=1)

The inmates, according to officials, are affiliated with a radical form of Islam practiced by a group called Jamiyyat Ul Islam Is Saheeh, which translates as Assembly of Authentic Islam.

(source: http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/997)

According to every report I've read off of Google, to his credit, Imam Kharsany cooperated fully with investigators.

The latest article on Imam Kharsany I've found was in The Rafu Shimpo (from where the picture above came), where the Imam talked this past 9/11 about continuing problems of discrimination against Muslims. I'm wondering if this will be the Imam's topic of conversation, as the MSU calendar has no details other than a date, time, and speaker.

NewU: Susan Tuchman: Letter to the Editor

Susan Tuchman, Director of the Center for Law and Justice at the Zionist Organization of America, and the person who filed the complaint with the US Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, responds to the NewU's article from last week regarding the US Commission on Civil Rights's findings and recommendations. The author of that NewU article, Ben Ritter, sorta...ahem...forgot to interview her. (?!?!?!)

Link to article

Opinion
Letter to the Editor
Anti-Semitism Prevalent at UCI
By Susan B. Tuchman

Your article correctly noted that the problem of campus anti-Semitism is of national concern (“UCI Responds to Anti-Semitism Claims,” Oct. 9, 2006). The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights – an independent and bipartisan federal agency that focuses on civil rights and discrimination issues, and reports to the president and Congress – recently issued landmark findings and recommendations to address the problem. The Commission will also be undertaking a public education initiative to fight anti-Semitic harassment and intimidation on college campuses.

Hopefully, UC Irvine will embrace this government initiative since, as your article suggested, the problem of anti-Semitism on this campus is serious enough that UCI is currently being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.

The investigation was triggered by the Zionist Organization of America’s complaint under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The complaint was filed with the full support of Jewish students who have been feeling harassed and intimidated by the hateful speakers and programs on campus that regularly target Jews, Zionism and the State of Israel.

UCI may try to refute individual incidents (all of which the students stand by), but the impact of the campus environment has been serious: Students have been afraid to identify themselves as Jewish, or to participate in Jewish or pro-Israel activities. Some have avoided certain areas of the campus or stayed away from the campus altogether whenever they could. Some have feared for their physical safety. Two students actually left UCI because they could no longer tolerate the hostility they faced as Jews on campus.

Unfortunately, as your article reflects, UCI continues to engage in denial about the problem of anti-Semitism on the campus—even though many Jewish students and others have repeatedly complained to several senior administrators about the hate and hostility, and the harmful impact it has been having. The few programs and speakers that UCI has initiated, purportedly to promote tolerance, are not enough to overcome hate and bigotry. And not coincidentally, they were initiated only after the ZOA’s complaint triggered the government investigation.

The administration would like you to believe that the complaint is about suppressing or restricting free speech. But that is not and has never been the case. The ZOA, and the students on whose behalf the complaint was filed, recognize and fully support the protection afforded to speech under the First Amendment.

Suppressing speech is not the objective. The objective is to ensure that Jewish students can obtain their education in an environment that is not harassing, intimidating or causing them to fear for their safety, which is their right under the law. One important step that the university could take is to exercise its own First Amendment rights by speaking out and condemning, loud and clear, the hate and bigotry that are regularly expressed on campus against Jews, Zionism and Israel. UCI must live up to its legal obligation to ensure a campus environment that is free from racial and ethnic harassment and discrimination, and that is hopefully what the Office for Civil Rights’ investigation will accomplish.

Susan B. Tuchman, Esq.
Director, Center for Law and Justice
Zionist Organization of America

NewU: Manuel N. Gomez: Reward for Vandalism Info

Hmmm...spray painted vulgarities and a swastika...

The Vice Chancellor doesn't specify the vulgarities - I'm wondering what the exact message was...

UPDATE

My sources tell me the message was "F*** VDC [Swastika] F*** VDC" - VDC being Vista Del Campo, one of the residential areas on campus.

Link to article

Opinion
Reward for Vandalism Info
Information Wanted About VDC Vandalism
By Manuel N. Gómez

Recently there was an act of vandalism at Vista del Campo. Late in the evening and early morning of Oct. 7 and 8, a community advisor called the UC Irvine Police to the VDC on-campus housing complex.

The police report identified the defacing of areas with spray painted vulgarities, “VDC” and a swastika symbol.

We are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the identification and prosecution of those responsible.

We are addressing this vandalism as a top priority and are pursuing a police investigation. Please contact the UCI Police Department if you have any pertinent information.

The initial review of the police report leads one to believe that on the face of it, a person(s) is/are unhappy with Vista del Campo. The juxtaposition of the vulgar language and swastika symbol leads us to this impression.

Nevertheless, the use of this symbol is disturbing, especially so when it appears where we live.

We are well aware that even though this seems to be directed at the Vista del Campo, it still affects our students and campus community.

I am truly disappointed, as this does not represent our community. This vandalism is wholly unacceptable and appropriate actions will be taken.

If you are in touch with or know of any students who are affected by this incident, please refer them to the Dean of Students so that we may direct them to the appropriate resources on campus.

Manuel N. Gómez
Vice Chancellor Student Affairs

Award-Winning Israeli Film Screening on October 18th at UCI

Just got word that the film "Lemarit Ain" (English: "Out of Sight") will be screened at UCI on October 18th at 5 pm in Social Sciences Lab (SSL) 228.

Lemarit Ain won awards at the 2005 Israeli Film Academy awards for both Best Cinematography and Best Director. The director, Daniel Syrkin, will be there to discuss his work. From the Internet Movie Database:

Ya'ara, 24 years old, is attractive, independent, confident and intelligent, and she has just begun her PhD in Mathematics at Princeton University. Ya'ara is blind. When she hears of her cousin Talia's suicide, she rushes back to Israel. They were best of friends and twin spirits. Talia saw for both of them, and was always the one who believed and led Ya'ara to believe, that in spite of her blindness, Ya'ara could see everything. Ya'ara joins Talia's family for the traditional 7-day mourning period "The Shiv'a" and there, she discovers the secrets of Talia's life and embarks on an investigation trying to discover the reason that led Talia to commit suicide. Lies, secrets and gaps are revealed in this powerful story

Link to the Iranian Holocaust Cartoon Exhibit

Hat tip: Cox and Forkum

See the Iranian Holocaust Cartoon Gallery

Prepare to be insulted...

