fousesquawk
In the wake of the disruption of the Israeli Ambassador's Speech at UC-Irvine Monday night, it appears that the total number of arrestees stands at eleven, 8 from UCI and 3 from UC-Riverside. The case has been referred to the Orange County DA for possible prosecution. Already, their supporters have dubbed them the "Irvine 11" and are calling for donations to help in their legal defense as well as urging people to write to the university chancellor on their behalf.
After all, it was only an exercise in "free speech".
"American as apple pie", proclaims Mahdi Bray, spokesman for the Muslim American Society of Alexandria, Virgina, who have now emerged and announced they are supporting "The Irvine 11". Here's the full quote:
WASHINGTON, DC (MASNET) Feb. 11, 2010 - MAS Freedom Executive Director Mahdi Bray has been contacted by a family member of the Irvine Eleven (see article below) and is offering its services to the UC Irvine Muslim students. Mahdi Bray of MASF said of the arrests: "Non-violent direct action is part and parcel of the American protest culture, think where this nation would be if students didn't disrupt the segregated lunch counters in the south, or if Dr. King didn't disrupt the status quo of Jim Crow and discrimination in our nation. The Irvine Eleven are not criminals but students of conscience who have taken a principled stand on human rights and the sanctity of all life, non violent protest is as American as apple pie."
Of course, Bray reportedly has a history of defending Muslims charged with far more serious offenses than the "Irvine 11". He has been quoted as calling the war on terror a war on Islam. If you look at some of his past quoted statements, you might conclude he has a strange idea of what apple pie is.
In the meantime, Chancellor Michael Drake is also hearing from folks with a different point of view-those who are calling for his resignation. No doubt, some are writing to University President Mark Yudoff to demand Drake be forced out. Good luck with that too. Personally, I have no dog in that hunt because changing chancellors doesn't solve the problem, which is institutional. It is the very culture of American universities that has to change.
It was during the tenure of the previous chancellor, Ralph Cicerone, that UCI witnessed a similar incident when former Bush Justice Department attorney John Yoo came to speak-at the chancellor's invitation a few years back. Of course, Yoo was one of the DOJ lawyers who wrote memos outlining permissible interrogation techniques on captured terrorists in the wake of 9-11 (Good man, Mr Yoo). When he showed up to speak at UCI, loutish students and loutish professors turned out to turn the event in something resembling an English soccer match while Cicerone reportedly sat silently in the back of the room like a potted plant.
But a bigger problem as I see it is the weakness of some of the local Orange County Jewish organizations. While some of us have been trying for years to bring public awareness to what is happening on the UCI campus, our efforts have been thwarted by certain Jewish groups who have either denied the problem or have tried to work within the university structure-without success, in my view. Now they have egg on their faces. Now they are going around to the news media making statements decrying what happened Monday night.
Where have they been the past several years?
Where have you been Orange County Jewish Federation?
Where have you been UCI-Hillel?
Where have you been Orange County American Jewish Committee?
Missing in action, that's where.
"Problem? What problem?"
4 Comments - Share Yours!:
Freedom of expression at american universities has become a joke. Freedom there only belongs to those on the left while those on the right are given none by those on the left who wrap themselves in the 1st. The whole thing is a joke and the only solution I see is for those on the right to began to exert their 1st amendment rights and shout down those on left. Unfortuately at this time there are not many at our colleges to voice the conservative view.
Indeed a switch of Chancellor will not help or stop this problem. UC Irvine is but one of many colleges where such behavior has been tolerated as acceptable, open discourse on hot button issues.The lack of the Jewish community and groups not standing up to such thuggery is not far removed from the Jews who thought it would get 'better and end soon' in Germany during the 1930's. I personally find this attitude sad and infuriating. Get off your asses, start standing up for yourselves and fighting back.
Controlling the education system is one of the big keys to the establishment of a socialist state.
It is going to be very interesting
to see how this plays out and how mcuh 'trouble' the 11 Muslims thugs get from the courts.
Do I see a mere slap on the hand coming, if that?
They should be kicked out of this country if they
are immigrants. If on scholarship
and legal citizens then they should penalized. Too tough, not when the system is constantly abused as it is by Muslims exhibiting such behavior. Just for the record what I suggested above should also go for ANY student, jew, Christian, agnostic whatever who behaves in such a rotten manner.
I should point out that virtually all the MSU students at UCI are Americans judging by their accents.
We have a lot of Arab students in our ESL program, in which I teach, mostly Saudi and AUE. They are not involved.
Deportation is not an issue here.
I have to agree with Gary as I just get ticked off at how one sided this always is. Perhaps with the way the UC Irvine is being exposed, maybe things will start to change. It has to start someplace, why not UC Irvine.
Not all Muslim/Islamic students are radicalized or involved with the groups that behaved so badly.
The ones that do behave like this, really make it hard on the Musoims that do care and are well behaved.
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