A celebration of Israel’s “62nd Birthday” took place in Spaights Plaza last week. Unfortunately, a series of events led to a conflict that both sides have taken the chance to admit they regret. One thing that I would like to point out is that the Muslim Student Association (MSA), as a student organization, had nothing to do with the events.
Rather, a handful of Pro-Palestinian students, including myself, wanted to express what 62 years of Israel means to us. We didn’t “graffiti” anything, we chalked facts that directly pertain to Israel’s existence; facts that are painfully hard to ignore. One of my chalkings, for example, pointed out that “Israel massacred 1,500 Palestinians in Gaza last year.” This is simply a fact and I stand by it 100 percent. The swastika, on the other hand, is not a drawing that anyone I was chalking with had anything to do with.
We don’t know who drew the swastika and we find it completely counter-productive to the point of our message of that day. A message that was, in plain terms, in opposition to the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, 62 years of Palestinian displacement, oppression, and continuous rejection of the basic human rights of the Palestinian people. A swastika does nothing to further that message, and if MSA is to take any action in the aftermath of the Thursday events, that just so happened to include some of its members, it is to stand in solidarity with Hillel and the Jewish students of UWM in opposition to such a hateful, pointless, and unnecessary symbol.
We’re glad that the “ignorance and intolerance” of our “small minds” didn’t stop the Jewish students from celebrating Israel’s birthday, but I would like to know how “ignorant” it really is to educate students on the facts of the issue. Israel’s actions in the Middle East, since its existence, have amounted to nothing short of butchery. Here’s another one of our chalking facts: For every one Israeli that dies in the conflict, 300 Palestinians lose their lives. Our small minds can’t figure out how the organizers of the event didn’t figure out that they may need to address that issue or at least expect that someone may bring it up.
Instead, at the sight of pro-Palestinian students at her event, Heidi Rattner decided it just simply wasn’t for us. Our group had planned to engage in a debate to express our side of the issue and learn more about what the students of Hillel had to say in turn. We were completely calm and non-confrontational until Rattner came at us, gun-blazingly mad, demanding that campus security and police force us away from their display.
She immediately cried that we were being disruptive when in fact we were nothing of the sort. Not only does Guite ignore that fact which led to the tensions between our groups in his opinion piece, but also that the Palestinian flag was thrown in the trash by the Jewish student that got hit. Violence is never acceptable on a college campus, but I don’t recall it ever being okay to throw an entire people’s flag in the trash while others of the organization yell “you don’t even have a country.”
The bottom line is that both sides were at fault and deserve equal blame. Three of us from the mishap on Thursday met with Hillel representatives on Friday to talk about what happened and work together to build a stronger relationship between the students of our respective sides. The meeting was productive and we all felt it was well worth the time.
Hillel and members of our group have exchanged apologies and are looking to move forward. After all, the issues facing Israel and the Palestinians are real, and even though we’re in Wisconsin, thousands of miles away from the real conflict, I’m glad our sides were able to sit together and come to sensible solutions.
Yamin Masalkhi is president of the UWM Muslim Student Association.
To all,
The Arabs are to blame for invading an totally Israeli event with the aim to start a riot.
Now Yamin may play the innocent like countless other Arabs, like the Times Square bomber, but we know what the true agenda is.
Only a fool believes their motives were honorable.
You have done nothing to illustrate how the Hillel students were even at a sliver of fault. Instead, this article is a total defense of what you did, and a weak one at that. As a former student and active in a student organization, I’ve seen the wrath of the MSA and their outright indignation and distaste for people who disagree with them. You bullish tactics don’t do anything for your message.
Instead of disrupting another organization’s event or seeking to engage in unofficiated, distracting ‘debate,’ why don’t you organize a REAL debate with a moderator. Yamin, you know exactly what you were doing by disrupting Hillel’s event- and don’t try and pass it off as a loyal opposition. This country is home to reasonable individuals, so please, act like one.
@ emmanuel-
first of all, the Times square bomber wasn’t arab so get your facts straight before you decide to stereotype an entire race.
second of all, the only thing your pointless, racist comment does is put you to shame.
@ wow- i agree that the Muslim students were probably to blame, but as Yamin says, MSA itself was not responsible for the ‘protest’ and his entire piece doesn’t seem like it’s aimed at defending himself or deflecting blame really but more to show positives that have come out of the conflict, like talking directly with Hillel to work together.
Your propositions sound like exactly what MSA and Hillel are probably already trying to do.
