This evening, I took the above photo in the UC Irvine Student Center Courtyard Lounge (I believe it is called). On one wall of the lounge the university has posted a series of color photographs of various protests that have occurred at UCI in recent years. Most of them are from the various Muslim Student Union annual anti-Israel protests that occur each May. The photo above is a sign that appears below the MSU photos.
Here is my point: Is it UCI's position that Israel mistreats Palestinians?
Why does the sign make a point out of referring to "off campus people" who are pro-Israel? Is it because university spokespersons have previously stated that critics of the situation at UCI are chiefly off-campus groups who are causing increased tension on campus by exaggerating Jewish-Muslim tensions?
This brings to mind the UCI outdoor message marquee that advertised the MSU event: "Israel-The Politics of Genocide" a couple of years ago, and removed it after complaints that it appeared UCI was putting its imprimatur on the title of the event.
The wording above may be trivial. It may simply a matter of semantics or poor wording. Yet, I would suggest that the wording be altered so that nobody can infer that UCI's position is that Israel does or does not mistreat Palestinians.
As to the off-campus, pro-Israel people is concerned, I don't consider myself off campus since I have taught at UCI (part-time) for almost 14 years. I might also add that the list of speakers that MSU has sponsored over the years, like Amir Abdel Malik Ali, are also from "off-campus".
Language matters. It implies, and people infer.
6 comments:
Here we go again! The MSU seems to think that they own UCI, as documented in written and video form. The MSU needs to be continually reminded that a good number of "off campus people" (OCP) are residents of Irvine, or Orange County. Some of the OCP individuals are also instructors from other universities, who have rights to be on campus, due to academic courtesy. A reminder that the greater majority of the OCP pay taxes to support and pay for the UCI.
In conclusion, the MSU must understand that they do not own UCI. They have the same status on campus as any Californian, who would like to "hang around".
Squid
There is no question that Israel mistreats Palestinians.
To keep that in perspective, one must also consider, how to Palestinians mistreat Israel, what motivates Israel to mistreat Palestinians, how Israeli policy falls on Palestinians who are perfectly happy to accept Israel, begrudgingly willing to accept Israel, peacefully hostile to Israel, and violently hostile to Israel?
MSU loses credibility by treating this as a simple open and shut question. Fousesquawk, unfortunately, tends to deny everything MSU says, rather than offering a more complete picture.
Finally, a monument to the nearsighted, self-serving ineptitude of the self appointed " Jewish leadership"! Small wonder Jewish students are now avoiding UCI and enrolling elsewhere.
MSU "loses credibility" (if it ever had any) by hypocritically singling Israel out, but avoiding the senseless brutality and cold blooded murders occurring on a daily basis in Muslim countries like Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt, Iran.... oh gee my fingers are getting tired. .
Many of these MSU members a have parents who escaped these "models of human rights". Rather than clean their own back yard, they continually dump on Israel and The US.
By the way, the "Palestinians" have been, and are being treated miserably in most Muslim countries and no one,including the MSU gives a rip. (no "boycott and divestment here) Why, because they are too busy trying to destroy Israel.
I'd believe the motives of the pro-Palestinian movement if there weren't 400,000+ of them living with zero rights in Lebanon and not mentioned by anyone.
It's not pro-Palestinian, it's anti-Jew because a Jewish democracy which is allied with the USA is a political threat to the Arab League.
Well first, it is certainly true that the interests of "the Palestinian people" and the interests of "the Arab League" are significantly different. The distinctions were obscured at gun-point in 1947, as the movie Exodus portrays, even if it is a rather romanticized oversimplification.
UCI hasn't taken any position for or against Israel OR the Arab League. Various organizations on campus have exercised their right of free speech in a limited public forum.
To the extent that any individual or group has acted to chill the similar exercise of free speech of any other individual or group, or to target anyone violently no matter what the motive, that should be dealt with according to applicable law.
It is neither effective nor particularly justified to sling broadside accusations of institutional anti-Semitism. IF the university ruled that it cannot enforce either its own codes or state law against Muslim students because that might provoke violence, while enforcing both vigorously against Jewish students because its easy to do, THEN we have a basis to call in the DOJ.
Post a Comment