Now that the 2011 edition of anti-Israel Hate Week is over, I thought I would write down a few thoughts.
First of all, for the first time in memory, Amir Abdel Malik Ali was not a speaker. It may be that given the fact that the Muslim Student Union is on probation and the fact that Ali finally caused the university chancellor to make some sort of rebuke last year over his hateful words, the MSU was showing a degree of prudence in not bringing him back. Smart move.
The MSU moderators read a preamble to each event stating that their opposition to Zionism and Israel did not represent anti-Semitism and that they rejected anti-Semitism. Smart move.
Several of their speakers were themselves Jewish though strong opponents of Israel.
The theme was constant. Many of the speakers basically read from the same lesson plan. It was a repetitious account of the Israel-Palestinian conflict from the Palestinian point of view.
What you didn't hear about was any discussion of the terrible events going on in one Middle Eastern country after another plus Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. If it's not one government massacring its people in the streets for protesting, it's Christian churches being burned down and Christians massacred in places like Egypt and Pakistan or horrific slaughters taking place in the disputed territories like the West Bank. Yet, the only subject for discussion was Israel. Hypocritical? You be the judge.
Once again, the MSU has called themselves into question by their choice of speakers like that madcap Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, who praised the Iranian government and schmoozes with a blood-thirsty tyrant like Ahmadinejad and a disillusioned young Iraqi war vet who has turned against his own country.
Once again, that pathetic OC Jewish Federation stood on the sidelines, their officials coming out to stand around and watch, while not making any challenge to the speakers and deriding or opposing those that do. Anteaters for Israel used two of the four days to erect David Horowitz's "Wall of Lies". Hillel set up a stand to sell cookies and lemonade or whatever it was. It was basically left to the community to make a stand, which they did on Wednesday when about 50 people showed up. As it was, some jerk made a call to the UCI Campus Police reporting that a mob was coming to shut the event down. Thus, the Campus Police and even Irvine PD turned out in force due to a false alarm. The "mob" consisted of about 50 greyhairs, mostly women with two young children leading the pack carrying flags. Rest assurred that when we confirm the identity of the caller(s), it will be revealed on this site and throughout Orange County.
Finally, this point: Just like every other year, the only people who turn out to listen to these speeches are those directly interested in the issue, while the other 99.9% of students pass by on their way to class or lunch. The only other ones who show up are those who are assigned to cover the events by their activist sociology or political science etc professors.
Sir, with all due respect, this simply is not true. We (MSU) had an entire week dedicated to the terrible events happening in the world, with a special focus on the events happening in the Middle East, (Antioppression Week, 2 weeks before Palestine Awareness Week). We had a large display up this entire week when people could come up themselves and highlight oppression throughout the world. People educated others about government oppression in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and most other Middle Eastern countries. We've had informational booths for Egypt, Libya, and Syria throughout this year to raise awareness of what is happening. If you would have looked at our tents behind the wall, we had a Syria and Libya booths up during this entire week.
ReplyDeleteIf you bother to pay attention to our events throughout the entire year, or had even bothered to look at our booths during this week, you will see that by no means is the 'only subject for discussion Israel'. MSU tries its best to raise awareness about oppression and injustice all around the world, including in so called 'Muslim countries', and this can be seen from our various events held throughout the year. We have more emphasis on the Palestinian Israeli conflict because we believe there is a lack of awareness about it and about the part our government plays. But by no means is this the only issue we talk about.
So if its a tiny little mutual admiration society, why pay attention to it?
ReplyDeleteThere haven't been any dhimmis for over a thousand years.
Real Jews are not liberals, they are socialists. I only have to go back 100 years to say that, not 1000 years.
Kooresh,
ReplyDeleteI think I missed two speakers, Hedy Epstein and Hatem Bazian. Of the ones I listened to, there was scant if any mention of what is going on in the Muslim countries except a couple of fleeting references to the "Arab Spring". All I heard was Israel, Israel and more Israel. You are correct that I did not visit the one or two tables set up behind the wall. I am also aware that a couple of weeks ago, prof O'Connell had a couple of seminars devoted to what is going on in the ME, which I did not bother to attend-knowing his bent.
So that leads me to ask you 2 questions: If the MSU would like to see all those dictatorships fall, what do you want to see them replaced with- true democracy-which has never existed in any of those countries or an Islamic state (ie- Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt?