A real president would have issued a statement apologizing for the ugly acts. Yamin is trying to get people to feel sorry for him. Ashamed at your organization and ashamed at my school
P.S – I wish you would have also included chalkings that terrorist occupied Gaza sends missiles into southern Israel for no reason, where people in areas like Sderot have FOUR seconds to bring their families to a bomb shelter. But of course, those stats would be seen as “counter productive” by your organization. GET EDUCATED
@ UWM student
At least the Israelis have bomb shelters…what about the 2.2 million Palestinians in gaza who can hear multi-million dollar bombs coming for their entire building? you think they have a shelter to run to? GET EDUCATED
P.S. perhaps they send their homemade highly ineffective bombs because, like you say, they are OCCUPIED and don’t have a chance at a normal life.
If you choke someone they’re going to react. GET EDUCATED
Before Netanyahu, There were two proposals given to the palestinians that would give them most of the land they “so desperately wanted”. Both were rejected.
Also, Israel is not keeping anybody occupied. Does it strike you as odd that Jordan (80% of palestinians can trace their background to Jordan) doesnt want them, and when Egypt got the Sinai Peninsula from Israel they said “You keep Gaza”. Why wont their own people help them?
Whats the issue here? the issue is that the MSA and SDS ruined a peaceful event that became violent. Now, the entire campus knows their true colors. Do I want relations between Hillel and MSA to improve? of course, who doesnt? but extremist, violent acts arent going to help anyone. Shame on them
UWM student-the palestinians rejected the two proposals because they rightly felt that they shouldn’t have to give any of their land to the jews. after all, it was their country and the palestinians had nothing to do with the holocaust.
you say israel “is not keeping anybody occupied” and then give some b/s stats of neighboring arab states not wanting to be forced to solve a problem that Israel created. Seriously, take your head out of the gutter and come face to face with the truth- Israel ejected the Palestinians from their land with violence and war, and it’s their responsibility to find a solution to the problem.
And finally, you keep mentioning MSA. the piece clearly says that MSA as an organization had nothing to do with this. I don’t understand what part of that is so difficult for you to take in. There is no justification for collective responsibility here.
oh, and your statement that israel is not keeping anybody occupied is so far removed from the universally accepted truth that it’s disgusting. how could you even say that when israel is obviously currently occupying gaza, jerusalem, and the west bank? oh yeah, and the golan heights.
the reason the israeli argument is always trumped is because the truth of it is always sad and pathetic. sure, you can come up with your logical reasonings for this and that but israel has no moral backing to it’s existence. the entire nation is built on the ethnic cleansing of the palestinian people and land that’s stolen from them.
moralconsciense – you just made yourself sound like a complete idiot.
LOL, there is no point to talking to people like that. There was no serious movement for a “PALESTINIAN” state until 1967. Also, most of the land taken by Israel was already given back. Israel has plenty of reason to exist and it will continue to.
You are entitled to your own opinions, not your own facts
palestinians are terrorists :(
Palestinians should get their land back, hands down. Israel doesn’t belong in the Middle East. Just because the Old Testament says so doesn’t mean we should jack up the lives of millions of people.
The Palestinian students didn’t act right, that’s completely agreeable, and they were definitely disrespectful, but in the over all scheme of things, Israel is in the wrong.
I agree with Yamin on one thing- the org that was having the event should have expected the issue to arise. If I knew anything about it that’s exactly what I would be asking about.
I’m not too well versed on the israel/palestine conflict, i must confess, but I do know that they have been figthing and killing innocent people on both sides for much longer than I’ve been alive. Don’t believe when anybody tries to tell you the future, but I’d be willing to put my life’s income on the fact that they will still be fighting when I die. That being so…I hope that in the future they can leave my campus alone. We have enough problems that we have to deal with as students, people, and Americans…we don’t need violent protestors that certainly will not accomplish any measurable outcome in Israel to disturb our campus again.
This entire thing is retarded, if Israel’s birthday is going to be celebrated on our campus, so is Kazakhstan’s, Congo’s and Uganda and etc…
http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/05/11/for-it-msa-student-confesses-she-wants-a-second-holocaust/
@ Joe Biden- what a great link. David Horowitz obviously knows how to corner people into “saying” things they didn’t say. The student didn’t say anything about wanting a second holocaust and she answered the confusing question with uncertainty because she obviously didn’t understand what he was coming at.
The only thing the clip proves is that Horowitz is a bully and there’s somebody that runs a site and tries to paint Muslims in a bad light.
once again, the muslims continue with their animalistic acts while people are trying to make up excuses. Use your own brains people, stop being brainwashed.
Also, did you see this?