NewU: UCI Responds to Anti-Semitism Claims

They haven't put an online version of the article up yet, but FINALLY the New University newspaper covered the US Commission on Civil Rights's hearings in November 2005 and their findings and recommendations - issued in April 2006 - regarding the pervasive hostile environment to Jews at UCI (on the top of the front page, no less). I discussed the USCCR previously at this link and at this link.

Unless I missed it, though, the NewU staff didn't do all of their homework - the only people they appear to have interviewed for the article were Vice Chancellor Gomez and Diane Filed Geocaris, legal council for UCI. Why didn't they interview Susan Tuchman, the Director of the Zionist Organization of America's Center for Law and Justice - and the person who filed the civil rights complaint in the first place?

Link to article

News
UCI Responds to Anti-Semitism Claims
Religion: Governmental fact-finding commission heard testimony from Jewish groups alleging campus anti-Semitism.
By Ben Ritter
Staff Writer

In July, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights issued a report on campus anti-Semitism at several universities, including allegations that UC Irvine has been home to various anti-Semitic incidents that were not dealt with appropriately by campus officials.

USCCR is a “fact-finding” group that “lacks enforcement powers,” according to their Web site.

The report was based on the testimony of representatives of three Jewish groups, including Susan B. Tuchman, the director for the Center for Law and Justice at the Zionist Organization of America, whose report to the commission focused almost exclusively on UCI.

“Since at least 2002, if not earlier, Jewish students have faced a pattern of anti-Semitism on the UCI campus that, in 2003 and 2004, escalated into destruction of property, physical threats and violence,” Tuchman said in her statement to the commission.

After unilaterally terminating earlier attempts at mediation with the school, Tuchman is currently representing an unknown number of Jewish UCI students in a complaint to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights “contending that [UCI] had long been aware of a hostile and intimidating environment for Jewish students, but that [it] had not taken adequate steps to address the problems.”

UCI is not able to comment on the OCR investigation, which is ongoing, but Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Manuel Gomez responded to the allegations made in the USCCR report.

“[The report] does not correctly characterize UCI or our students,” Gomez said. “We are a close, safe and inclusive campus. The typical UCI student is respectfully tolerant, intellectually curious and personally compassionate.”

Gomez also pointed to “numerous programs, speakers and events that model civil and respectful dialogue” that the school has hosted as well as the development of “three new courses designed to educate students about contemporary issues regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and promoting religious tolerance and peace building.”

Among the incidents of anti-Semitism alleged in Tuchman’s report are the 2002 publication of an article in a UCI student publication that “repeatedly emphasized the Nazi-like notion that Jews are genetically different and separate from non-Jews,” the 2003 destruction of a Holocaust memorial, the carving of a swastika into a table during a Holocaust candlelight vigil and “repeated” invitations for anti-Semitic speakers to speak at UCI.

Diane Fields Geocaris, legal counsel for UCI, responded to Tuchman’s allegations in a letter to the commission, saying that UCI “appropriately treated vandalism.” Geocaris also said that UCI officials were the ones who reported the Holocaust memorial disturbance to the police and that in the swastika-carving incident, “the university investigated ... but was unable to find any witnesses or suspects.”

As for allegations of inviting anti-Semites to speak, Gomez said, “Some individuals want us to place limits on freedom of expression. The university is legally obligated to protect speech on a content neutral basis. Inevitably the university must allow some speech that some may find offensive.

“UCI does not sponsor events encouraging intolerance. Indeed, while student and other groups may use our campus to espouse ideas that at times may be offensive, when they do so they are exercising their right to free speech.”

Tuchman also cited a January 2004 incident in which a Jewish student reported a rock being thrown at him by a member of the Muslim Student Union. According to Geocaris, “the aggrieved student did not report the incident until ... several weeks after it took place” and “could not identify the names of Muslim Student Union members at the table [from which the rock was thrown].”

Another Jewish student, according to Tuchman, overheard two students saying “slaughter the Jews” in Arabic in February 2004, and the following month was “subjected to threatening language and hurtful ethnic slurs, including being called a ‘dirty Jew.’” This student left UCI to study elsewhere, according to Tuchman, because he “felt [UCI] was a hostile environment for Jewish students.”

According to Geocaris, campus police contacted a student who UCI officials believe is the same one refered to by Tuchman, but he “failed to respond to these inquiries and did not show up for an appointment with the campus police.”

Additionally, the university does not have a record of this student requesting for his transcript to be forwarded, according to Geocaris, “suggesting that Ms. Tuchman’s testimony concerning his transfer might be inaccurate.”

Gomez responded to allegations of violent acts on campus in general.

“Physical threats and violence are not tolerated at UCI,” Gomez said. “If and when a threat is brought to our attention, we investigate and respond to it appropriately and as fully as possible.”

The complete USCCR report can be viewed online at http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/081506campusantibrief.pdf

To see what steps UCI is taking to encourage respectful dialogue, visit http://www.vcsa.uci.edu/FreeSpeech/WhatWeAreDoing/index.php

MSU is having a "debriefing meeting" with Amir Abdel Malik Ali?

From: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/msu-uci/message/1393

MONDAY:
Debriefing Meeting –
An evaluation meeting on last Thursday's events with Amir Abdel Malik
2pm (after Dhuhr) at the CCC [Cross Cultural Center]

Exclusive: Amir Abdel Malik Ali's Ramadan sermon from yesterday (part 1 of 3)

This just in - a recording of Amir Abdel Malik Ali's October 6, 2006 Ramadan speech. It's in 3 parts and it appears to be missing the first few minutes. Overall most of it is harmless, but Malik Ali couldn't help himself to stick it to [sarcasm on] those evil Zionists [sarcasm off] as well as to call for support of the terrorist organization Hezbollah several times.

UPDATED 11/28/2007 to add LiveLeak links

Part 1


Part 2

Part 3

Three Videos of Yesterday's Amir Abdel Malik Ali Flagpoles Speech

Anteaters for Israel, the UC Irvine pro-Israel student organization, posted these three clips of yesterday's Amir Abdel Malik Ali speech at the Anteater Plaza Flagpoles.

