By
Garrett Troy
October 24, 2007
Speaker Michael Medved will be on campus Thursday to speak on Islamic extremism and what he calls "Islamo-Nazism." The David Horowitz Freedom Center has sponsored a number of different speakers for Islamo-Fascism Week such as Ann Coulter, who appeared at Tulane University yesterday, and Nonie Darwish, who will be visiting UC-Berkley this week.
Medved will be discussing the dangers he sees in the fanaticism of Muslim extremists.
"There are a great many myths out there about America in the Middle East that are worth addressing. I hope to have a chance to address them with the people that attend," Medved said. "As with my radio show everyday, I would be glad to exchange ideas with people who disagree."
An opposition to Islamo-Fascism Week has emerged to counter what is seen as Islamophobia and bigotry.
Students will wear green T-shirts and armbands as sign of solidarity, a color traditionally associated with Islam. Campus groups will also table together throughout the week with signs of protest reading "Americans Against Fear and Intolerance" and "Students for Peace and Dialogue."
Hala Dillsi, a participant in the protests against Islamo-Fascism Week, disagrees with the week-long College Republican event but does not want to impugn anybody's First Amendment rights.
"We respect everyone's right to free speech. Medved is coming and speaking to instill fear and instill intolerance with the messages that they have," Dillsi said. "We are coming together to say these messages of intolerance aren't a way to have a dialogue. The way this is being framed is making it appear that all Muslims are fanatics."
Walker disagrees with the perception that this week is based on fear and intolerance.
"They're setting up a paper tiger and creating a diversion," Walker said. "Militants are becoming a problem in Asia and Europe. Look at the Chechnya bombings and the Bali bombings. This is not just the security of Americans we're talking about, but the security of all people, of all freedom, peace and humanity defending people in the world."
Eck agrees.
"We're not trying to demonize an entire religion. Islamo-Fascism represents a small subset, but it is very real."
Even though there are two passionate and vocal sides to the issue, at least both recognize the value in being able to discuss the topic.
Medved was optimistic about the final outcome of the week-long event.
"I think the purpose is to foster debate and to provide another side. The long term impact will be to remind people that there are multiple points of view regarding the War on Terror and its causes and its cures."
Dillsi did not express the same enthusiasm.
"These discussions need to happen," Dillsi said. "He should come, I believe this University is a haven for free speech — I just won't welcome him with open arms."
[Reach reporter Garrett Troy at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]
6 Comments
#1 Pascal
on October 24, 2007 at 8:31 a.m.(Bellevue, WA | Unverified Name)
What I've learned from this awareness week is that it's easy to concatenate anything just to make it sound bad enough. If Islamo-Fascism is still a little too wimpy for your rhetorical needs, then you can always go with Islamo-Nazism. How about Islamo-satanism, or Islamo-Darth-Vaderism? Or they could echo the Simpsons by pitting Rainier Wolfcastle against Islamo-communist-nazis. The possibilities are endless (especially when Anne Coulter is one of your spokespeople).
And as long the CRs are in the hyphenation business, why not put on a Christiano-Pedophilia Awareness Week to warn us about wayward Catholic priests?
#2 Abe
on October 24, 2007 at 9:29 a.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
Look i'm a liberal and I can count the number of Bush Adminstration policies I support on one hand but I'm not seeing the problem with this event. It not saying all Muslims are terrorists rather there is a group of them who are extremists and are hurting the religion and the world.
#3 Ray
on October 24, 2007 at 10 a.m.(Wenatchee, WA | Unverified Name)
Just like a liberal to attack Pres. Bush by shifting blame some where else. Just what are the beliefs of Islam? How did Islam begin? If Islam gets its bad rap from just a few extremists, then where is the out cry from the millions of Allah fearing, loving Muslims?
#4 Dina
on October 24, 2007 at 1:54 p.m.(Mercer Island, WA | Unverified Name)
My, what an emotional reaction in your paper yesterday and today to a program to "increase awareness!" Why don't the venomous haters of Republicans and Michael Medved hear what the sponsors of this event have to say, and THEN make their judgments? The sponsors in this article admit that only a small part of Islam is radical, and the radical faction is threatening moderate Muslims. In many parts of the world, radical Muslims have killed their less fanatic brothers, over and over! How can anyone dispute that?
#5 Hassan
on October 24, 2007 at 7:51 p.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
What is unfortunately never surprising, is the scape-goat tradition of politics. Apparently its got the green light at the white house, but people with the slightest bit of intellectual capacity ought to know better. I sincerely wish people would just travel the world and put themsleves in the shoes of others. This being said, after traveling extensively in the Middle East. Do people realize how many families and villages have been torn apart by bombs with "Made in America" on them??? I simply cannot comprehend the hypocritical, pre-school dialogue the the CR's continue to facilitate - they simply no nothing about Islam and don't care to learn. Why? Because they are right regardless of what the world thinks!
#6 Zahir
on October 25, 2007 at 2:31 a.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
Just a little 411 about the people associated with Islamo-fascism awareness week: It is the brainchild of David Horowitz, who In 2003 maligned Rachel Corrie, killed by an Israeli military bulldozer while protesting a house demolition in Gaza, as a "terrorist" supporter. In 2001, right-wing extremist Ann Coulter, also associated with this nationwide event, said in the National Review: "We should invade [Muslim] countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity." These people do have free speech rights, but they're clearly not "experts" on the issue and they have their own agenda. Attaching the name of a religion that is practiced by over a billion worldwide, of whom an overwhelming majority are peace loving people, to small extremist/fanatic groups with a relatively small following is simply WRONG! The proponents of the "Islamo-fascism" concept want to play upon emotions rather than really spread "awareness."
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