The second question foes back to my original point. In Egypt, we have Coptic Christians being persecuted and their churches burned. This is nothing new.
In Iran, Baha'i are being persecued by the Islamist govt. By persecution-as I said to Rabbi Weiss, that means murder, arrests, rape, charges of treason, torture and hanging-by the Iranian govt that your speaker Weiss defends. Gays are hanged. Last year how many protesters did the govt shoot down in the streets?
In Pakistan, all we see are bombs going off, people being killed, Christians and Ahmadi Muslims being persecuted and churches burned.
Same in Iraq where they are burning Christian churches and killing worshippers.
In Syria, the govt is slaughtering protesters. Same in Yemen as the last remaining Jews are being driven out.
Bahrain. Govt shooting protesters.
Palestinian authority. A family of five including three children including a 3-month-old infant slaughtered as Palestinians celebrate and pass out sweets.
And you spend a week damning Israel.
There is no diplomatic way to say this Koorosh, but don't you think you need to get your own house(s) in order before you condemn Israel?
This week, you brought in Michael prysner, who hates everything about America. You brought in Rabbi Weiss, who defends the evil regime in Teheran. In the past the MSU has brought in Malik Ali, an anti-Semite who hates his own country as much as Israel. There has been George Galloway, Alim Musa and Mohammed al Asi, who (in 2001) said, "You can take the Jew out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the Jew".
I am sorry to say this, but you can claim all you want that ther eis no anti-semitism or no anti-American agenda on the part of the MSU, but you are responsible for the speakers you invite. When they come to campus and say outrageous things, you are all tainted by it. The MSU has given UCI a horrible reputation world-wide because of the speakers it sponsors.
You may not believ this, but I dodn't hate you young people in the MSU. What I do despise are the adults who manipulate you and come to say outrageous things during your annual May events. I fully recognize that young American Muslims are caught up in what is a world in turmoil with Islam and trying to figure out where you all fit into this. You ultimately have a decision to make as to where you stand. I will close by recommending you read the words of true moderate Muslims like Stephen Schwartz and Zuhdi Jasser. If you really want to convince the public of your good intentions, you might consider inviting them to speak next year.
MSU does not have any stance on what sort of government is wants in Egypt or any other country. That really is up to the Egyptian people or people of whatever respective country we are talking about. It is my personal opinion, and not any official stance of MSU, that it would probably be best if every country in the world had a representative democracy in which every political party is free to run, whether they be liberal, socialist, Islamist, secular, ect.
ReplyDeleteAll these things you talk about, religious minorities being oppressed, governments shooting their own people are things we are concerned about. As I said earlier, we had an entire week dedicated to this. We've had information booths on ring road constantly since January about these things.
Unfortunately the fact of the matter is that there is so many terrible things being done by every government in the world, including our own, that it is simply not possible to represent everything. In DRC, thousands of women are systematically raped every day as a part of a seemingly unending conflict. Just south of our borders, thousands of people have been killed in drug violence. North Korea, which is probably worse than anywhere, has its own issues. The list is unending. One has to pick and choose. Given we are American students on an American campus, its makes the most sense to focus on things that have a direct impact on our country, and that our government can directly effect. The Israeli Palestinian conflict is an example of this, a conflict we feel lacks the awareness it needs.
Is this the only thing we focus on? No. But it tends to be the thing that gets the most publicity. I would guess its because UCI is in a rather conservative area where people tend to have strong pro Israeli views. I respect that, people can hold whatever views they desire, but its probably why our pro Palestinian activism gets so much publicity. If you look at the other, less publicized (by others) events we hold, you will see Israel is by no means the only country whose bad action we highlight.
Also, quick note, you speak as if MSU UCI was and remains to be a single, continuous entity. MSU is simply comprised of students who come to this campus for 4 or 5 years, then move on. None of the people who were in MSU in 2001 are in MSU today, they have moved on to other things. In 4 years, 90% of MSU will be new people. Each year, whatever new group of students is part of MSU, gets together and votes for speakers. Not everyone agrees with everything, different people have different opinions, but ultimately we go with what the majority picks. If you dislike those speakers and what they say, that is your right, but we are not going to change the system through which we pick speakers because of that.
