Posted on 02/28/2006 1:09:24 PM PST by RonDog
This event is TONIGHT!!!
Controversial Cartoons Debut at UC IrvineIRVINE - 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.
I heard a rep from the Republican group on Larry Elder yesterday & they are filming the event. They may even offer the DVD for sale. I do expect a report with pix by 10 pm. ;^)
src="http://img.photobucket.com/albus/v216/mbdaz01/UCI/DSC02411.jpg"> 
ping
Tolerate us....or we'll kill you!
Wow.
thanks for the pics LadyCalif
Gee I wish I had gone. I didn't see this thread until now. I love to go hang out with other Freepers.
BTW back in the 1960s we had a visiting pastor who had been to what was then Communist Russia. He smuggled out posters that made fun of Christ. My sister bought a set of them in postcard size. One of them, for example, was a poster of Christ turning the water into wine at the wedding, then getting drunk and throwing up. There area always posters and cartoons that make fun of USA, and Uncle Sam, and our flag, and our presidents, and our religions. We just don't go out and riot, burn, and destroy property over cartoons and posters. Doonesbury is pretty bad, making fun of conservatives, I just don't read it.
USA gets made fun of all the time everywhere and we just take it. But we can't make fun of anyone else?
I notice signs that say "College Republicans are the new KKK." And also signs saying "Free speech is not hate speech." If hate speech is not allowed, how can they slam the college GOP kids as KKK?" That sure sounds like hate speech to me!
So, Mecha and the illegal hispanics are in solidarity with radical Islam? It appears to be from these pictures.
Those signs are hilariously stupid.
Muhommad Protector of Women & Islam Religion of Peace
Both signs should have had question marks after those words.
I did not see you there, but I was busy taking NOTES -- as you captured in your picture of me. :o)
Good work you two!
Question: there was a radio report on KRLA this morning regarding a heckler/disruptor, and some mention of the crowd outside. Can you give an AAR regarding any of this?
Wish I could have been there!
UCI event gets heated
Panel discussion on controversial cartoons draws protest from Muslim groups.
By Alicia Robinson
(Published: February 28, 2006)Hundreds gathered, security was tight and tempers flared Tuesday at a UC Irvine discussion that displayed political cartoons that have set off demonstrations in Europe and the Middle East.
Inside the student center, the UCI chapter of the College Republicans and the United American Committee held a panel discussion about several cartoons and about whether American Muslims are doing enough to repudiate terrorism.
Among the cartoons was one from a Danish newspaper that depicts the prophet Muhammad wearing a turban with a bomb's lighted fuse coming out of it.
Outside, the school's Muslim Student Union organized a protest. The group had asked that the cartoons not be shown, fearing it would generate hatred against Muslims.
A crowd of several hundred people shouted in unison, criticizing Republicans and proclaiming the greatness of Muhammad.
"I do find it offensive, and not only because it's depicting Muhammad as a terrorist and all the connotations with that, but also it's perpetuating racism in Europe," said 21-year-old Suleman Ahmed, a student who was passing out fliers that urged people to "fight anti-Muslim racism on campus."
A discussion could have been held without including the cartoons, he said.
"They know this is an issue that's going to touch people personally," Ahmed said.
Campus police kept a close watch on the protesters and inside the event. At the student center's entrance, everyone was frisked before being admitted, and at least eight uniformed police officers kept order inside the filled auditorium.
The audience of about 350 people was noisy, clapping or yelling in response to the panelists and hecklers, and security escorted two people from the room.
The panelists were Ted Hayes, an activist on behalf of the homeless, Free Muslims Against Terrorism member Abed Jlelati, journalist Lee Kaplan, and conservative activist Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson.
Hayes, Kaplan and Peterson seemed to agree that Muslims need to do more to denounce terrorism before Americans should trust them.
"If they can protest us tonight, why can't they stand up and protest these radical, hateful, anti-God Muslims?" Peterson said.
He also said Islam is "an evil religion" that teaches that Christians and Jews are infidels who should be destroyed.
About the cartoon that included the depiction of a bomb, Hayes said, "That's not our image; the Muslims gave us that image themselves" by perpetrating suicide bombings.
Abed argued that Christians would be offended by a picture of Jesus being humiliated.
"It's the price we have to pay for freedom, and the price we have to pay sometimes is to be offended," Abed said.
He pleaded with the audience and other panelists not to paint all Muslims with the same brush and assume they're intolerant and anti-American.
Political science major Jessica Barnett, 19, came to the discussion, but she had misgivings about the cartoons being shown.
"On principle, yes, [it's OK to show them] but I still think it was bad," she said. "I understand why they felt like their religion is under attack."
After the discussion, student Eiman Behzadi, 23, was among the people standing outside watching the protesters. He said he wanted to see the talk but wasn't able to get in.
"I think it's good if people could rationally talk about it," he said.
Asked what he thought about the protest, Behzadi would only say, "I'm just curious as to what everybody here is thinking."
* EDITOR'S NOTE: To see the Danish cartoons, go to www.brusselsjournal.com/node/698. This Web address will take you outside the Daily Pilot's website.
Question: there was a radio report on KRLA this morning regarding a heckler/disruptor...There was one guy that tried several times to shout down the speakers on the panel.
Some of the (MANY) police officers present approached him -- but kept their distance......until ANOTHER member of the audience got out of his seat, and moved to confront the disruptor.....at which point the police officers SPRANG into action......and quickly escorted to COUNTER-disruptor out of the auditorium!MANY in the crowd started saying to the police officers, "You removed the WRONG GUY!"Eventually, they also removed the RIGHT guy: the one who was the actual disruptor.
The audience of about 350 people was noisy, clapping or yelling in response to the panelists and hecklers, and security escorted two people from the room...Well, sort of.
See MY version of those events - above.
some mention of the crowd outside...Those guys were the REAL story!
Talk about your "hate speech" -- they were there to INTIMIDATE anyone who dared enter the venue......and they stuck around to harass us as we left after the event.Fortunately, the security was VERY GOOD, and I saw no incidents -- before or after the event.
...Protesters denounced the event, which was co-sponsored by a student Republican group, saying it would incite "Islamophobia" and offend local followers of Islam. The religion forbids any depictions of Muhammad.
Protesters gathered well before the 7 p.m. forum behind security barricades. They placed mats on the ground and held prayers. Later, they waved placards and shouted to those waiting to enter the auditorium.
"Hey, Republicans! Stop the hate. All you do is instigate!" the crowd shouted.
"Yes to Freedom of Speech, No to Hate Speech," a sign read.
Osman Umarji, former president of UCI's Muslim Student Union, compared the Muhammad cartoons to Nazi Germany illustrations that "denigrated and dehumanized" Jews.
Across from the Islamic demonstrators, about a dozen counter-protesters waved U.S. and Israeli flags and sang "God Bless America."
Ted Hayes, an activist for the homeless in Los Angeles and one of four panelists invited to speak at the forum, criticized the Muslim students.
"Why don't they protest against terrorism?" he shouted before entering the auditorium.
Other panelists included Abed A. Jlelati of Free Muslims Coalition; Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, a conservative minister; and Lee Kaplan, spokesperson for the United American Committee, which co-sponsored the event with the campus College Republicans. The Council on American-Islamic Relations was invited but boycotted the event...
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