As my readers know, the Muslim Student Union is facing a one-year suspension for the disruption of the Israeli Ambassador to the US's speech on February 8. That decision has been under appeal, which is supposed to be resolved prior to the beginning of the next term in September when the suspension is scheduled to begin.
Yet, some of my associates and acquaintances are expressing confusion over the matter since the MSU has posted an announcement of a scheduled activity at UCI in October.
http://www.msuuci.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/College-Day-5x7-Front2.jpg
(The Zionist Organization of America has sent a letter to UCI in connection with the web-posting by the MSU. I am having trouble posting it because it is pdf. I will post it when I can.)
So the question begs, why would the MSU schedule an event at UCI if they stand to be suspended at that time? Now folks are asking whether either;
UCI has quietly overturned the suspension without any public announcement
or
UCI has decided to just let the appeal process drag on into eternity or people just forget about it-whichever happens first.
I confess I don't know.
Stay tuned.
* Update: A spokesperson from the university has stated that no decision has been made on the suspension.
Thanks for the update.
ReplyDeleteCould they continue on without support from UCI and pretend like nothing happpened?
They could just meet at a certain place and time at UCI that is posted on their website and talk amoung themselves and to other students. What can UCI really do?
UCI can say they will no longer provide venues inside buildings or allow them discounted poster paper to draw on to post stuff around the campus. And can prevent them from selling food or other stuff but I don't see how they can ban them from assembling together.
-Jeff K
You left out another possibility:
ReplyDeletethe MSU would like to be prepared IF the suspension is overturned.
Quite simple really.
Garry . . Am I the only one that can't figure out how Muslims think? The Quran has good and bad elements. Almost always the bad elements supercede and replace the good ones. Yet they (Muslims)are taught to believe that every word is exactly as Mohammad received it from Gabriel. Further, that there is not one single error in the book.
ReplyDeleteLet's put that in other words. The Quran is a badly flawed book with many contradictions, but all MUSLIMS have to accept that it is perfect? Does that make ALL MUSLIMS bad? If I am following the logic of Islam correctly . . we are looking at a stinking religion here. Some might even call it evil.
Is THIS why the overwhelming number of moderates that call themselves Muslim have not, will not, or can not speaketh up?
The Muslims at UCI came of their own free will and should expect to be required to follow American and University rules while here. If they can not . . .they should go home.
Sure we have freedom of speech, but it is only as free as it can be without disrupting another persons freedom of speech. Duh.
These are University Students that are spitting on our traditional values. Their right to strike someones face ends at the tip of that person's nose. Okay, I've not said it right but you get the idea.
Keep up the great blogs.
Bump
Bumps,
ReplyDeleteThis blog will stand against any attempt to turn the us into a Muslim country or install shariah law. That being said, I also try not to indict all Muslims as people. Those who do speak out against radicalism are my heroes.
I have been a firm critic of the msu-especially their invited speakers. What UCi decides to do with the appeal is not for me to say. They do, however, have an obligation to make public how the appeal is resolved as to the msu as an organization. Any punitive action against individual students is private information.
I will continue to follow and report what happens.
As for them "going home", most all of them speak Englaish with no accent. That tells me they are Americans either born here or immigrated early with their families.
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThat is another possibility.
If they disrupted the ambassador's speech they should be suspended. They had every right to picket outside of course. I am with you in standing "against any attempt to turn the us into a Muslim country or install shariah law." I feel the same way about Roman Catholic triumphalists and evangelical Protestant Dominion theology. One thing I appreciate about the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (although I cannot join it) is that one pastor told me "Lutherans don't expect to control the state like the Calvinists do."
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, in order to put on an event or do anything on campus they have to be a recognized student organization. They are supposed to abide by campus policy. They could assemble anywhere else as an organization, but not on UCI campus if the suspension recommendation is implemented.
ReplyDeleteThe fishy part of this event in October is that it is scheduled to be held on campus. I doubt if they would go through the trouble of planning the event and creating the copy and the ad without the assurance that they could hold it at that time and place. They would have to go through Scheduling so it appears to have been ok'd at least that far some weeks ago.
If that is true than the conjecture that UCI forgave them once again and decided not to tell anyone but the MSU is true. I wouldn't put it past them because they used the same tactic of forgiving them and not announcing it in the Galloway illegal fundraiser several months earlier.
It is despicable cowardice on UCI's part and it will bring a cascade of bad consequences down on them. The MSU has established the heckler's veto as precedent there. What's to be denied the MSU now?
We'll just have to wait and see what transpires. However, we do expect a resolution to be made one way or another and for that decision to be made public. Since the suspension is due to begin with the September quarter, that decision should be made-and announced-shortly.
ReplyDeleteGary, We do expect a resolution one way or another and all we can do is to wait and see what transpires. The decision should be announced, agreed, but that is not what UCI did in the most recent episode like this in the Galloway Fundraiser.
ReplyDeleteThe tactic that worked out so well with the Galloway event put it all in the past tense and in the "old business" category and they slipped by without any real criticism. ("Oh yeah. Didn't you know? We investigated it and didn't find that any of our personnel did anything wrong. Also we couldn't tell from our investigation if the MSU's lying on the event application was intentional or just a silly mistake anyone could have made so we are not passing judgement on that. Nothing to see here. Move along.") It is worth trying again.
I think we have to face the sad fact that UCI, on the whole, doesn't WANT to do anything about the MSU. They have the same world-view and resonate with the MSU messages. If anything is to be done about UCI then they have to be forced into it... either by legislation, funding, or removal of the Chancellor or something else. No outrage by the MSU will be sufficient to warrant a response. (sound familiar?)
Miggie,
ReplyDeleteVery familiar. I susect if this thing is overturned or allowed to die, the Jewish Federation of OC will have egg all over their faces.
Not eggs. There is a recall, something about salmonella.
ReplyDelete