Special Alert: WRITE to UC Irvine re. HATE SPEECH

[Mediocrates]

Special StandWithUs Alert on June 16, 2004

Dear Friends of Israel,

WRITE TO UC IRVINE's ADMINISTRATORS

The administration at UC Irvine remains silent in the face of severe hate
speech at their school. Jewish students on campus are upset and feel
uncomfortable, and have been uncomfortable for too long. It seems that
the Muslim students on campus have escalated the hate speech, demonizing
Israel and Zionism, and are now even preparing to wear green sashes to
their graduation on June 19, which say "shahada."

"Shehada", can have two meanings. It can refer to the Moslem confession
of faith as follows - "There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is his
prophet" - OR, it may refer to martyrdom... and acts of murder for the
sake of Allah. Note that a variation of the same word - "shahid" - is
used to describe someone who has become a martyr, including those who
commit acts of murder in suicide bombings. In 2004,
"Shahada" reminds us, unfortunately, of radicalism and terrorism, and it
is doubtful that moderate Muslims would wear such a symbol at this time.

As we know, wearing a swastika or a KKK outfit is a matter of free speech.
Making hateful speeches on campus these last few weeks leading up to the
wearing of sashes that say "shahada" certainly ties in with the
radicalized political themes of the Muslim Student Union, but it all still
qualifies as free speech.

HOWEVER: We would like to ask the administration to come forward, and
exercise their own free speech, by making an overdue bold statement,
denouncing hate speech on their campus. We would like to ask the
administration to support the Jewish students by FINALLY responding to
their concerns.

StandWithUs began a letter writing campaign directed at the UC Irvine
administration last Friday, June 11, in order to encourage them to make a
bold statement. There is no time to waste. Graduation is on June 19.
When the rhetoric was heating up at San Francisco State, President Robert
A. Corrigan became a critical role model for the country, when he came up
with the slogan: "Hate Speech is not Free Speech," and it helped change
the rhetoric on that campus and others.

HATE SPEECH may fall under the category of FREE SPEECH...and hateful
behavior, like wearing an arm band implying kinship with Hamas and/or
Hezbollah, may also qualify as free speech, but if it isolates and
demonizes one group on campus, it must not go unnoticed by the
administration.

Please contact the administration:

Manuel Gomez Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs (mngomez@uci.edu)

Ralph J. Cicerone, Chancellor [ZOTMAIL@uci.edu]

Please use the following points in your letter to the administration, and
send a copy of your letter to: campus@standwithus.com

Thank you for your help with this very critical matter,

BACKGROUND:

Issue Number One:

A note from Muslim Student leadership to MSU and SAS members:

Re. the wearing of “shahada” sashes at graduation:

(letter from MSU board to students)

Assalamualaikum,

Attention all graduating Muslims, in response to overwhelming

> popularity, the graduation sashes are back! The Sashes are green with
the shahada on one side and a verse in arabic calligraphy on the other.
The words are in white and embroidered.

_____________________________________________

Other points of concern at UC Irvine...Provided by Larry Mahler, the
president of AEPI at UCI. All quotes are his…

Issues of Hate Speech:

Last Thursday the MSU (Muslim Student Union) brought in Amir Abdel Malik
Ali who is an open and vocal supporter of Hamas. He called for an Islamic
revolution in America (led by the "white college students, who will bring
their parents to Islam, also").
The students at UCI have not been able to record this man's speeches,
because they are inside the building and the administration has told them
that he has the right to not be recorded.
A mock checkpoint was set up right next to and immediately following his
speech. Members of their group dressed up as Israeli soldiers and others
as Palestinians. One student in particular was dressed up as a pregnant
Palestinian woman and was being beaten by another student dressed up as an
Israeli soldier.
The Title of his speech later that night was “Zionism: America’s Disease”.


Lack of Jewish opportunities on campus

Not only is Hebrew not offered on campus, there is a Judaic Studies
department without any classes ever offered


Reactions of the administration to Burning of Apartied Wall:

Jewish Students felt they were being blamed for the burning of the wall,
no evidence pointed to the Jewish groups.
The administration is quick to call the burning of a cardboard mural a
hate crime, yet does nothing about the blatant anti-Zionism/anti-Semitism
being propagated on campus
MSU did not allow Jewish groups to participate in a rally against hate
crimes after the wall was burnt, This was exceptionally insulting,
especially because several other organizations were prominently
represented, including Mecha and the Associated Students of UCI. Of
important note is that Vice Chancellor Manuel Gomez spoke at the rally, in
support of protecting student organization’s right to freedom of speech.”
“We are dumbfounded as to how the administration can react to this
incident in such a quick and responsive manner, when absolutely nothing
was done when our Holocaust memorial was destroyed, which was directly an
attack on Jews.”


Students take issue with the administration’s response:

The administration’s knowledge and lack of response to the wearing of
Hamas paraphernalia and vocal support of the terrorist organization by the
MSU and SAS.
The administration’s refusal of recording the MSU/SAS’s speakers, which
call for Islamic revolution in America as well as support of Hamas in
their overall war against Zionists and Western civilization.

[yossi316]

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