fousesquawk
In response to statements made Thursday during Israel Apartheid Week at the University of California, Irvine, UCI Chancellor Michael Drake issued this staement this afternoon:
---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: From the Chancellor
From: "Michael V. Drake, Chancellor"
Date: Sat, May 15, 2010 5:30 pm
To: UCI Campus Community:;
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"As I often do when events occur that breach our university's
commitment to values and civility, I feel a necessity to speak out.
I'm speaking today of the offensive remarks supporting terrorism made
during the question period following a noontime lecture at the
flagpole on Thursday.
The past week included several speeches, lectures and discussions
providing opposing views on the Middle East conflict, one of the
world's most troubling confrontations. Much of what was said was the
type of discourse on a difficult issue that is the hallmark of an
educational institution committed to an exchange of ideas. Some of
these views are very difficult and offensive to listen to. As is the
case on all campuses, events sponsored by campus organizations and
visitors may feature ideas and opinions that can be starkly different
from ours. But as we know, it is nevertheless incumbent upon us to
protect the freedom of speech of those who visit our campus to express
their views, even when we disagree.
Let me be clear: we condemn the speaker's endorsement of terrorism.
Nothing could be more contrary to our fundamental values and our
commitment to dialogue and democratic rule, not violence. We are an
educational institution that promotes, practices and teaches
tolerance; these remarks supporting terrorism were deplorable.
As a public university our free speech venue is open to a broad range
of views, and we're a stronger campus for doing that. But we will
never allow ourselves to be defined by the outside views of others.
They may speak here, but they don't speak for us."
Chancellor Michael Drake
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Fousesquawk comment: Recognizing the right of free speech, this is the type of comment that many, including myself, have been requesting from the university for some time in response to the myriad cases of hateful speech that have occurred on the UCI campus for years.
While I welcome the statement, I wish Chancellor Drake had identified the speaker by name (Amir Abdel Malik Ali), as well as the organization that brought the speaker to campus (the Muslim Student Union) and any other student groups or university entities that may have co-sponsored the event. I say this especially in light of not only the statement by a Muslim Student Association member to David Horowitz at UC San Diego this past week, but the two investigations into the actions of the UCI MSU in the George Galloway fund raiser on May 21, 2009 and the February 8 disruption of the speech by the Israeli ambassador on February 8th.
What is the saying about three strikes?
4 Comments - Share Yours!:
Gary, It is a start. A baby step
for Chancellor Drake. Much more
should have been said but it is quite clear
to me that he was towing the PC line of not doing
the same thing as the administration in D.C.,
not saying the words radical
Islam or muslim terrorist.
Thanks for all the great
posts covering the last week
and beyond at UC Irvine.
Sheesh, what babies. A little speech that disturbs you and you're all about disposing of it by messing with the process, just like Drake et al.
Malik Ali played them all, and they walked right into his open door. "Do you support jihad on UCI campus?" If it speaks to power yes". Is that violence? Please.
I dislike this sort of politic (but clearly the Palestinians are up against the wall, and Israelis have not exactly been angels...), but please, speech is speech, especially that that you (and I) do not like.
The message is also in the delivery, not just the payload. You all done got played.
Tomic,
perhaps but the palestinians
do not get sympathy from me.
They are pawns of the Islamic,
left there to fester and cause problems.
Hate speech is hate
speech, and that is what this is
and this entire week was about.
Is it violence? No, but it is
a form of jihad, period. Do
you study Islam, islamic history
and have read the Qur'an, hadith?
1400 years of history have NOT
changed Islam and the nasty,
violent elements that are built
into it. Is is beyond mere speech.
That is part of the problem most
people do not recognize with
Islam. Do some research on Islam,
the Muslim Brotherhood and the
MSA. Free speech is the Last thing
Islam will respect once it
has acheived it's purpose of establishing a global islamic
caliphate, one country at a time.
Tomic,
Au contraire. I was there. (Were you?). Take it from me (or don't if you wish). Israel Apartheid Week got whooped at UCI.
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