By
Garrett Troy
October 23, 2007
With the media eye focused on the juggernaut of global warming, the UW College Republicans want peolple to know that terrorism is the bigger threat.
The UW College Republicans will be holding a series of events this week to increase awareness for what they view as a global threat: the rise of radical Islam.
Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week will feature Suicide Killers, a documentary about suicide bombers Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Smith 205, and a guest speaker, nationally syndicated radio host and author Michael Medved, who will be appearing Thursday at 7 p.m. in Kane 220.
College Republicans President Tom Walker said he wanted to increase attention to this serious and urgent matter.
"I want to raise awareness in the UW community, and in the greater Seattle community, about a growing threat," Walker said. "[It] is a radical branch within Islam that is spreading around the world posing a threat not just to the West and the United States but also to moderate Muslims who have died and been slaughtered at the hands of militant Islamists."
The College Republicans will be tabling outside the HUB until Thursday in order to promote awareness among students.
Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week is being held in association with the David Horowitz Freedom Center, a conservative think tank based in Los Angeles, although their program is called the "Terrorism Awareness Project." Despite the differences in name, both groups are striving for the same goals.
"The threat of militant Islam, not all of Islam, is a very real threat," said Auggie Eck, College Republicans vice president. "We don't have terrorist attacks and we get more at ease and that's what terrorists take advantage of. The threat is still very real and still out there."
Former ASUW senate chair Hala Dillsi is leading a protest dubbed Anti-Islamophobia and Racism Week, against what she sees as a display of bigotry and intolerance.
"We are coming together to say these messages of intolerance aren't a way to have a dialogue," she said. "The way this is being framed is making it appear that all Muslims are fanatics."
Dillsi and her fellow protestors are backed by Max Wagner, the president of the Young Democrats.
"I don't support their hate speech," he said. "[Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week] is counter-productive. I thought the CRs had hit a high point last year when they advocated torturing detainees, but I guess I was wrong."
[Reach reporter Garrett Troy at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]
16 Comments
#1 Ray S.
on October 23, 2007 at 7:15 a.m.(Wenatchee, WA | Unverified Name)
I commend the work of the young Republicans. This is and will be a greater threat to our existence and our way of life as we know it. The more education to the public, the better. I realize Christianity has had it's "dark years", but time and a better understanding of the Bible has overcome. Islam was founded on hate, power and domination. After 1300 years, it has not changed. Thank you,
#2 AG
on October 23, 2007 at 9:29 a.m.(Kirkland, WA | Unverified Name)
Yes, let me also commend College Republicians for alerting us to the dangers of the Green Menace. Those Islamo-fascists are everywhere! It's a good thing we don't have apoclyptic fanatics like that in our country. Oh wait...
http://maxblumenthal.com/archives/176
But still, those Islamic fascist states like Saudi Arabia are dangerous! With enough firepower who knows what they could do. But it makes you wonder though... oh nevermind... I mean there's probably a legitimate reason why they are our number 1 customer of arms. I'm sure there's a good reason we need to sell them weapons "such as the M-1A2 Abrams main battle tank, M-2A2 Bradley armored vehicles, F-15E Strike Eagle attack aircraft and Patriot surface-to-air missile."
http://www.fas.org/asmp/profiles/saud...
Comeon, you say, thats Realpolitik. It's those really bad Islamofascist nations like Egypt (secular ally) Jordan (secular ally) and the rest with their secret police and torture.
And don't get me started on Iran. I mean Ahmadinejad is totally like the new Hitler. He has to be stopped. Sure that commie Fareed Zakaria wrote this in Newsweek:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/57346
"Here is the reality. Iran has an economy the size of Finland's and an annual defense budget of around $4.8 billion. It has not invaded a country since the late 18th century. The United States has a GDP that is 68 times larger and defense expenditures that are 110 times greater. Israel and every Arab country (except Syria and Iraq) are quietly or actively allied against Iran. And yet we are to believe that Tehran is about to overturn the international system and replace it with an Islamo-fascist order? What planet are we on? . . ."
Another far left Liberal extremist follows blindly in lockstep,
As an actual college professor, Professor of Middle East history Juan Cole of the University of Michigan, has noted, the Islamo-Fascism label makes no sense:
Fascism is not even a very good description of the ideology of most Muslim fundamentalists. Most fascism in the Middle East has been secular in character, as with Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party. Fascism involves extreme nationalism and most often racism. Muslim fundamentalist movements reject the nation-state as their primary loyalty and reject race as a basis for political action or social discrimination. Fascists exalt the state above individual rights or the rule of law. Muslim fundamentalists exalt Islamic law above the utilitarian interests of the state. Fascism exalts youth and a master race above the old and the “inferior†races. Muslim fundamentalists would never speak this way."
