Controversial Cartoons Debut at UC Irvine [Orange County, CA - TONIGHT! Tuesday, 2/28/06 - 7 pm]

ABC 7.com ^ | February 28, 2006 | ABC News

[RonDog]

This event is TONIGHT!!!

Controversial Cartoons Debut at UC Irvine

IRVINE - Security will be increased at UC Irvine tonight when students plan to "unveil" Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that sparked widespread violence in the Middle East and Europe, an official said.

A confrontation will be avoided "if our students have anything to do with it," UC Irvine Dean of Students Sally Peterson said. "But who knows who might show up."

Peterson said her concerns are protecting students' safety and security as well as their free speech rights. She declined to reveal the specifics of the increased security. Representatives of College Republicans, who are co-sponsoring the event, met yesterday with members of the Muslim Student Union, which says showing the cartoons will promote fear of Muslims, met yesterday in an exchange that "didn't change anyone's mind," Peterson said.

"The Unveiling of the Cartoons & A Discussion to Confront Terror" is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Crystal Cove Auditorium of the university's Student Union. Initially, just the seminar was planned, but copies of the cartoons became available and someone decided to show them, Peterson said.

Last week, members of the Muslim Student Union called upon College Republicans to revoke their sponsorship.

Another sponsor is the United American Committee, whose Web site describes the protests that have erupted as a result of the cartoons, which were first featured in a Danish newspaper, as "censorship by terrorism."

"Freedom of expression is not a conditional right predicated on the consent of terrorists, supremacists and despots who arrogantly demand that their views and behavior are unassailable by their fellow man," the Web site states.

Osman Umarji, of the Muslim Student Union, said the program promises to incite Islamophobia.

"They're going to discuss Islamic terrorism and how most Muslims are apologists for terror," Umarji said. "Many Republicans we spoke to are not in agreement."

Muslim students and their supporters will demonstrate, but also hold a "teaching" seminar on Muhammad and a news conference, Umarji said. He expects hundreds of supporters, including representative of other religions and local elected officials.

Marya Bangee, a member of the group's board, said Muslims believe that no religious figures should be maligned but that the ratio of violence among people protesting the cartoons is only one in 100.

"We do not believe in any violence. We're in favor of other things, like a boycotting," Bangee said.

"Displaying the cartoons at UC Irvine will only incite hatred against and deeply hurt its Muslim community, and create an atmosphere of animosity and Islamophobia on campus. This is diametrically opposed to the spirit of a university campus, a place for intellectual debate that fosters mutual understanding and respect."

Depictions of Muhammad are prohibited under Islamic law.

Kristen Lucero, 21, president of College Republicans, told the Los Angeles Times that the cartoons of Muhammad will be displayed along with what she called anti-Semitic and anti-Western cartoons published in Muslim nations.

"We are firm believers in the First Amendment," Lucero said. "The public has the right to discuss as well as view the cartoons."

Topics to be discussed include an examination of whether some U.S. Islamic groups are apologists for terror and Islamic militancy on U.S. college campuses.

[RonDog]

See also, from www.unitedamericancommittee.org:

Download the flier for this event (.pdf format) & help distribute it to like minded individuals

CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS & CAMPUS MAP

California Panel Discussion to Hold Unveiling of Controversial Danish Cartoons

  On February 28th, The United American Committee & the College Republicans will host a discussion session at the University of California Irvine with a special 'Unveiling of the Cartoons' in which the controversial Danish cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Mohammad will be displayed along with Anti-Semitic and Anti-Western cartoons which have been printed in Iran, Saudi Arabia and other Islamic nations, with the panelists commenting on their perspective of each cartoon. The discussion will also address the issue of mainstream Islamic organizations who may act as apologists for terror. Scheduled are a wide range of panelists with in depth knowledge on militant Islam. An open invite is extended to The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR ) who is currently boycotting the event. Organizers of the event plan on having an empty chair for CAIR should they wish to attend or should another mainstream Islamic organization wish to participate in the discussion.

