The UCI Muslim Student Union Letter to New University and ZOA Response

This past week, the Muslim Student Union wrote a letter to the UC-Irvine campus newspaper, New University, in response to the on-going controversy over the May 21, 2009 Viva Palestina event in which funds were collected on behalf of Gaza. Since I have posted the on-going developments, I thought it fair and appropriate to post the MSU letter as well as the response by the Zionist Organization of America as sent by Susan Tuchman. The MSU letter is posted first then the ZOA response.

Defending the Muslim Student Union
By Hadeer Soliman on Nov. 2, 2009
New University “

I was surprised to read in the last issue of the New University a headline that read, “UC Irvine Muslim Student Union Under Investigation.” The article claimed that the MSU was to be investigated – by the FBI no less – for fundraising for Hamas. Call me forgetful, but I don’t recall ever getting that memo. The ludicrousness of this accusation was explained when my eyes fell on a single name – the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA).

The ZOA, an external organization with no official affiliation to UCI, has a long history of attacking organizations that it deems a threat because they do not fall in line with its extreme right-wing stances on the issue of Palestine. Not only has it gone after pro-Palestinian organizations, but it has also attacked pro-Israeli groups that it deems too soft. Recently, ZOA, in a letter to the chief campus counsel at UCI, attacked and defamed the MSU by claiming that it broke university policy as well as fundraised for Hamas. The truth of the matter is that ZOA has been attempting to defame, censor and essentially eradicate the MSU for years now. This is only the most recent attempt to silence the MSU and restrict its constitutional right to freedom of speech, religion and association.

Although this is not the first time the organization has made such claims against the MSU, the complaints continue to receive attention. This is surprising, considering all previous claims the organization made against MSU have been proven to be groundless. In 2004, ZOA claimed that the green stoles MSU members wear during graduation were a symbol of support for Hamas. After a national uproar, independent experts were brought in to mediate the issue and quickly discovered that this was blatantly false. In fact, the stoles had the Shahada – the central creed of Islam, which states that we believe in one God, and that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the final messenger of God – written on them.

Again, about three years ago, the ZOA convinced the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights to carry out an investigation of claims on anti-Semitism at UCI. This was yet another tactic to try and smear the name of MSU and label its political stances against the injustices perpetuated by the government of Israel as hate speech. In its report, the investigation by the Office of Civil Rights cleared all counts of anti-Semitism.

Now, it seems the ZOA has gotten even more desperate. In its most recent string of absurd allegations, ZOA refers to an MSU-sponsored event last May featuring British member of Parliament George Galloway. This was part of the MSU’s two-week long series of events aimed at raising awareness about the Palestinian-Israeli issue and empowering students on campus with knowledge about the conflict. ZOA claims that donations made to Viva Palestina, collected through impromptu donation boxes that were passed around at the end of the speech to support Galloway’s humanitarian convoy to legally provide medical aid to Gazans, “may have” monetarily supported Hamas.

This is a clear falsehood and yet another attempt to censor and defame the MSU while stifling any discussion or critique of the nation-state of Israel. Viva Palestina made it explicit, in both speeches given by its representatives and on its Web site, that all donations would be given to humanitarian non-governmental organizations in accordance with US law. The Viva Palestina Web site reads: “Viva Palestina USA intends to remain in full compliance with applicable domestic laws and particularly with the statutes prohibiting the provision of material support and resources to designated terrorist organizations, 18 U.S.C. 2339A-B.”

Viva Palestina also recently issued a statement, which can be viewed on the Web site, confirming that the promises made to donors “were upheld to the highest degree. Every transfer of funds for medical supplies and the purchase of vehicles to be used for humanitarian purposes was well-documented … and the donations were given to a non-governmental consortium in Gaza” (http://www.vivapalestina-us.org/media/article/4).

Despite the MSU’s lawful intent and Viva Palestina’s assurances that it complied with the law, ZOA is directly attacking the MSU, a student group, with yet more false and malicious accusations. It is ironic that of the thousands of individuals and groups who donated money to Viva Palestina, ZOA remains obsessively set on singling out the MSU and smearing its name. As the saying goes, history repeats itself and ZOA is repeating its historical attacks and false allegations in its effort to mute and censor us. If anyone is acting illegally, it is the ZOA, by seeking to discard the very principles of the First Amendment in trying to shut us up and shut us down.”

Hadeer Soliman is a member of Muslim Student Union.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------The ZOA Response:

“For those readers who are unfamiliar with our organization, the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is the oldest pro-Israel organization in the United States. We are proud of our history. We were instrumental in mobilizing support in the U.S. for the establishment of the State of Israel. Our leaders have included Rabbi Stephen Wise and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis. Our objectives are no different from that of other advocacy groups like the ACLU and the Southern Poverty Law Center. When we become aware of injustices against Israel and the Jewish people, we do our best to rectify the wrongs.