Changing over to Blogger Beta

I've decided to try out the new Blogger Beta for one key reason: tags. As I find time, I will update the older blog posts with tags to make searching easier. So please pardon the dust...

NewU: Ramadan: Truly Grounded in Prayer

Link to article

Ramadan: Truly Grounded in Prayer
By Brian Walker

Muslims believe that the angel Gabriel spoke to the prophet Muhammad, telling him that he was chosen to receive the word of Allah. During the month of Ramadan, Muhammad began speaking the verses which would later be transcribed into the Quran.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. This year, Ramadan began on Sept. 23 in some parts of the world, and Sept. 24 in others.

During the holy month, Muslims pray, fast and give charity. At mosques around the world, Muslims read and recite the Quran daily, often finishing the entire book by Eid al-Fitr, the celebration which marks the end of Ramadan.

Many students of the Muslim faith at UC Irvine devote their lives spiritually, mentally and physically during this month.

Mariam Moustafa, a second-year biological sciences major, began her yearly fasting at the age of five and plans to continue for the rest of her life.

Moustafa admitted that during the first days of the fasting, it can be tough to concentrate in class because of thirst and hunger. However, she believes that the difficulties involved are minuscule compared to the benefits of attaining peace and a closer relationship to Allah.

“Ramadan is not just about fasting,” Moustafa said. “Fasting is only a part of Ramadan, which is truly grounded in prayer.”

Many Muslims gather in the quieter parts of campus during Ramadan and pray with fellow students.

“I often exchange a smile with fellow students who are sharing in the holy month,” Moustafa said. “It brings people closer to Allah, and closer to each other.”

Moustafa believes that this month chastens her, since she often finds herself taking things for granted. During this month, she gains a greater understanding of her blessings.

Muslims also strive to purify their actions during the month of Ramadan. Moustafa explained that the month is very important to her because she feels a heightened sense of self-awareness.

“You often don’t realize your actions,” Moustafa said. “During Ramadan, you pay more attention.”

Muslims refrain from cursing during this holy month, and also from any form of overindulgence.

Muslims donate the money that is saved on food during Ramadan to charity. More importantly, participants devote their time to charity work. In past years, Moustafa has devoted her time to the hungry on the infamous Skid Row in Los Angeles.

With excitement similar to that of Moustafa’s, other Ramadan students’ expressions, when I interviewed them, suggested that they genuinely enjoy devoting themselves during the holy month.

Many Muslim students carry their prayer rugs with them throughout the month and enjoy praying in Aldrich Park.

MSU offers a daily meal in the evenings at the Phoenix Grill where students gather, pray and break their daily fast.

During this meal, which is called Iftar, a date is usually the first food consumed in breaking the daily fast.

“Ramadan is not a penitentiary month, but a month to bring yourself closer to Allah,” Moustafa said. “It is not a punishment, but a privilege.”

NewU: MSU Fast-a-thon

The NewU did this puff piece on the annual MSU charity event "Fast-a-thon" and - as can be expected - not a word on their history of anti-Semitism.

Link to article

MSU Fast-a-thon
By Madelyne Oliver

Hungry students drifted into the Bren Events Center. During the ensuing banquet, hijabs were common and casual conversation between Muslim students flowed throughout the room.

These students were breaking fast at sunset for the Ramadan, the holiest and most significant month in the Muslim calendar.

The Fast-a-thon, a month of fasting supported by monetary pledges, began officially on the morning of Sept. 23. The period of fasting will last until sunset on Oct. 25.

It is a time when all Muslims sacrifice food as a reminder to observe their faith in God and to think of those who are starving daily.

Muslims believe that for every day they fast, food is being given to another person to eat. The notion is that homeless and needy people live without food, and those who have the luxury of food take it for granted.

Rhonda Ragab, a second-year psychology and social behavior major, explained that the Fast-a-thon is also intended to promote tolerance and understanding among those who are not aware of Muslim beliefs and customs.

For Muslims, this is a time to better their relationship with God. They display their faith by giving back to the community and different charities, thus avoiding self-indulgence.

This successful event erupted as a national campaign 60 years ago, reaching universities and eventually UC Irvine, which has held the event for the last five years.

Marya Bangee, a third-year sociology and English double major and Active External Publication Relations board member of MSU, reported that an estimated 200 Muslims and 100 non-Muslims attended and participated in the Fast-a-thon banquet last year.

The Fast-a-thon will give to charity by donating the proceeds collected from pledges and donations at the banquet.

Last year, MSU made $1,500 and donated it to relief organizations aiding the victims of Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Pakistan. This year the proceeds will go to Dignity Coalition for the Homeless, which provides medical aid for homeless people in Los Angeles.

As dark purples and bright pinks sauntered across the sky at sunset, members of MSU ate a date to end the fast and then washed their hands and face, showing their thanks for food and God.

After prayer, the feast delicious foods began. Eating is permitted until the shreds of daylight return.

Sunrise breaks with the first prayer (Fajr). The next prayers are at mid-afternoon (Dhuhr), afternoon (Asr), sunset (Maghrib) and night (Isha). Prayer plays an important role in the Muslim religion.

Some who are unaware of the traditions of Ramadan might think that sunset is a time to “pig out.” This, however, is not the idea.

While most of us enjoy three meals a day, there are people in the world who starve. Muslims believe that it is the command of God to fast, and they observe this by eating only when their religion allows them to.

“Being Muslim intermixed with others—lots of stereotypes are working against you, and here at UCI we stick together,” Bangee said. “I see it as an opportunity to reach out, because we are all human.”

Even though colorful hijabs are commonplace and prayer is expected, non-Muslims need not be intimidated when participating in this tradition with MSU.

A friendly greeting of “As-Salamu Alaykum” (peace of God be upon you) may softly sound in your ear as you pop a date in your mouth. Join the conversation and remember that we are all humans who are eating for those who can’t.

For more information about the Ramadan, Fast-a-thon and the Muslim Student Union, please visit http;//msu-uci.com.

NewU: History Lesson on Churchill

Link to Article

History Lesson on Churchill
By Emilie Doolittle
Staff Writer

Historian and biographer Sir Martin Gilbert defines Churchill's role in history during his speech last week.

If the leaders of the United States could have heard Sir Martin Gilbert’s talk about Britain’s lessons regarding Winston Churchill’s forewarnings of danger, perhaps they would have been more inclined to take all threats to U.S. safety seriously.

