Posted on 11/16/2001 1:23:35 PM PST by Luis Gonzalez
When terror struck America on Sept. 11, a University of Miami medical technician who was turning 22 that day said aloud, ``Some birthday gift from Osama bin Laden!''
Mohammad Rahat says he made the remark ``in a sarcastic way.'' But it caused enough of a stir that the university fired him -- an action that Rahat blames not only on his politically charged words, which also criticized U.S. foreign policy, but on his citizenship: Iranian.
``If the same thing had occurred with someone of a different background, it would have resulted in a different outcome,'' Rahat said Thursday outside his former job site on UM's Jackson Memorial Hospital campus. ``This was discrimination.''
Paula Musto, UM's vice president of university relations, confirmed Thursday that Rahat was fired in September because of what he said at work. But she denied that discrimination was at issue, saying that UM has ``many, many Arab and Muslim students, faculty and staff.''
Rahat's ``comments were deeply disturbing to his co-workers and superiors at the medical school,'' Musto said. ``They were inappropriate and unbecoming for someone working in a research laboratory. He was fired because he made those comments, certainly not because of his ethnic background.''
Rahat's lawyer, Andrés Rivera-Ortiz, protested the firing in a letter to UM President Donna Shalala sent last week.
Musto -- Shalala's spokeswoman -- said she did not know if Shalala was aware of Rahat's case, though the president typically is not informed of every firing decision.
Asked to contact Shalala, Musto said, ``I don't think she has a comment on it.''
Rahat is the second person known to have been fired from a job in Miami after expressing critical views of U.S. foreign policy in the wake of Sept. 11.
In October, Michael Italie, a Socialist mayoral candidate in Miami, was fired from his minimum-wage job as a sewing machine worker at Goodwill Industries of South Florida.
GOODWILL JOB
The termination took place after the local head of Goodwill learned that, during debates and forums, Italie was critical of U.S. military action in Afghanistan and supported the Cuban revolution.
Private employers -- including Goodwill and UM -- have a right to fire employees if they don't like their political beliefs, said Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, president of the Miami chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. They cannot fire employees based on race, religion, national origin, sex or sexual orientation.
Rodriguez-Taseff said the firing is part of a disturbing trend. ``It's bad policy to silence people just because you don't like what they say,'' she said. ``What we need to remember as a community going forward post-Sept. 11th is that the biggest damage we can inflict upon ourselves is to destroy the freedoms that are the hallmark of our country.''
Rahat worked as a research technician in two departments: microbiology and immunology, and surgery/transplants. In 13 months, Rahat said he received only positive evaluations and had an excellent relationship with his colleagues. They even threw him a small birthday celebration despite the tension of the day, he said.
Musto declined to discuss Rahat's employment record, calling it ``immaterial'' to his firing. He was suspended on Sept. 20 and fired on Sept. 25.
WORDS UNPOPULAR
Rahat acknowledges his comments on Sept. 11 were largely unpopular. But not all colleagues were offended and several have spoken on his behalf, he said.
He said he opined that the ``tragic events'' were predictable because U.S. foreign policy in Afghanistan had created anti-American sentiment, and because the United States had previously provided arms and training to the terrorists.
He said the United States was not sympathetic enough to the Palestinian cause and was too cozy with Israel.
And he made the ``birthday gift'' remark -- not out of sympathy with bin Laden, he says, but in a sarcastic attempt to say the attacks would ``be associated with my birthday.''
``I'm not sure of any other way I could sugar-coat it if I had that conversation again; we have to change our foreign policy,'' said Rahat, who said he is in the United States as a legal permanent resident. ``I am an opinionated person, but for them to fire me because of that, it's too unfair.''
In the letter to Shalala, Rahat's lawyer also raised another issue, saying ``the fact that the decision-makers in this case are apparently of Jewish ancestry is certainly evidence that would seem relevant, and which I would be remiss not to point out.''
Rivera-Ortiz did not name the UM officials involved in his client's firing whom he believes are Jewish. But he said that one of them stated in front of two witnesses: ``Mohammad is probably working at a lab from his kitchen now, making biological warfare.''
``I don't think that kind of comment would have been made had a Cuban or Anglo made the comments my client made,'' Rivera-Ortiz said, calling the remark evidence that Rahat was ``singled out because of his actual or perceived national origin.''
Rivera-Ortiz said a university should never ``quash dissent or unpopular views.'' He is asking Shalala to reconsider the firing because, he says, it was wrong, not just because there could be legal liability.
``We're just hoping that she will do the right thing and correct this injustice,'' he said.
What is your beef with Luis? I hate to see two of my favorite fellow Freepers at each other's throats.