That’s been our mission at UCI and other schools. We began working with Jewish students on the UCI campus several years ago and were shocked to learn about the harassment and intimidation they were facing, coming largely from the speakers and programs that the Muslim Student Union was sponsoring and promoting on a regular basis. Hadeer Soliman claims that the Muslim Student Union’s events, at least last May, were “aimed at raising awareness about the Palestinian-Israeli issue and empowering students on campus with knowledge about the conflict.” If that were the case, then the Muslim Student Union would not have featured a speaker who compared Jews to “Shaytan – Satan.” The Muslim Student Union would not have sponsored a speaker who falsely and hatefully accused Jews of “lik[ing] to operate behind closed doors . . . in the shadows, in the dark.” If Ms. Soliman’s claims were true, then the Muslim Student Union would not have mocked and debased the greatest tragedy not only in Jewish history, but in the history of the world – the Holocaust – by posting a photo of Anne Frank wearing a Palestinian Arab scarf or keffiyeh and falsely and absurdly comparing the systematic murder of Jews by the Nazis to the situation that currently exists in Gaza, which tragically is largely of the Palestinians' own making. If the Muslim Student Union were truly interested in raising awareness and educating the UCI community about the Palestinian Arab-Israeli conflict, the group would not repeatedly invite a speaker to campus who has endorsed terrorism against Israeli Jews and called for the destruction of the State of Israel.

The Muslim Student Union would stop promoting lies about Jews, including that they are a “den of spies” who are arrogant and control the government and the media. They would not make outrageous comparisons between Israeli policy and that of the Nazis, which have absolutely no basis in fact. They would not deny the historical truth that Jews have lived in the Land of Israel continuously for thousands of years, even before there was a religion called Islam.

Education means using facts, not lies. It means talking about difficult and complicated issues without demonizing a people and a nation and without making fellow students feel like pariahs on their own campus. We have worked with many students at UCI who have suffered because of the hatred and bigotry that the Muslim Student Union sponsors and promotes on a regular basis. These students have told us of being afraid to wear a Star of David or a pro-Israel tee shirt. They have told us about staying away from the campus, and even missing classes, in order to avoid the speakers and signs that the Muslim Student Union sponsors that incite hatred of Jews and Israel. They have told us about being threatened and assaulted. We know of at least two students who left UCI and transferred elsewhere because they could no longer endure the hatred and hostility engendered by the Muslim Student Union. One of these students described being yelled at with the words, “Go back to Russia where you came from,” “burn in hell,” and “f_ _king Jew.” The other student described being surrounded, threatened, and shouted at with such slurs as “f_ _king Jewish bitch” and “dirty Jew.”

Over the years, concerned Jewish students repeatedly tried to remedy the hostile environment without success. They held many meetings with UCI administrators, and even at one point worked out so-called rules of dialogue with the Muslim Student Union, so that difficult political issues could be discussed without resorting to using painful symbols like the swastika in connection with the Jewish Star of David. When these efforts failed, Jewish students decided to seek a legal remedy, which is their right – and everyone’s right – to do.

The ZOA filed a legal action on behalf of Jewish students with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The crux of the complaint was that UCI has an obligation under federal law – Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – to ensure that its programs and activities are free from harassment, intimidation and discrimination, and that UCI was not living up to that legal obligation. There has never has been any effort to suppress or deny the rights of any group or individual, including the Muslim Student Union.

Hadeer Soliman says that “the Office for Civil Rights cleared all counts of anti-Semitism.” If she means that the Office for Civil Rights cleared UCI of all wrongdoing, she is wrong. The Office for Civil Rights examined only a very small handful of the many claims that the ZOA made on Jewish students’ behalf, and as to three or four incidents, decided that UC Irvine responded appropriately. We disagree and do not believe that those findings are supported by the evidence; our appeal is still pending. As to most of the allegations that the ZOA made on Jewish students’ behalf, the Office for Civil Rights never even evaluated them, because the Office for Civil Rights had decided that it was no longer going to protect Jews under Title VI. The law protects against discrimination based on “race, color, or national origin.” The Office for Civil Rights had a policy in place that there were groups, such as Jews and Sikhs, which are not just religious groups but also ethnic groups. For purposes of Title VI, these groups would be considered “racial” or “national origin” groups entitled to the protections of Title VI.

Unfortunately, under new leadership, the Office for Civil Rights changed this policy. They looked at Jews as simply a religious group that did not fall within the language of the law. This was a legal determination that unfortunately led to the dismissal of most of the claims that the ZOA made on Jewish students’ behalf. The Office for Civil Rights’ decision was not based on the overwhelming evidence we submitted that showed a pattern of harassment, intimidation and discrimination coming mostly from the Muslim Student Union. Hadeer Soliman thus has her facts wrong about the outcome of the ZOA’s legal action.