The discussion session promises to be informative for anyone concerned about national security, about alleged issues of anti-Semitism as well as alleged discrimination against Muslim-Americans in the Untied States during the War on Terror. It also will delve into activities of certain groups and will seek to answer questions over exactly where allegiances lie in these troubling times. Anyone interested in how the conflict in the Middle East affects Americans here at home will not want to miss this important event.

Admission is free and everyone is welcome.
The event will be held at UC Irvine, California in
THE CRYSTAL COVE AUDITORIUM
Was in room PSCB120 but is now relocated to the Crystal Cove Auditorium at UC Irvine.
Tuesday, February 28th
Arrive at 6:30 PM, event will begin at 7:00 PM sharp.

For more information contact:
info@unitedamericancommittee.org
Or visit www.UnitedAmericanCommittee.org

Freeway Directions:

405 Freeway

From the North:
Exit at Jamboree Rd.
Right on Jamboree Rd.
Left on Campus Dr.
Immidiately after you pass West Peltason there is an entrance to the parking structure on your right. Parking is $5 or you can try and find other parking in the area. The event is in the Crystal Cove Auditorium behind the parking structure.

From the South:
Exit at University Dr.
Left on University Dr.
Left on Campus Dr.
Immidiately after you pass West Peltason there is an entrance to the parking structure on your right. Parking is $5 or you can try and find other parking in the area. The event is in the Crystal Cove Auditorium behind the parking structure.

5 Freeway

From the North:
Take 5 South to Jamboree Rd.
Go all the way down to Campus Dr.
Left on Campus Dr.
Immidiately after you pass West Peltason there is an entrance to the parking structure on your right. Parking is $5 or you can try and find other parking in the area. The event is in the Crystal Cove Auditorium behind the parking structure.

From the South:
Take 5 North to 405 North
Exit at University Dr.
Left on University Dr.
Left on Campus Dr.
Immidiately after you pass West Peltason there is an entrance to the parking structure on your right. Parking is $5 or you can try and find other parking in the area. The event is in the Crystal Cove Auditorium behind the parking structure.

CAMPUS MAP:

[Sybeck1]

Preceded of course by a "Speedy Gonzales" short.

[RonDog]

See also THIS thread:

Planned Exhibit of Cartoons Protested
LA TIMES ^ | 02/25/06 | Daniel Yi
Posted on 02/27/2006 1:28:34 PM PST by Pikamax

Planned Exhibit of Cartoons Protested The caricatures of Muhammad will be displayed at a UCI student forum. Muslims object, and university officials are wary. By Daniel Yi, Times Staff Writer February 25 2006

Plans by a Republican student group at UC Irvine to showcase the controversial cartoons of the prophet Muhammad that led to violent protests around the world are drawing condemnation from Muslim groups and university officials.

The caricatures will be part of a panel discussion sponsored by the campus College Republicans scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. in UCI's Crystal Cove Auditorium.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...

CLICK HERE for the rest of that thread

Southern California PING!!!

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Free Speech Ping!

So how many of the "non-violent" Muslim students will show up with their "Behead All Those Who Insult Islam" signs?

[Tzimisce]

....of course this University has been fostering Anti American hatred amongst Muslims for years with it's socialist/communist ideology - but when you hate westerners and their ideas it's "equalitarianism".

[RonDog]

See also THIS thread:

Campus cartoon showing planned: It prompts anger by Muslim groups
ASSOCIATED PRESS ^ | February 26, 2006 | By Gillian Flaccus
Posted on 02/26/2006 2:09:42 PM PST by DogByte6RER

Campus cartoon showing planned

It prompts anger by Muslim groups

By Gillian Flaccus ASSOCIATED PRESS

February 26, 2006

IRVINE – The cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that sparked mass demonstrations across the Middle East and Europe are causing unrest on a smaller scale at the University of California Irvine, after a student group announced plans to “unveil” the drawings at a panel on Islamic extremism.

