Monday, June 14, 2010

The tone deaf make unpleasant noises

.
     The Muslim community in this town should hire a good public relations professional, because, on their own, they’re just pissing everybody off. Shouting a guy down (the Israeli ambassador, Michael Oren), not letting him speak?
     Bad form, that. Clueless, stupid, counterproductive.
     It’s hard to know what to make of this latest development—the University’s reported decision to “ban” IVC’s Muslim Student Union for a year. On it’s face, it looks awful. How did it come to that? Is UCI trying to piss off the entire Muslim world?
     The latest: now, there is some question concerning the the nature of the action UCI officials took with regard to the MSU:

Muslim Student Union members shocked by suspension

     …Campus officials at UCI have banned the Muslim Student Union for one year and placed the organization on disciplinary probation for an additional year, according to the Jewish Federation Monday morning.
     Federation officials say they obtained documents from the university through the Freedom of Information Act, which show that the Muslim Student Union has been suspended on campus effective Sept. 1.
     MSU members said contrary to the federation's statements, the student group has not been officially suspended.
. . .
     The group has appealed the decision, according to Husam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Members also denies that the Oren disruptions were an officially sanctioned MSU activity and that the students acted on their own.
     Their attorney, Reem Salahi, said based on her understanding of the university's policies and procedures, what has been issued is not a "ban," but only a recommendation. The student group is waiting to meet with university officials.
     "That said, I don't agree with their actions at all," she said. "This is nothing but collective punishment. All Muslim students on campus have been punished for the actions of a few."
     So far, UCI has not released any information about this ban and does not plan on doing so, said Cathy Lawhon, director of media relations.
. . .
     Ayloush said he is disappointed by The Jewish Federation's decision to release information that was meant to be confidential.
     "I'm puzzled at their attempt to score political points at the expense of the privacy of the students and the process that is internal to UCI," he said.
. . .
     Ayloush called the university's actions "unprecedented, heavy-handed and draconian."
     "It appears to be politically motivated to silence any future peaceful and legitimate criticism of Israel's brutal practices," he said. "This was nothing but a peaceful and symbolic protest of the Israeli Ambassador at UCI. It was a reflection of a growing worldwide campaign by human rights activists to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine and their racism toward the Palestinian people."
     The Muslim students did not engage in fraudulent, immoral or criminal behavior, Ayloush said.
     Shalom Elcott, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation Orange County, said he commends the university's decision to follow through on this issue.
     "The university's disciplinary action regarding the MSU establishes an important and appropriate precedent and sends a powerful message to other universities across the nation."
     Elcott said the federation along with other campus and local Jewish organizations have worked with the university to resolve this issue….

8 comments:

13 Stoploss said...

still waiting for "peaceful and legitimate" criticism of Israel. that's some clever lawyer speak for "I wasn't there, but these are good kids. they go to my mosque and I know the accusations are false."

and although I have no proof, I don't buy that they acted individually. I have seen firsthand, on many occasions, how the MSU acts like a mob. it would be wrong to punish the whole for the actions of a few, but the truth is that the whole supported and supports the few.

Anonymous said...

Well, this guy (Ayloush) is either a plain liar, or clueless and uninformed, as 13 suggests.

"It appears to be politically motivated to silence any future peaceful and legitimate criticism of Israel's brutal practices ... this was nothing but a peaceful and symbolic protest of the Israeli Ambassador at UCI." (Ayloush)

It's an awful situation, likely to get worse. I can't bring myself to condemn UCI, given the orchestrated and deliberate effort by the organization to stifle speech. Did other members of the group openly condemn the disruption? Not that I know of. That would make a difference to me.

The ringleaders and participants in this despicable action don't *get* what a University is, nor appreciate what it should be. Most disturbing.

MAH

Anonymous said...

I've yet to hear an solid voice of opposition from the Muslim community condemning terrorist acts in places guaranteed to kill a number of bystanders, and I don't mean in Israel. I could be incorrect.

Anonymous said...

11:16, you are incorrect. Muslims all over the world are condemning acts of terrorism. Check out the Council on American-Islamic relations website: http://www.cair.com/AmericanMuslims/AntiTerrorism.aspx.

Anonymous said...

BTW, Hussam Ayloush is the executive director of CAIR’s L.A. chapter--the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Anonymous said...

This is very good to know, 9:03 (and what I would have expected--I am not 11:16). It needs to be widely and emphatically promulgated, as I don't believe it has been, sufficiently by the press (no surprise there). Thanks very much for the link.

MAH

Anonymous said...

Shouldn't the organizations themselves be undertaking the promulgation, or are they afraid of being blown up?

Anonymous said...

"Unprecedented, heavy-handed and draconian."

That's a good description of the behavior of the MSU members. Unfortunately, the person who said it in the article was referring to the action of UCI in banning the group!

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...