While the ZOA triggered the legal effort to improve the hostile campus environment, we have certainly not been alone in exposing and criticizing the Muslim Student Union’s level of discourse as hateful, bigoted and divisive. An independent task force in Orange County, initially commissioned by Hillel, examined allegations of anti-Semitism at UCI. The task force was made up of Jewish and non-Jewish academic, professional and religious leaders in the Orange County community. It completed a year-long investigation, including approximately 80 hours of interviews of students, faculty, administrators and community members; a document review; and first-hand observation of campus events and activities, including those sponsored by the Muslim Student Union.

This independent group of community members found that anti-Semitic acts on campus “are real and well documented. Jewish students have been harassed. Hate speech has been unrelenting.” As to the Muslim Student Union, the Task Force found that the group “is agenda driven and not checked by the bounds of propriety. It allies and identifies itself with terrorist groups that are enemies of the United States.” In May 2008 and again in May 2009, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) expressed his concern about the Muslim Student Union’s programs. In letters to Chancellor Michael Drake, Congressman Sherman described the Muslim Student Union’s events in May 2008 and 2009 as “appear[ing] intended to encourage violence against the State of Israel and propagate the spread of anti-Semitism.”

Hadeer Soliman tries very hard to justify the Muslim Student Union’s conduct last May in sponsoring George Galloway’s speech and soliciting funds for his Viva Palestina group and convoys to Gaza. What Ms. Soliman doesn’t do is deny the truth of the ZOA’s assertions – that the Muslim Student Union misrepresented to the UCI administration that the event was not going to be a fundraiser when in fact it was, that the Muslim Student Union did not get UCI’s approval to solicit funds as required by UCI’s policies, and that the Muslim Student Union violated other policies regarding the solicitation of funds on campus. In fact, in a letter that the Muslim Student Union recently wrote to UCI’s chief campus counsel viciously attacking the ZOA, the Muslim Student Union seemed to ridicule UCI policies, calling them “technicalities,” which the Muslim Student Union acknowledges having likely breached, both with respect to the Galloway event and in the past.

Ms. Soliman says that Viva Palestina is claiming that it sent convoys to Gaza in order to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. But one of the foremost terrorism experts in this country, Steven Emerson, recently issued a 31-page report about Viva Palestina and debunked the claim that Viva Palestina’s goal is to provide for the needy. The report couldn’t be clearer: “Viva Palestina’s most visible leaders call for the elimination of the State of Israel . . . They treat Hamas leaders as the legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people and provide both material and moral support to the terrorist organization.”

In addition, in September 2009, a rap musician who goes by the name of M1 spoke about his experience on the Viva Palestina convoy to Gaza in July 2009, and confirmed that “we were giving our resources toward the government of Gaza” – meaning the terrorist group Hamas. If the funds solicited by the Muslim Student Union went to Hamas, then the legal implications are serious, as not only the ZOA recognized, but UCI did as well. UCI’s chief campus counsel immediately thanked the ZOA for bringing the matter to its attention, initiated its own internal probe, and reported the matter to law enforcement.

The U.S. State Department has designated Hamas as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” and for good reason. This group has deliberately murdered hundreds of innocent people, including Americans. Its charter calls for the murder of Jews and the destruction of the State of Israel. Providing material support and resources to a Foreign Terrorist Organization is illegal under federal law. If the Muslim Student Union was in any way involved in that activity, then we should all be concerned.

We take our country’s war against international terrorism seriously. The ZOA thus had the right and the duty to raise concern about what occurred at the Muslim Student Union’s event last May. Our actions had nothing to do with any effort to “mute or censor” the Muslim Student Union, as Hadeer Soliman claims. Hadeer Soliman calls the ZOA “an external organization with no official affiliation to UCI” -- as if that means that we have no right to shine a spotlight on the Muslim Student Union’s hateful and bigoted conduct, and to help students who have been harmed by it.

As a college senior, Ms. Soliman should know that in this country, civil rights protections were fought for by many “outside” groups and individuals. Groups like the NAACP, comprised of people of every color and religious background, have fought against racists and racism. Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman were young men from New York, who traveled south to Mississippi in order to fight against racists and racism, and to protect African Americans’ right to vote. As a college student in the 1960’s, ZOA National President Morton Klein traveled from Philadelphia to Mississippi to fight racism and to protect African Americans’ civil rights. Would Ms. Soliman also condemn Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and Morton Klein as outsiders because they were committed to fighting against discrimination? It is a long-held American tradition to go wherever we are needed to fight against discrimination and injustice. The ZOA has been committed to that tradition since it was established in 1897, and we will continue to uphold that commitment. If there are students at UCI who need our help and support, we will give it. We encourage students and concerned members of the community to continue contacting us.”
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Fousesquawk comment:


"ZOA claims that donations made to Viva Palestina, collected through impromptu donation boxes that were passed around at the end of the speech to support Galloway’s humanitarian convoy to legally provide medical aid to Gazans, “may have” monetarily supported Hamas."

MSU letter

The collection on May 21 was anything but impromptu. I was there.