The panel, which is scheduled to take place on campus Tuesday, has prompted angry reaction from several Muslim groups, including the school's Muslim Student Union. Another group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, was invited to participate in the panel but is boycotting it, said spokeswoman Sabiha Kahn.

The debate surrounding the student panel follows incidents at other campuses, including Harvard University and the University of Illinois, where student newspapers published the Danish cartoons of the Muslim prophet with a bomb in his turban.

“To have a negative portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad is a slap in the face, and we have an obligation to defend our prophet against slurs on his reputation,” said Marya Bangee, a sophomore at UC Irvine and a member of the Muslim Student Union. “They're trying to draw a link between Islam and terrorism and that's what we've been trying all along to stop.”

Organizers say the panel is aimed at promoting dialogue about the cartoons, which have gone largely unpublished in the U.S. media for fear of offending Muslims.

The panel will also discuss Islamic extremism and provide examples of anti-Western, anti-Christian and anti-Semitic drawings that have appeared in some Middle Eastern newspapers, said Jesse Petrilla, founder of The United American Committee, an event organizer.

“How can you confront an issue when people don't even see what's going on and what the bottom line is? We really need to get it out on the table,” he said. “This is the freest nation in the world, and if we can't discuss things openly without being afraid, then we're losing sight of something important.”

Bangee said the Muslim Student Union has asked The College Republicans, which joined with The United American Committee to sponsor the event, to pull its affiliation. Without the student Republicans, the event couldn't go forward because The United American Committee is not a registered student group at UC Irvine.

The university has more than 2,000 Muslim-American students.

The Muslim Student Union has received hate mail related to the prophet drawings and has contacted campus police for additional security should the panel go forward, Bangee said.

A College Republicans representative didn't return calls for comment.

Bangee said Muslim students may hold a peaceful teach-in and protest next door to the event if they are unable to stop it.

The Muslim Student Union at UC Irvine last drew national attention in 2004 when more than two dozen students wore green stoles to their graduation. They said the stoles symbolized their faith, but others said the clothing represented allegiance to the militant group Hamas and was meant to intimidate Jewish students.

Thousands of Muslims worldwide have protested – sometimes violently – against the drawings of the Prophet Muhammad after they were published in a Danish newspaper in September. The drawings are offensive to Muslims because Islamic tradition bans any depiction of Muhammad.

CLICK HERE for the rest of that thread

Freedom of Speech PING!

[Gator101]

Displaying the cartoons at UC Irvine will only incite hatred against and deeply hurt its Muslim community,

Yeah, THAT's what makes people hate Muslims. Cartoons...not all the killing or anything.

[WatchingInAmazement]

The UAE has also boycotted the Danes because of the Muhammed cartoons.



http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/02/08/cartoon.protests/index.html

The cartoons have prompted boycotts of Danish goods throughout the Muslim world. In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, travel agents said travelers were not booking flights to Denmark or Norway.

Also in UAE, a university professor was fired after distributing copies of the cartoons to her students. The nation's minister of education, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al Nahan, said he ordered Clauda Keepoz's dismissal because "her behavior has nothing to do with the freedom of expression."

http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=5256
Protests against “blasphemous” cartoons mounts in Islamic nations
Jan. 31,2006

[snip] Burnt flags, political condemnation, and appeals for a boycott are involving even traditionally moderate Islamic nations, like Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. The Arab League and Organizations from the Islamic who announced their intention to appeal to the United Nations for a resolution blocking all forms of attacks against religious faiths.

But the wave of protest continues. “It’s cultural terrorism, not freedom of expression” intoned Mohammad al-Dhaheri, Minister for Justice and Islamic affairs of the United Arab Emirates.


http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0201/dailyUpdate.html
In an editorial, the Khaleej Times of the United Arab Emirates expressed dismay that the Danish government has not formally apologized for the episode.

"The prime minister [Danish] continues to defend the insensitive newspaper in the name of ‘media freedom’. All freedom including that of the media comes with responsibility. Mocking people’s deeply held religious beliefs and sentiments is no media freedom. It’s sheer and unpardonable callousness."