I mean why do these little Chamberlain hate America? All I can say is Thank You College Republicans for standing up to protect this country in this epic battle. Now on to the nearest Army recruiting station! We're coming to put a boot in your ass Iran!
#3 SeaBob
on October 23, 2007 at 10:45 a.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
I think this is a well written article. It brings to mind one question - is islamo fascism different from other kinds of fascism; such as Italian fascism or German fascism. This is the first time fascism has been tied to a religon rather than a nation. I think the republicans need to go back and understand exactly what it is they are discussing. As it stand now they are engaged in a smear campaign - SHAME ON THEM. One often wonders why republicans always need some one to hate. I think it is so they can make themselves feel better about their own pathetic little lives
#4 Resonant Distortion
on October 23, 2007 at 2:05 p.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
This is exactly why the Republicans are going to have their asses handed to them in the 2008 elections: they are the party of the ignorant and xenophobic, representative of fear, hatred and reactionary violence, with no contextual understanding of the historical and political factors that lead to acts of terrorism, and a support base that consists of extremists and corporate elites. And the majority of people in this country are realizing this, and in the next few election cycles they will cease to exist.
Evolution will take care of them.
#5 Drew
on October 23, 2007 at 4:08 p.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
This is disgusting. Good job, CR's on inviting Michael Medved. I'm sure a right-leaning shock jock is the absolute authority on so called "Islamo-fascism." What a joke.
#6 CJ
on October 23, 2007 at 4:30 p.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
Typical fear mongering by the republicans. We have an anti-american terrorism problem, it's not specific to Muslims. Remember Timothy McVeigh? I dont think he was a Muslim.
#7 Matt W
on October 23, 2007 at 5:40 p.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
I hope for the College Republican's sake that they didnt use too much of their funds in putting on something so pointless. Of all the issues in this world that need public attention, the CR's decide to raise awareness about the one that everyone already knows about? All a person has to do is set foot in an airport or watch CNN or Fox news for about five minutes to see what our "terror threat level" is. Is there really nothing better to do over there on the right?
#8 Kris
on October 23, 2007 at 8:03 p.m.(Tacoma, WA | Unverified Name)
Drew, CJ, and Matt W are all correct. The College Republicans are little more than a joke. It shows how our education system, and our university has obviously failed to provide them with any actual critical thinking skills of their own. "Islamofacism" is nothing more than a neocon buzzword, a cheap and racist attack by taking complicated geopolitical and theological issues and boiling them down to Muslims = Nazis. It's disgusting, but about what I'd expect from the slimey College Republicans.
#9 Whitney
on October 23, 2007 at 8:10 p.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
What the CRs are trying to do is mind blowing. Islamofacism only perpetuates the possibility for the violent and terrorist crimes that the College Republicans are supposedly trying to protect our university and our country against. By perpetuating hate and racism such as the college republicans are doing, they are only enforcing the very motives that can drive people to committ terrorist acts. All i am trying to say is promoting hate will not solve the problem of terrorism. If we want to help the problem of "terrorism," we have to promote mutual understanding and diversity.
#10 LBC
on October 23, 2007 at 8:58 p.m.(Washington, DC | Unverified Name)
How is this perpetuating hate and racism. The College Republicans seem to be making a point against the brand of fascism that is the biggest threat to the peaceful world these days. They even have the disclaimer that they are not criticizing Islam as a whole, but rather the militant entities that have hijacked a portion of the Islamic world. I think AG needs to look a little bit at his history. Fascist movements did not always support the young at the expense of the old. Mussolini wanted to create a new Roman Empire. Nazi Germany wanted to recover its lost glory. If you substitute religious bigotry for racism, the similarities are hard to ignore. There is no loyalty to any one nation state unless you consider the desire to create an Islamic Caliphate.
Just wondering, how is protesting the militant wing that has hijacked a religion promoting hate? And how will promoting mutual understanding and diversity solve the problem? I know that righteous indignation directed at the right wing is fun, but choose your battles.
To AG's Iran comments: I dont think anyone other than maybe Ahmadinejad himself thinks Iran will conquer the world. I think most people who follow the issue are more worried about him leaving a smoking crater where tel aviv is. I think Hitler, Tojo, and their buddies showed us that crazy leaders can do a lot of damage without actually conquering the world.