Hypotheticals aside, what were Britain’s mistakes before World War II and how has the United States made similar mistakes in recent years?

On Sept. 28, historian and biographer Gilbert, who has written 75 books, including 12 biographies on Churchill, spoke on the years of Churchill’s life when he was unable to convince the leaders of Britain about the dangers of the Nazi regime.

Including firsthand accounts of Churchill’s life, Gilbert gave a much more detailed narrative than most historical text books. However, his speech did not stretch to connect the historical events to patterns of current affairs. His talk was simply a history lecture.

Nevertheless Gilbert mentioned difficult questions that Britain had to face during the late 1930s which are pertinent to many governments today. “How does one identify evil intentions in a government?” said Gilbert. “Does one seek an accommodation with an evil regime?”

Overall, Gilbert said that Churchill was a political outsider when Britain was in denial though they needed him as an insider. Despite Churchill’s informative speeches about the dangers lurking ahead, many political leaders at the time did not want to listen.

Would some leaders rather live in denial than have to protect themselves from every forewarned threat?

During the mid-1930s many leaders in Britain were slow to realize the threat of Hitler’s regime to their nation.

While Hitler’s power increased, so did Churchill’s disagreement with the British parliament. After the appeasement of Germany with Czechoslovakia, Churchill became upset and derided parliament leaders when he said, “Apparently you always have a disaster before anything sensible can be done to prevent it.”

British Parliament was on holiday when Hitler’s regime was growing in power.

Only 10 members of parliament supported Churchill in his view that Britain should not go on vacation and instead prepare for war with Germany.

Gilbert said that at this period Churchill turned to the front bench of Parliament and mocked them, saying, “Can I really believe that these honorable gentlemen, so full of experience, so wise and knowledgeable are saying, ‘Be gone. Run off and play. Take your gas masks with you. Don’t worry about public affairs. Leave them to us. We are gifted and experienced ministers and ... after all, we are the ones who landed us where we were left last September and at this point in time had not created any alliances against aggression’?”

According to Gilbert, “Churchill was preparing all his life for every eventuality.”

Gilbert said little about current events in his speech. However, during the question-and-answer session, he mentioned how the British Parliament debate over whether Britain should join the United States in Iraq had “a very Churchillean atmosphere.” The House of Commons was overflowing and tensions were high. Just like Churchill, many of the speakers at the debate had to speak about the hard truths they were facing.

Gilbert was introduced to the audience by history professor Douglas Haynes. Commenting on Gilbert’s speech Haynes said, “He provided a lucid chronology and provided insight into some of the political costs of a specific leader who’s out of power and yet recognizes the dangers looming.”

Humanities alumni Barry and Janet Shreiar sponsored the lecture. Referring to Gilbert’s speech, Barry said, “It makes one realize that leadership makes the hard decisions.”

Gilbert reminded the audience about what to expect from a national leader. He said that during World War II, Churchill was belittled for not knowing what he was talking about in regard to being an expert on the army. In response to his critics, Churchill said, “Of course I don’t pose as an expert on these matters, but one that judges the opinions of experts.”

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.

An Open Letter to the World

I was tipped off to this by a friend. Here's one where we need to listen to the message, not the messenger. The messenger himself, Rabbi Meir Kahane, was a racist (Wikipedia article in case anybody's interested). The message, though, is priceless.



Click here for the text of the above open letter to the world.

Amir Abdel Malik Ali this Thursday

From: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/msu-uci/message/1388

THURSDAY:
Israeli Invasion of Lebanon –
Speaker: Amir Abdel Malik
12-1pm at the Flagpoles ( Anteater Plaza )

Ramadan Discussion –
The First 10 Days of Ramadan – Seek MERCY; The next 10 days – Seek FORGIVENESS
Speaker: Amir Abdel Malik
5-6pm in the Cross Cultural Center Conference Room

Quran Recitation –
6pm-Maghrib at the Cross Cultural Center

Sadullah Khan this Tuesday (tomorrow)

From: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/msu-uci/message/1388

MSU Fall Week 2
TUESDAY
Themes of the Quran –
Speaker: Sheikh Sadullah Khan
5-6pm at the Cross Cultural Center Conference Room


FrontPage Magazine covered Sheikh Khan on June 27, 2006:

On June 5th, the Los Angeles chapter of CAIR sponsored a community town hall meeting at the Islamic Center of Irvine (ICOI), a mosque that propagates venomously anti-Semitic and anti-Israel rhetoric. In a Khutbah (sermon) given at the ICOI last month, entitled ‘The Abuse of a Religion to sustain a Racist State,’ the ICOI’s Director of Religious Affairs, Sadullah Khan, stated, “Jews who came [to Israel] brought with them a Western arrogance…” In the sermon, which is found on the ICOI website, Khan liberally quoted alleged neo-Nazi William Baker and described Zionism as “racist,” “diabolical” and “sinister.”

Irvine World News: Chancellor works to ease tensions

Chancellor works to ease tensions
UCI’s Drake working to lessen hostilities between Muslim, Jewish students
BY JORGE BARRIENTOS THE IRVINE WORLD NEWS
September 14, 2006

After years of debate between Jewish and Muslim students on the UC Irvine campus, the student groups and university officials hope to start the school year by peaceably talking about differences.

From the showing of a representation of the Prophet Mohammed on campus, to false rumors of Muslim students wearing Hamas armbands to graduation commencement, to speeches deemed hateful toward Jews, campus events throughout the years have made for heated debate among Jewish and Muslim student organizations.

Most recently, the Muslim Student Union sponsored a week of events in May titled “Holocaust in the Holy Land,” which featured speakers that Jewish students on campus deemed as anti-Semitic.

Jewish students said the speeches justified suicide bombings, cheered Hamas and Hezbollah and called for an end to the Jewish state. The Jewish community was outraged, said Jeffrey Rips, executive director of Hillel of Orange County, a Jewish campus organization.

“There was a lot of hatred,” he said.

Chancellor Michael V. Drake and administrators received complaints of hate speech against the union. The university ultimately said it was a freedom of speech issue – speech that could not be suppressed.

The university has since taken a more proactive approach to the situation, said Manuel Gomez, vice chancellor of student affairs.