[Feiny]

"Plans by a Republican student group at UC Irvine to showcase the controversial cartoons of the prophet Muhammad that led to violent protests around the world are drawing condemnation from Muslim groups and university officials."

Funny how these Muslim groups didn't condemn the violent protests, but they do condemn a debate.

[RonDog]

See also THESE (related) threads:

Jewish students and activists call UC Irvine a hotbed of anti-Semitic harassment
	Posted by M. Espinola On News/Activism 03/11/2005 1:38:23 AM PST · 27 replies · 433+ views The Jewish Journal of LA ^ | March 11th, 2005 | Marc Ballon & Tom Tugend
Jihad Comes to UC-Irvine
	Posted by wagglebee On News/Activism 06/08/2004 2:22:53 PM PDT · 18 replies · 191+ views FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | 6/8/04 | Arnold Steinberg

[Brad’s Gramma]

Bump that.

[Deut28]

"They're trying to draw a link between Islam and terrorism and that's what we've been trying all along to stop."

Trying to draw a link? Is there honestly a question about this?

[Renderofveils]

The UAE has also boycotted the Danes because of the Muhammed cartoons.

Yeah, kinda. CNN misses whether or not A.P. Møller-Mærsk ships are still importing/exporting goods into the Emirates.
I'm sure with all of this protesting of the Danes in the middle east, the Mærsk terminal in Oman will be going out of business soon. [/sarc]

[RonDog]

See also THIS thread:

Graduation Jihad
FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | 6/17/04 | Roberta Leguizamon
Posted on 06/17/2004 1:57:58 AM PDT by kattracks

Graduating students at University of California-Irvine should be celebrating the end of a journey and the beginning of the best and most productive years of their lives. Instead, some of those young hopefuls intend to show their support for terrorism, murder and Islamist tyranny.

The Muslim Student Union (MSU) of University of California-Irvine has asked graduating Muslim students to wear green sashes bearing the word “shahada,” the Arabic word for "martyrdom.”

The Muslim world refers to a suicide bomber who kills innocent civilians in Israel as a “shahid.” Pilots and their cohorts who fly airplanes into skyscrapers are also celebrated for their "martyrdom..."

CLICK HERE for the rest of that thread

[NRA2BFree]

Osman Umarji, of the Muslim Student Union, said the program promises to incite Islamophobia.

Actually, Osman, I think 9-11 already did that, but if it didn't, then I'm sure some of the other bombings, beheadings, raping, rioting, chanting "death to America", or burning American contractors and hanging their body parts from bridges and power lines probably did the trick!!

When is Bush planning to be in Pakistan? He may encounter big problems. I'm sure this will cause rioting around the world again, and the little Koranimals will kill each other to protest what we did, which is something that I never understood, but we'll take what we can get. The more they kill, the less we'll have to.

[La Enchiladita]

"The Muslim Student Union at UC Irvine last drew national attention in 2004 when more than two dozen students wore green stoles to their graduation. They said the stoles symbolized their faith, but others said the clothing represented allegiance to the militant group Hamas and was meant to intimidate Jewish students."

First of all IIRC the muslim students had the blessing of university administration to do so. Second, the green stoles have white arabic lettering on them, the same as the "palestinian flag" and headbands.

So, the message was and is clear.

[La Enchiladita]

You really need to see this:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1587167/posts

Especially, scroll down towards the end where Hughes expounds on her belief in a "free press" and then denounces the Danish cartoons as "offensive."

[A CA Guy]

Let's hope Muslims show some tolerance of Free Speech and Freedom of the Press.

[Renderofveils]

Plans by a Republican student group at UC Irvine to showcase the controversial cartoons of the prophet Muhammad that led to violent protests around the world are drawing condemnation from Muslim groups and university officials

I wish that read:
violent protests around the world are drawing condemnation from Muslim groups and university officials without any preface.

[RonDog]

From the MSU COUNTER-rally: