In the first clip, Peled stops his presentation to call me out for videotaping. This is just after the 6 minute mark.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/Xiqy9iYH46U
http://www.youtube.com/embed/uLQ12Nm7I9I?feature=player_videoeditor
The Muslim Student Union at UC Irvine is off to a stumbling start in the first two days of its annual bash-Israel week of "events". Today's noon speaker was Miko Peled, an Israeli who hates everything his country stands for. I will be posting the video, but suffice to say, his talk consisted of trashing his country from one end to the other. You would have thought he was talking about Nazi Germany. There were about 35 people in the room, mostly MSU members as well as some Hillel members, a couple of pro-Israel Jews from the community and 3-4 middle-aged people whom I would call "useful idiots" (More about that later.) Of course, at the outset, the moderator announced that no videotaping could be done without the "express consent of the MSU". I dutifully raised my hand and once again informed them of the right to film. I said that unless I was ordered to stop by a campus police officer or a dean, I would film, and I did. The dean of students, Rameen Talesh, was in the room and made no move to stop me.
During his talk, Peled referred to me breaking the rules and being rude by not following the rules. I replied that I was following the law and that this was the United States of America. I kept filming. Having seen previous videos of Peled speaking, he was clearly off his game.
The useful idiots in the front row were giving me dirty looks.
In the beginning of his speech, Peled referred to the so-called "Irvine 11" the UCI-UC Riverside students who were convicted of a misdemeanor for disrupting the speech of the Israeli ambassador to the US in 2010. Peled said he was proud to be speaking before the UCI-MSU.
As usual, the Q and A was designed to prevent audience members from really making points or asking follow ups. This time it was form a line to the right. We will take three questions. After you ask your question, return to your seat. After all three questions were asked, Peled would answer all of them together.
"Ah wunnerful, ah wunnerful, ah"
The result was that he didn't really answer anything-just chose to continue his anti-Israel diatribe. I chose to remain in my seat. If an Israeli guy hates his own country that much, what's to argue about? Things got heated when one of my Jewish friends tried to ask a question but kept getting interrupted. Rabbi Zevi Tenenbum, whom I had blasted in a posting earlier this morning, walked up to the mic and asked Peled how he could be proud to speak at the same podium where Jew-haters like Amir Abdel Malik Ali had spoken. He got no real answer. I complemented Rabbi Tenenbaum after the event and told him I was making an addition to my earlier post.
Another Jewish friend of mine went up to Peled after the event and asked him about his effort to stop someone from filming in the US. He ignored the question and was ushered out the door by his MSU retinue as my friend called him a coward.
In addition, the Dean Talesh came up to me afterward and told me he had explained to the students that I did, indeed, have a right to film. I thanked him.
But the creme de la creme was when one of my Jewish friends was being lectured by one of the aforementioned useful idiots as she criticized Israel. At one point, my friend mentioned something about the Boston attack as "American citizens killing American citizens". To that the woman replied, "We still don't know yet if it was the Tsarnaev brothers".
I will close on that note. I am planning to skip the evening event because it will be the same arrogant speaker. I have heard enough.
13 comments:
Thanks for the updates.
It would be nice if we lived in the world where there were simple solutions that someone like someone like Peled believes would solve the conflict.
I read the Islamophobia editorial in the New University. It makes a couple points and then jumps off a cliff.
Yes, the United States is not a Christian nation. Yes, we believe in tolerating different religions.
Yes, there is such thing as Islamophobia. A Muslim cab driver was beaten by some asshole because he was upset at Muslims.
From there it goes off the rails.
A good counter to the New University piece is this artice:
http://tinyurl.com/islamophobia2013
Of course most Muslims show tolerance and are good people and do good deeds. That is not in dispute. But when "numerous atheist speakers lambast Islam" --like Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens -- they are now considered Islamophobic.
When someone like Harris is critical of Islam, his goal is to stop people from making claims about things they really cannot know for certain. He isn't out to change laws to persecute Muslims (or Christians). His ultimate goal would be that belief in Islam or Christianity is seen how many people see a belief in astrology is held today.
Can the editorial board at the New University not see the difference between the guy who beat up a cab driver and someone like Harris ?
There is a big difference in my mind. One is an Islamophobe and the other is speaking out against ideas he disagrees. One can disagree with Harris and other atheists but no reason to lump him with true Islamophobes.
Sounds like nobody covered themselves in glory. Too bad, because there are real issues in the middle east, and everyone likes to pour glitter over themselves, since there's darn little glory to go around.
Sounds like nobody covered themselves with glory. Too bad, because there are real issues in the middle east, and all the players like to pour glitter over themselves since there's darn little real glory to go around. Pathetic.
Anonymous,
A university campus will turn itself upside down when certain groups are wronged, but ignore the 800 pound gorilla standing in front of it. The gorilla is anti-Semitism on college campuses. As for Islamophobia, it's out there, but we are not seeing innocent Muslims being attacked-with rare exceptions. Americans have reacted with restraint.
Where is Daniel Pipes going to give his talk today?
Pipes event is 7 oc clock at UCI Student Center-Doheny Beach room
Anti-semitism on American college campuses is more like an 80 pound gorilla. Its not totally absent, but hardly dominant or particularly fearsome in scope and power.
"At one point, my friend mentioned something about the Boston attack as "American citizens killing American citizens". To that the woman replied, "We still don't know yet if it was the Tsarnaev brothers"."
This is an indication of the type of mindless automatons the MSU has as its members. One brother told the guy whose car he highjacked that he did the bombing and then he was killed in a firefight with the police (or his own brother ran him over). The other brother has confessed and given up some guys who helped him get rid of incriminating evidence.
Yet this Muslim student genius thinks the proof is insufficient! That's what we are dealing with here.
I'm sure they would take him into their mosque and organization. In a few months they will want to put up a mosque at the spot of the bombing.
Siarlys,
You are wrong. It is the biggest anti- on our campuses but according to the rules of political correctness will never be recognized as such. The big news at UCI this past week is the blackface controversy and Islamophobia.
Gary: your statement is tautological. Any reason we should all take your word for it? (Remember Joe Isuzu?)
Gary,
I missed the distinction. I suppose it shows the hard wiring of irrational defensive victimization within the Muslim community and then assumed by their useful idiots if this lady is any indication of how the rest of them feel.
As a matter of fact, it is the kind of comment I would expect from Obama or Eric Holder. They aren't Muslims but they have the same world-view.
I'm sure this cultural attribute is passed on to the younger generation ... how else do you get teenagers to wear those ridiculous outfits?
Siarlys,
No. (I don't remember Joe Isuzu)
After some outrageously and obviously false claims about the performance of the cars he was selling, Joe Isuzu would end the commercial "You have.... MY word on it! You remind me of him.
I can always tell by the rise in your strident emotional pitch and resort to ad hominem distractions when you have realized you have no rational answer to what I've just posted. Rather like the way the MSU invited speakers respond with a froth of denunciation when you've got them dead to rights.
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