Gomez and Drake have recently released statements addressing free speech and highlighting the importance of peaceful conversation. Drake said: “This
winter and spring there have been incidents testing the bounds of the First
Amendment at many campuses across the country, including ours … Make no mistake: I find hate speech abhorrent.”

The university plans on sponsoring cultural events to help spark peaceful dialogue to address the issues.

In December 2005, the uni- versity was one of 27 in the nation that received $100,000 in grants for projects to address intolerance and help create dialogue about contentious political and cultural issues, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The projects include courses, seminars and events that facilitate dialogue.

About two weeks ago, Drake met with Orange County Jewish leaders and students to discuss the conflicts at UC Irvine and on campuses throughout California, said Jewish Federation President Jodie Greenbaum. His approach to resolving the challenges on campus have been beneficial, she said.

“He took the chance to talk with each person,” she said. “We came out feeling very optimistic. We feel (the university is) stepping forward.”

He has also met with Muslims on a regular basis. Drake and the university have developed a good relationship with the union, and Drake understands them, Bangee said.

“He probably doesn’t agree with our political views,” she said. “He agrees with our right to say them.”

Drake was not available for comment, but Gomez said the chancellor and the university have emphasized that students should follow a set of values that include respect, appreciation and empathy.

“He has been very, very involved in trying to resolve the concerns,” Gomez said. “I think (students) have been responsive to that.”

Bangee said she is hopeful that the groups will be able to build some bridges. The Muslim union is open to work with the Jewish groups to hold events and start friendly dialogue, she said. Gomez said he hopes the new school year, which begins Monday, will bring forward an understanding on all sides.

NewU: Huda Shaka: Benedict's Speech Misinterprets Islam

To be discussed later as time permits. For now:

Link to Op-Ed

Benedict’s Speech Misinterprets Islam
By Huda Shaka’

At a speech in Germany last week, Pope Benedict XVI quoted from a theological dialogue between a 14th-century Byzantine Emperor and a Persian Muslim scholar. Statements from the pope’s speech greatly offended and disappointed millions of Muslims worldwide, and rightly so.

First, several of the pope’s comments about Islam were completely erroneous. The pope referred to the beginning of verse 256 in the second chapter of the Quran (“There is no compulsion in religion...”) as a verse that had been revealed in the earlier part of Prophet Muhammad’s life when he was powerless. He went on to suggest that this verse was followed by statements about “holy war” that sanctioned the spread of Islam by the sword.

Based on authentic narrations, the above-mentioned verse of the Holy Quran was actually revealed toward the latter part of Prophet Muhammad’s mission after he had established the first Islamic state in Madinah. More importantly, this verse is as applicable today as it was 1400 years ago: conversion by force is absolutely forbidden in Islam.

Furthermore, the concept of “holy war” to which the pope referred to is nonexistent in Islam. Muslims were given permission to bear arms only in self-defense or in their struggle for justice: “Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged and God indeed has the power to help them; for they are those who are driven from their homes unjustly due to their faith” [22:39-40]. At no point in the life of Prophet Muhammad or his righteous followers was Islam spread or imposed on anyone by the sword.

After his comments on violent conversions, Pope Benedict XVI considered the relationship between faith and reason, especially with regard to the Islamic and Christian faiths. He suggested that the relationship in the Islamic faith is different than that in the Christian one because Muslims view God as “absolutely transcendent,” God’s will being unbound by any human category, “even that of rationality.” This statement is misleading.

It is true that Muslims believe that God is beyond all worldly standards and that “there is nothing like unto Him” [42:11]. However, this only implies that God’s attributes, including God’s wisdom, are above and beyond our comprehension. Thus we as humans may be unable to see the reasons behind some of God’s judgments, but that does not make those judgments irrational. This is an important distinction that is absolutely necessary for a correct understanding of Islamic law and theology.

To truly understand the relationship between Islam and reason, one must start by examining the verses of Holy Quran. Over and over again, the Quran urges its readers to analyze, think, reflect and ponder with open minds and hearts.

The statement that angered most Muslims was the quote from Emperor Paleologos: “Show me just what Muhammed 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.” It is true that this statement was not the pope’s own, and he did later clarify that he did not mean it as an expression of his personal opinion.

Nevertheless, I would expect any knowledgeable religious leader to refute this statement, based on its gross misrepresentation of Islam and the contempt and hatred it displays towards Muslims. Suffice it to quote Prophet Muhammad: “Do not kill the elderly, the women, the children, nor destroy any innocent life (whether plant or animal) and always try to improve things, reform matters, act kindly towards others; for God loves those who act with compassion.”

Huda Shaka’ is a graduate student in the department of chemistry. She can be reached at hshaka@gmail.com.

NewU: Marya Bangee: Pope Benedict's Comments Reinforce Black/White Views

To be discussed later as time permits. For now:

Link To Op-Ed

Pope Benedict’s Comments Reinforce Black/White Views
Commentary
By Marya Bangee

Samuel Huntington’s theory that there is an imminent, and bloody, clash of civilizations between Islam and the West; the Danish cartoons that portrayed the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a terrorist; George Bush's recently-coined term “Islamo-facists”; and now the Pope quoting the old Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologos from the time of the Crusades, all point to the growing trend of using absolute, religious rhetoric to define the relationship between Muslims and Western civilization.

Words such as “evil-doers” and “crusade” clearly evoke strong historical allusions, attempting to draw a parallel between a past of religious conflict and the present. It seems as if there is a concentrated agenda from some of the most powerful leaders of today to frame the current international conflict as a religious war. As a society that trumpets the values of speech and rational thinking, the dialogue that is framing our “war on terror” is surprisingly simplistic, erroneous, misleading and provocative.

What is wrong with these incidents? To start with, Huntington’s idea that there is an imminent clash between two vastly different civilizations fails to take into account a history where people of different faiths have lived in harmony for hundreds of years throughout the Middle East and in the West.

The Danish cartoons were drawn to provoke a reaction to an extremely sensitive issue for Muslims, to show that Muslims are not reasonable human beings; the media then used the extreme reactions of a few hundred to categorize the reactions of over one billion followers.

The president has repeatedly referenced religion when referring to the war on terror, calling it a “crusade” and appointing heads like General Boykin who believe Muslims worship Satan. All of these things help enforce what I would term “apocalyptic talk”—a showdown between two of the largest religions in the world.

Let’s consider Pope Benedict’s remarks. What I find most worrisome about his statements is that they reverse a long-standing policy of the Catholic Church to promote interfaith understanding between Muslims and Christians, as put down in the landmark “Nostra Aetate,” the Second Vatican Council’s document on the Church’s relations with non-Christians. It urges Muslims and Catholics to re-double their efforts to work more closely together on moral, social and civil rights issues.

This had led to an extremely beneficial relationship between the Catholic Church and Muslims all around the world, especially in the United States. With Pope Benedict’s words, this historical relationship is ignored in favor of an “us vs. them” outlook.

Talk of a clash is inherently dangerous because it simplifies both groups, making it much easier to see the other side as inhuman. Muslims cannot be seen as extremists burning churches—something the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade.

Islam is a rich faith, with a proud history of accomplishment that encompasses a diverse group of ethnicities and practices. In the thousands of years of co-existence between Muslims and those of other faiths, Muslim-initiated terror has been extremely low when compared to terror by other religions. Even today, there is universal condemnation from mainstream Muslims of terrorism like that of Osama Bin Laden.

There is an underlying humanity and commonality that is forgotten when a culture of fear is introduced and manipulated, as is being done today. It is easy to fear what you do not understand; it is harder to reach out and try to understand it.

Cardinal Mahony of the Archdiocesan Catholic Center in Los Angeles calls the controversy surrounding Pope Benedict’s remarks a “teachable moment” which should be used to reaffirm our bonds of faith and friendship towards each other. Others will use this moment to further the idea of a religious war. As citizens of the human race, it is our duty to understand each other or else this moment will be exploited to unleash more murder and chaos.

Marya Bangee is a third-year sociology and English double-major.

UPDATE

The NewU did not point it out, so I will: Marya Bangee is the MSU's 2006-2007 External Public Relations person.

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

Vice Chancellor Gomez appointed to University Diversity Study Group

A friend reminded me that Vice Chancellor Gomez doesn't believe that UCI is required to protect Jewish students from harassment and intimidation under Title VI. Isn't it ironic then that he's now on a study group on university diversity?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2006
Ricardo Vázquez (510) 287-3301
ricardo.vazquez@ucop.edu

MEDIA ADVISORY: MEMBERS OF UC'S STUDY GROUP ON UNIVERSITY DIVERSITY APPOINTED

University of California Board of Regents Chairman Gerald L. Parsky and UC Provost and Executive Vice President Rory Hume will co-chair UC's Study Group on University Diversity and have appointed 18 members to the study group.

The members are:

• Regents Joanne C. Kozberg (study group vice chair), Eddie Island, Maria C. Ledesma, John J. Moores and Frederick Ruiz
  
  
• Regent-designate Eleanor V. Brewer
  
  
• Faculty Representatives John B. Oakley and Michael T. Brown
  
  
• Chancellors Robert J. Birgeneau (UC Berkeley), France A. Córdova (UC Riverside) and Henry T.Yang (UC Santa Barbara), and Acting Chancellor George Blumenthal (UC Santa Cruz)
  
  
• Executive Vice President for University Affairs Bruce B. Darling
  
  
• Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Manuel N. Gomez (UC Irvine)
  
  
• Former Faculty Representative Lawrence Pitts
  
  
• Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Judy Sakaki (UC Davis)
  
  
• UC Student Association President Bill Shiebler
  
  
• Former regent and past-president of the UCLA Alumni Association Peter Taylor
  

The appointment of the study group comes after the Board of Regents agreed at their July 19 meeting to sponsor a study of the current status of the University of California's efforts to continue to increase diversity and foster a climate of inclusiveness.

The Study Group on University Diversity has been charged with the following objectives:

• Review and report on recent trends with respect to diversity within UC's undergraduate, graduate and faculty populations;
  
  
• Survey campus climate on diversity and inclusion;
  
  
• Study the interactions among undergraduate, graduate and faculty diversity and campus climate;
  
  
• Identify "best practices" in student preparation, recruitment, and admissions; faculty hiring and retention; and efforts to create a welcoming and inclusive campus climate; and
  
  
• Recommend actions that the university and its individual campuses can take, respecting federal and state laws, to increase diversity and inclusiveness at UC.
  

The study group objectives and scope will be discussed in greater detail at the regents' upcoming meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 20.

For more information about diversity at UC: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/diversity

Week 1: Amir Abdel Malik Ali already paying a visit to campus

The MSU just released their Fall Week 1 calendar.

Amir Abdel Malik Ali will be doing the Ramadan speech on Thursday at 5 pm as part of their Maghrib prayer - the prayer to break the daily Ramadan fast.

How Physically Close Have You Been to Blatant Anti-Semitism?

By Joe Example, the Concerned UCI Student

(Published originally in the first StandWithUs Orange County Newsletter, September 7, 2006)

Before I came to UC Irvine, I had only heard stories of in-your-face anti-Semitism from my family: while in the US army, my father was asked where his hooves and horns were. While visiting Germany during the 1930’s, my grand aunt – who happened to have blond hair and blue eyes – came across a bunch of brown shirts beating a Jew; she told them in perfect German to go you-know-what themselves.

But me – I had never seen it up close. That is, until I came to UCI.

UCI - in the top 12 American public universities according to a recent issue of US News and World Report. With enough smarts, time, and drive, just about anyone can earn a bachelor’s degree for less than $40,000 in tuition.

Don’t waste your time buying books and supplies, though, because the first person you’ll meet the moment you arrive on campus is the guy shown in the above photo.

This is Amir Abdel Malik Ali, frequently invited guest speaker for the UCI Muslim Student Union (“MSU”), and blatant anti-Semite. He loves to dish the ancient canards: the Jews control the government, the economy, and the media. He unequivocally supports HAMAS, Hezbollah, and the other terrorist organizations; he also supports Iran, Syria, and other state sponsors of terrorists. To him, Zionism is just a reincarnation of Nazism. And here’s one of his most recent messages to the Jews at UCI: “Your days are numbered.”

He’s not the only source of unchecked hatred on campus. The MSU itself publishes articles in the campus weekly newspaper, New University, as well as their own quarterly magazine, Alkalima. These articles have included discussions on how Jews might be genetically separate from the rest of the human race; Israel has been falsely accused of genocide and ethnic cleansing; quotations are fabricated and plastered everywhere with the sole goal of inciting hatred against Jews; and, scariest of all, calls are made for violent jihad against anyone who stands in their way.