All of you are right, ignoring a problem and pretending it doesn't exist are the best ways to deal with it. Props to the College Republicans for providing a some sanity. And props to people of all religions who love freedom and peace.
#11 martha
on October 23, 2007 at 9:13 p.m.(Woodinville, WA | Unverified Name)
what's next? a white christian awareness week in support of the ku klux klan?!
#12 Chava
on October 23, 2007 at 10:51 p.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
Couldn't it be that what is happening with radical Muslism's (to generalize) response to US intervention is a harvest of empire that the US is reaping from what they have sown? The US foreign policy, not only in the Middle East, has continuoly been a policy of containment (general and not in terms of Cold War mentality) to try to control and benefit from other's, as the World Police. On top of this, there is always the idea of scapegoating a certain subaltern group as the root of all the problems, in order to some how reverse the negative consequences. Xenophobia is rampant, especially with extreme conservative Republicans who only want to benefit at everyone's expense. I really hope that the counter-response to this event is just as strong as the so call patriotic view, by the Republicans, to hate TERRORISTS (anyone against US hegemony).
#13 Brad
on October 23, 2007 at 11:39 p.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
Many of the posters are tiredly typical - brand someone saying something you find uncomfortable as a racist and hope that they shut up. Keep it up, CR's.
#14 AG
on October 23, 2007 at 11:42 p.m.(Kirkland, WA | Unverified Name)
LBC,
You are right that ignoring the problem is not prudent. Which is why I urge you to read Imperial Hubris by Michael Scheuer. Scheuer was the former chief of the bin Laden counterterrorism unit at the CIA. Read the book if you're serious about fighting terrorism. Or listen to an interview:
http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2007/09/1...
The policies of Bush et al. specifically the Iraq invasion have increased terrorism across the world by 600%. Further reading would include Blowback by Chalmers Johnson and Dying to Win by Robert Pape.
Listen to Pape speak here
http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2007/09/2...
"Robert A. Pape, professor of political science at the University of Chicago and author of the study Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism, explains why it is that suicide bombers do what they do: To rid their land of foreign combat forces. That’s it. Not religion. Not virgins in Heaven. Not Democracy. Not Freedom™. Not women’s rights… Occupation."
As for fascist countries, I assume then you accept our active support for the most oppressive regiemes on the planet like Sauidi Arabia (our # 1 customer of arms) or Uzbekistan, whom we gave 750 mil in aid to. The Uzbek gov. of Karminov by the way engages in the most medieval forms of torture, including boiling political prisoners. Go ahead and google it.
Finally, Ahmadinejad is a tool. He holds NO power in the foreign affairs of Iran, Its the Clerics that control that and they are not suicidal. Besides an attack on Iran would make Iraq look a cakewalk. 160k troops in Iraq without suppply lines in the south, 20% of world oil cut off at Hormuz, etc. Thats why CENTCOM commander Admiral Fallon,and the entire Joint Chiefs of Staff and are expressly opposed to any military action against Iran.
Speaking of protesting militants who hijack a religon, I assume you condemn the Bush admn support in arms to Fatah al-Islam, the Sunni Jihadist group
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Hersh_B...
#15 Steve
on October 24, 2007 at 11:20 a.m.(Milwaukee, WI | Unverified Name)
Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week? Well, you've certainly made people aware that racism is alive and well, college republicans.
#16 LBC
on October 24, 2007 at 4:06 p.m.(Washington, DC | Unverified Name)
So, let me get this straight. In order to oppose Islamo-fascism I have to agree with every one of Bush's policies... Good logic. You're statement about suicide bombers is ridiculous. With the number of suicide bombings that occur in the middle east it is simplistic to say that any one thing motivates the people doing the bombing. I'm sure some are motivated out of sheer hatred of troops, but clearly some do it because they think they are doing God's will. I dont know that any US troops were occupying anywhere in the middle east when Pan Am 103 went down. Why do you assume I support us supporting Saudi Arabia? I certainly do not. I think Saudi Arabia is a backward oppressive nation.
We dont need to debate a war with Iran. I dont see anyone advocating that here so your opposition to that is not needed.
This week is protesting those who think Islam directs them to kill, destroy, and oppress in its name. People like those who murdered Theo Van Gogh, people who blew up the ancient statue of buddha in Afghanistan, people who threaten to kill people for insulting their religion. I believe these are the types of things that all caring human beings should protest. Again, my hat goes off to the college Republicans.
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