The University of Miami is a small private university located in Coral Gables, Fla. It is not a state university. Better check your sources.
Go 'Canes
- Un-PC
I laugh about those who scream 'discrimination' when they make idiotic remarks AGAINST this country, and then it comes back to bite them in the butt. Discrimination is about the LAMEST thing to be screaming. Luis....do you wear dark socks or white ones with a dark suit? Do you have chicken or steak for supper? Do you hang out with law-abiding, upright citizens or gang thugs? Do you teach your kids your native language, English, or both? I would say that for nearly all people, they discriminate.
And for a company to fire someone who made such a remark, they DO have that right to discriminate between an asset to the company or just an ass.
And if that cretin has the right to 'free speech'....then so does the company. They exercized THEIR right to free speech when they said AMF.
I know that it has become cliche tp say that, and most people sneer at the remark, but the US Armed Forces are dropping bombs on another country as a direct result of an act of war perpetrated by people living there that killed 5,000+ innocent civilians.
This is a two-front war, the initial attack came from within, the enemy is here. This hasn't happened to the US since the War Between the States (or the War of Northern Aggression according to some fine, upstanding Southern FReepers I know), and the rules are different.
That again, was not a cliche, but rather, simply reality once more.
I don't think that I am saying anything profound when I suggest that during times on war, when that war is being waged on your own turf, things change, they certainly did for me on 9/11/01.
To forgive is divine they say, but I'm just human, I am no longer tolerant, nor will I forgive.
If you support the enemy, or applaud their actions, then you are the enemy.
This guy is lying his head off, by the way. Initially the article says it was because of the "birthday" remark, but gee, he seems to have made a whole series of statements that offended his coworkers. He must know he doesn't have a leg to stand on, if his lawyer is now blaming "the Jews" for orchestrating his dismissal.
Follow the sequence of responses closely from that point.
I think you should tell that to Willie. Take a number though -- there's a l-o-n-g line.
AHHHHHHHH!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!! IT IS BACK FROM THE DEAD!!! IT STILL WALKS AMONG US!!!
**holding up a cross and flinging holy water** "The power of Christ compels you...the power of Christ compels you...!"
I would not call the vocal celebration of the violent deaths of 5,000 American civilians as harboring "anti-Government" sentiments.
If this man were an American citizen, his action would fall under the U.S. Constitution's definition of treason in "giving aid and comfort to the enemy".
Since he is not an American citizen, his actions qualify as those of an enemy alien.
I agree with you that firing is not a fitting punishment. He should be deported from the land of the citizens whose deaths he celebrates.
Why the War Party may fail by Patrick J. Buchanan
Here's a sample:
"Now comes the hard part. Bush must soon post the goals for phase two of the War on Terror, a decision that could split apart his unified country or shatter his war coalition. For America's foreign policy elites are not united on phase two. As in the great battle between FDR and the America First of 1940-41, they are already separating into a War Party and a Peace Party.
"The choice Bush must make: Does phase two mean an attack on Iraq and the destruction of Saddam Hussein? Or does phase two mean a diplomatic initiative to honor Bush's commitment to our Arab allies to midwife a Mideast peace and the birth of a new nation called Palestine?
Pat of course thinks we were wrong to fight the Nazis (and presumably their Japanese allies) notwithstanding Pearl Harbor. Naturally he thinks our next step in response to 9/11 should be to help establish yet another totalitarian state committed to the destruction of the U.S. and Israel. Which makes about as much sense as handing over the Hawaiian islands to Hirohito to thank them for their visit to Pearl Harbor.
That's one thing about Pat and the Brigadiers -- they're consistent!
Someone send Mr. Rahat this link:
A Zewdalem Kebede Reader: Ethiopian-American at SDSU Confronts Saudi Students
Mr. Kebede, a student at SDSU, got a sanction from the high mucky-mucks there simply for scolding some of his fellow students for chuckling over the events of September 11.
I didn't realize that. It makes a lot of sense, though.
Sounds good to me.
In October, Michael Italie, a Socialist mayoral candidate in Miami, was fired from his minimum-wage job as a sewing machine worker at Goodwill Industries of South Florida.
Sounds even better! Hehehe.
I"m surprised UM went this far. Good for them.
BTW, I have always wondered something, was it Brigadiers voting in error for Gore, or the other way around in Palm Beach County? Just trying to figure out who is dumber.
LOL!!!!!!!!! Your post 27 is so FACTUAL! Go Luis, go Hahahahahahahaha.
Go Mike go! ;-)
Does nobody else find it ironic that Rahat got fired for saying the same things that Clinton got paid $100K for saying at Georgetown last week?
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