In the face of similar anti-Semitism at Harvard, Georgetown, and Rutgers (to name a few), those university administrations made their condemnations of the bigotry of Jew-hatred very clear. Even the President of UC Berkeley was a signatory to a public statement decrying intimidation of Jews on college campuses in 2002.

The UCI administration, however, instead of educating their students by demonstrating true leadership, considers such unequivocal statements to be beneath them.

One event in particular speaks volumes: instead of standing up to the anti-Semitism on campus, Vice Chancellor Gomez was invited to speak at an anti- hate rally organized by the MSU and their partners-in-crime, the Society of Arab Students (“SAS”), where the only student organizations specifically dis-invited were – you guessed it – Jews. Even Jewish fraternities and sororities were banned from participating in any formal way. Vice Chancellor Gomez, well aware of this deliberate exclusion at an event that was supposed to stand for unity, chose to speak anyway. He has yet to publicly apologize for turning a blind eye.

UCI refuses to enforce any of its own rules when the violators are the MSU or SAS. For instance, as part of their annual registration as official UCI student organizations, the leaders of all student organizations, including the MSU and SAS, must each sign a pledge to uphold UCI’s Principles of Community – see page 4 of the linked PDF – a document which waxes and wanes about tolerance and respect, and states in particular “acts of bigotry and abusive behavior will not go unchallenged within the University”.

There are rules at UCI prohibiting fabrication of information both inside and outside the classroom (look at sections 102.01 and 102.02) as well as rules against harassing and threatening students, and serious violations of these rules are grounds for expulsion from the university. Yet the MSU and SAS are still in business and – you should sit down for this one – the former VP of the SAS was the student commencement speaker for the School of Social Sciences this past June.

With this in mind, I went to our community organizations and basically said “do something!” They stated that they could only privately write “stern” letters to the Chancellor or hold private meetings with the administration (ooh, I’m sure UCI was just quaking in its boots, getting chills up its spine, as it ran the letters through the shredder). Even though I pointed out that those actions had proven to be useless, they refused my request to take the appropriate next step – namely, bringing in the lawyers.

Luckily, an outside organization had the cojones to do what’s right: in October 2004, the Zionist Organization of America (“ZOA”) filed a civil rights complaint on the behalf of the Jewish students of UCI with the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”). After its investigation concludes, if OCR finds that UCI is violating the civil rights of Jewish students on campus, and should UCI not change its tune thoroughly or quickly enough, OCR has the option of pulling all US Federal funding of the university, which would in effect shut the university down (not that we want that). The OCR investigation continues even today and that pressure has affected the university’s conduct when dealing with sensitive subjects.

At the same time, a similar Federal body, the US Commission on Civil Rights (“USCCR”), separately investigated the situation on campus and – vindicating the ZOA’s complaint – found that things on campus had to change: UCI must protect Jewish students from anti-Semitic harassment and intimidation. While the USCCR does not have enforcement powers, its findings and recommendations do carry great weight and I would be shocked if the OCR completely ignored them.

While working with the ZOA, I also learned of StandWithUs. Their representatives are out there at the anti-Semitic events holding signs up challenging the espoused anti-Semitism. They help gather and distribute the information needed to debunk the falsehoods and propaganda that the anti-Israel activists use to poison the next generation’s minds, as well as train our local Pro-Israel students in conferences and leadership sessions. Alongside StandWithUs is the American Jewish Congress, both protesting the events here and working with our state and federal legislatures to make sure the future generation of American leadership is being taught the facts about the Middle East and Judaism and not the lies of the MSU and SAS.

Now I do have to admit that UCI has tried to deal with the situation through dialogue. They first attempted to reduce the level of persistent hostility against Jews on campus by holding a series of inter- religious forums in Fall Quarter 2004. When that failed to have any effect, they organized a year-long series of lectures and discussions called “Difficult Dialogues”, funded by a $100,000 grant from the Ford Foundation. If the level of hatred of the MSU and SAS wasn’t so intense, perhaps these steps would have done the trick.

Unfortunately, the MSU’s and SAS’s response has been to increase the intensity of their hatred. This past year, practically every week an anti-Israel speaker was a guest of the MSU. During May 2006, the campus was treated to “Holocaust in the Holy Land” week, where speakers called Israel “the Fourth Reich” and Muslim students, dressed in military fatigues, harassed passersby.

This is what I have to put up with every time I step on campus. This is why my grade point average isn’t as high as it should be, because I have to try to ignore the drech while I study for exams or write papers, when in reality it eats me up inside that I’m not out there on the front lines, fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American Way.

Take to heart one thing: this newly-formed group, the Orange County chapter of StandWithUs, is not going to stand by and let it happen. Unlike other organizations, we aren’t going to bury our heads in the sand or hold hands and sing koombya, keeping you in the dark about how bad it is.

We have been and will continue to be there protesting against the anti-Semitism. We have been and will continue to keep you accurately informed as to the real situation on campus (G-d willing, we might even bring you live video over the Internet someday). As you read this, we are organizing events to be held on and around campus to define the problems and then seek solutions to stop this mess once and for all.

So spread the word about StandWithUs Orange County. We can defeat this anti-Semitism - with your help and support, it might even happen before I graduate.

Articles from first Fall 2006 issue of New University

Dean of Student's Office Program Promotes Tolerance

There was also a piece of commentary called Governments Should Steer Clear of Religion. The author is a third-year English major and, as far as I can tell, doesn't know how to write. His article takes a swipe at Israel about the bombing of a mosque in Lebanon (no context provided), then meanders his way into a complaint about Bush, and I have yet to figure out what he was blabbing about in his conclusion. I'm just putting this in here for now because this guy - for now - is an unknown, and I'm wondering what else he's going to pull.

L'shana Tova / Happy New Year

May you and yours have a sweet and happy New Year!