By no means do I think you hate us. You simply have a very, very different worldview. Which is quite understandable. The reason I feel most people attending our events do not take you very seriously is because almost every question you've asked has either been an ad hominum or guilt by association attack on the speaker, instead of a question relating to the talk. If you simply contested the things that our speaker said, during the speech on that day, college students would probably find you much more convincing. Just a suggestion, no offense intended.
I've watched some videos of Zuhdi Jasser, and to be honest I find him to be a bit of a joke. He is utterly paranoid about things that largely do not exist. But I'll be sure to look into Stephen Schwartz. Thank you for your detailed response.
Koorosh,
ReplyDeleteMany individuals are will aware of Islam and have studied this reiligion as well as "Political Islam". We are well aware of the 17,000 terrorist attacks on other Muslims, Christians, Jews and Non-Muslims by Islamists, worldwide. We are also aware of the genocide of Armenians conducted by the Otomans. We are concerned about what is taught to Muslims in Mosques. After all, the Koran states we are: Diseased (2:10), Evil (2:99), Deaf dumb and blind (2:171), Can't be our friends (3:28), Are our enemies (4:101), Losers (5:53), Pigs and apes (5:60), Evil (5:59), Worst beasts (8:55), Filthy (9:28), Perverts (9:30), And the vilest of creatures (98:51). We are concerned when Muslim Brotherhood organizations call us "Islamaphobic". And we say:
It is NOT ISLAMAPHOBIC to have a rational fear of Pre-Pubescent Child Rape ( Koran 65:4)
It is NOT ISLAMAPHOBIC to have a rational fear of Gang Rape (24:13)
It is NOT ISLAMAPHOBIC to have a rational fear of Sex Slaves (4:24)
It is NOT ISLAMAPHOBIC to have a rational fear of Amputation and Crucifixion (5:33)
It is NOT ISLAMAPHOBIC to have a rational fear of Beheading (8:12, 47:4)
It is NOT ISLAMAPHOBIC to have a rational fear of Wives Beating (4:34)
It is NOT ISLAMAPHOBIC to have a rational fear of Murder (2:191, 9:5, 9:111)
It is NOT ISLAMAPHOBIC to have a rational fear of Theft and Robbery (Entire Chapter 8 called Booty)
It is NOT ISLAMAPHOBIC to have a rational fear of Extortion (9:29)
It is NOT ISLAMAPHOBIC to have a rational fear of lying.
Indeed Steven Schwartz and Zuhdi Jasser and Geert Wilder, have come up with solutions about this issue, but to no avail, the Islamist leadership wants to hold tight to the verses of the Koran that do not allow you to reach out. Check out the "Sword" verses and what they say about non-Muslims.
Yes, there is a lot to discuss, but it is not with the likes of Malik Ali, Michale Prysner, Rabbi Weissor Matan Cohen, Alim Musa, or George Galloway.
Squid
Koorosh,
ReplyDeleteI think my questions to particular speakers out carefully. Actually, I have treated many speakers with respect such as Hedy Epstein, Mirtaban and even Alison Weir. Last year, I apologized to her before my question for the disruption she was enduring from a lone woman who was acting out. Even Malik Ali and I have had two face to face debates that lasted several minutes after his speech. In these encounters, he tends to be respectful. When galloway came here in 2009, I was asking a very respectful question about anti-Semitic slurs voiced during the Gaza protests when he cut me off and called me a liar. If a speaker has questionable associations, they deserve to have it pointed out. It is true that I have made statements rather than ask questions when i think the speaker is particularly objectionable. William Robinson last year is one example. Actually, my first experience with MSU rallies was about 5 years ago when I happened onto a speech by Abdul Alim Musa who was so outrageous, I called him an idiot.
As for the MSU, I am sure many just join for the religious support and social links without radical intentions. I am just as sure that the leaders of the MSU will be those who are more inclined to be activists.
As to what happens to Egypt etc, I agree it is up to them to decide. I have come to the conclusion that we should get the hell out of the whole mess. Nation-building is a fool's errand.
I love many Catholics (not all) and despise the Papacy, as an office. I could as well have a pleasant lunch with Mr. Ratzinger as with David Horowitz, or visit a rose garden with Miggie.
ReplyDelete