Please see the following 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 see the following article for more information:
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38997
Sample Letter:
Dear Mr. Cicerone,
I find it very disturbing that an atmosphere of hate and intimidation of Jewish students exists on your campus and that it has been allowed to continue unchecked. When a similar environment was created at San Francisco State, President Robert A. Corrigan became a critical role model for the country when he said "Hate Speech is not Free Speech." It helped change the rhetoric on that campus and others.
The wearing of green arm bands, while constitutionally protected, is a symbol of radicalism and terrorism shared by those who would destroy not only Israel but Western culture as a whole. It is important that the administration speak out to help students understand that intolerance and racism are not values that UC Irvine supports, and that respectful dialogue and honest intellectual discourse are the ways to learn, grow, and resolve differences.
Sincerely,
Send your letters to:
Manuel Gomez Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs (mngomez@uci.edu)
Ralph J. Cicerone, Chancellor (ZOTMAIL@uci.edu)
TALKING POINTS
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.