For a good laugh, check out this short film on how to ring in the New Year:

Shofar So Good

Israel's Consul General visiting UCI this Monday

Anteaters for Israel at the University of California, Irvine present:

ISRAEL
The Current Situation

A Town Hall Forum
at the
University of California, Irvine

With
The Honorable Ehud Danoch
Consul General of Israel

Monday, September 25th, 2006
Social Sciences Lecture Hall 100
8 p.m.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
(Get there earlier than later, because the room can only fit so many people)

Sponsored by Anteaters for Israel
For more information, please email eshaaya@uci.edu

Texts of Pope Benedict XVI's "Controversial" Speech

I haven't had time to look at these yet, but given the reaction to the Pope's September 12th speech, I thought it would be good to get the full text out.

Hat tip: Multiple commenters on UserFriendly.org

From the Vatican: The original German version

From MSNBC: An English translation

From BBC: A PDF of an English translation

UPDATE

I found this hillarious, though I should warn those who click on the image that the site itself has a bit of a hateful bent to it:

Amnesty International accuses Hezbollah of war crimes

This was LGF's Flying Pig Moment of the Day

Yahoo coverage

JihadWatch, though, called it "A late, belated, too-late, utterly phony, half-hearted "symmetrical" condemnation"

Hezbollah's reaction

An interesting blog post that tries to answer the question: what is a war crime? (with a quotation of an analysis by Professor Alan Dershowitz of why Israel appears to be inproperly accused)

Quote of the Day

( copied from Israellycool.com )

"Learn from Israel what human dignity means. Human dignity is a primary value in Israel."

- Israeli Arabs protesting outside the Egyptian embassy in Tel Aviv against what they perceive as Egypt's failed handling of the traffic accident in Sinai which left 12 Israelis dead.

Brought to you from the Zionist, racist, apartheid State of Israel. (TM)

Update: Funny how this story is not being reported elsewhere, nor are pictures of the protest (including pictures of protesters with the signs that included "State of Israel – doesn't abandon injured and killed citizens") being published by Reuters, AFP, AP, and the like.

Dick Cheney's remarks today at the Pentagon

Probably the best way of defining the situation at hand:

As President Bush has said, this nation has defeated tyrants and liberated death camps, raised the lamp of liberty to every captive land. We have no intention of ignoring or appeasing history's latest gang of fanatics trying to murder their way to power.

Read it all

Cox and Forkum Cartoons for 9/11

I will always remember having the radio wake me up as normal at 6 am that morning 5 years ago, and hearing the substitute radio-show host briefly say that a plane had hit the first tower of the World Trade Center and then cutting to the national breaking news. After turning on the television in disbelief, I reached for the phone and woke up a whole bunch of people on this coast.

Cox and Forkum have done a good job illustrating that terrible tragedy:

Six cartoons from the Iranian Holocaust cartoon exhibit published in Danish newspaper

Anybody speak Danish?

BBC News is reporting that a Danish newspaper by the name of "Information" has reprinted six of the Holocaust cartoons.

The Information newspaper's website: http://www.information.dk

"It is unfortunate that some people don't have the moral compass to condemn evil."

So sayeth Harvard University Rabbi Hirschy Zrachi in response to Harvard's invitation to former Iranian president Khatami. Similar statements can be made about the UCI administration.



By the way, if you're trying to figure out why people are against Khatami coming to the US, let me help you:

Info from Cox and Forkum

Info from Vital Perspective

The Forward has been covering UCI

Susan Tuchman of the ZOA - bless her heart - brought to my attention that the Forward newspaper has been covering UCI. Here are two articles that they've put out in the past six months:

May 26, 2006: College Chief Hit Over Anti-Israel Events

August 11, 2006: ZOA Brings Civil-rights Education to Campus

September 1, 2006 (apparently not yet available on the Forward website):

Salute Irvine Students

Most people would agree that Jewish students should not have to tolerate verbal threats or insults, physical assaults or the destruction of property (“ZOA Brings Civil-rights Education to Campus,” August 11). But it’s important to understand that when Israel is demonized as a brutal, murderous state, when it is obscenely compared to Nazi Germany and apartheid South Africa, or when claims are made that the State of Israel has no right to exist – these are also manifestations of antisemitism that can have a devastating impact on Jewish students, and they shouldn’t be tolerated.

As Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews, you are talking antisemitism.” The United States Civil Rights Commission also appreciated that anti-Zionist and anti-Israel actions can amount to antisemitic harassment. This is part of what the ZOA hopes to make clear to college students and administrators alike in our public education initiative, so that they will understand their respective rights and obligations under these new federal guidelines.

Fixing the problem of campus antisemitism requires bringing it out in the open. That’s why Jewish students like those at the University of California , Irvine , deserve our respect and applause. They made repeated efforts to resolve informally the harassment and intimidation they faced on their campus, by seeking the help of college officials and trying to engage in constructive dialogue with the perpetrators of the hate.

When all these efforts failed, the students courageously came forward and provided detailed information to the ZOA about their experiences and the problems they were facing, which formed the basis of our civil rights complaint on their behalf and led to the first-ever investigation of campus antisemitism by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. Though they had school, work and many other obligations, these students subjected themselves to time-consuming interviews with federal officials and have never backed down from their ongoing effort to improve the campus environment for Jewish students.

African Americans, women and the disabled are prime examples of aggrieved groups that have effectively used not just education and negotiation, but also the legal system, to secure their civil rights. Our community should likewise support the use of all those tools, which will provide the best chance of redressing antisemitic harassment, in all its forms, on our campuses.

Susan Tuchman
Director, Center for Law and Justice
Zionist Organization of America
New York , NY

Irwin Cotler nails it on the head

Former Canadian Federal Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler wrote a great piece in the Toronto Star:

The notion of being even-handed between terrorist groups sworn to Israel's destruction and a democratic country defending itself from armed attack is a moral absurdity, a "perversion of our traditions" as The Globe and Mail put it.

In fact, the foundational principles of Canadian foreign policy in the Middle East as affirmed by successive governments require us to "take sides," to eschew even-handedness and to raise our voice as a moral interlocutor in a principled way.

Hang on a sec...lemme re-word this a bit...

The notion of being even-handed between (a) anti-Semitic student groups at UCI sworn to Israel's destruction and the debasement of all Jews, and (b) Jewish students who - according to the USCCR - UCI is required to protect, is a moral absurdity, a "perversion of our traditions" as The Globe and Mail put it.

In fact, the foundational principles of UCI require it to "take sides," to eschew even-handedness and to raise our voice as a moral interlocutor in a principled way.

Read the whole thing here