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=175437&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
HELLLO! WAKE UP WORLD
This is horrible!!! http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/05/13/palestinian-suspected-murdering-pregnant-wife-ultrasound-showed-having-girl/
@ Natural spectator
Are you high? The MSA student said with great conviction that she supports Hizbollah’s leadership for supporting jews return to Israel so they will be easier to kill. There was no confusion there. She agreed with a cause to exterminate the jews.
if he clearly stated- “for the purpose of extermination” i’m sure she wouldn’t have said “for it”
anyways, for all you fools that automatically say “oh, there go the muslims again” and “muslims are terrorists” and “animals,” why don’t you open your eyes to the fact that this stuff happens all over the world by all kinds of people. America is home to some of the worst crimes in the world. South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, these kinds of things happens everywhere but the media has this fear-driven, politically inspired obsession with only pointing it out when muslims do it.
Plaestinians are terrorsits? read this:
http://www.loonwatch.com/2010/01/rabbi-arrested-for-firebombin-mosque-extremist-jews-threaten-to-engage-in-terrorism/
and go check out what happened to Gaza last year. don’t label “muslims” and “palestinians” as the problem. this is a lot deeper and you idiots need to pull your heads out of your asses.
@Neutral spectator
Horowitz: Okay, I’ll put it to you this way. I am a Jew. The head of Hizbollah has said that he hopes that we will gather in Israel so he doesn’t have to hunt us down globally. For or Against it?
MSA member: For it.
Horowitz: Thank you for coming and showing everybody what’s here.
So the wording confused her? How is “hunting down” any different than exterminating? Watch the video. Stop making excuses for people.
And to take religion out the equation is foolish. It absolutely is a religious issue. And for the sake of argument, find me a (living) palestinian who doesn’t identify as Muslim. This is a religiously charged issue. Jerusalem is sought after not because of its natural resources or anything of that sort, but for religion.
And the fact that other countries do it doesn’t make it right. You’re “logic” follows no reason. Instead of conceding that there is hatred you just try to change the subject. It’s out there. it exists. Get a clue.
I personally know three Christian Palestinians that go to UWM. There’s 90,000 of them in Palestine and hundreds of thousands across Muslim countries in the Middle East. Half of Lebanon’s population is Christian, and they definitely don’t like Israel’s attack of Beirut that left 1,000 dead.
This is a Palestinian-Israeli issue. Religion plays a secondary role- Christian Palestinians live in refugee camps because they’ve been thrown out of their land right alongside Muslim Palestinians. You’re naive and obviously don’t know what your talking about if you think Christians haven’t lived in the homeland of their religion for thousands of years alongside Muslims and Jews.
And your final paragraph reinforces exactly what I said…yet somehow you’re disagreeing with me? “it’s out there. it exists.” exactly right mr. vice president, just like i said. get a clue because this kind of stuff happens all over the world, and if it’s such a universal problem, happening in every country by people from every religion, then it’s obviously not a religious thing.
“For most of the fourteen centuries of recorded Muslim history, jihad was most commonly interpreted to mean armed struggle for the defense or advancement of Muslim power. In Muslim tradition, the world is divided into two houses: the House of Islam (Dar al-Islam), in which Muslim governments rule and Muslim law prevails, and the House of War (Dar al-Harb), the rest of the world, still inhabited and, more important, ruled by infidels. The presumption is that the duty of jihad will continue, interrupted only by truces, until all the world either adopts the Muslim faith or submits to Muslim rule.”
“Contrary to the common belief that is embodied in the misinterpretation of ‘jihad’ as ‘holy war,’ Islamic jihad does not refer solely to fighting in the way of Allah. This, in fact, is a special case of jihad. The Qur’anic concept of jihad refers to exerting efforts, in the form of struggle against or resistance to something, for the sake of Allah. This effort can be fighting back armed aggression, but can also be resisting evil drives and desires in one’s self. Even donating money to the needy is a form of jihad, as it involves struggling against one’s selfishness and inner desire to keep one’s money for one’s own pleasures. Jihad can, therefore, be subdivided into armed jihad and peaceful jihad. Armed jihad… is only temporary and is a response to armed aggression. Once the aggression has ceased, armed jihad comes to an end. Armed jihad, thus, can take place only when there is an aggressive, external enemy.”
Perhaps we should clear up what my Arab brother are really about!!! Islam is set to destroy anything that does not follow what they want you to believe. I think both sides need to check what they think is real. Israel may not be totally right but it has only been led by a force of terrorism and hate from the Arabs. Thanks allah for the United states
@hijab, it is not a recognized holiday for those countries,غبي ، من أين أنت
How did the swastika get there? Just by magic? You really expect anyone to belive you about that?
You should be expelled.
At once and locked up for a hate crime. Asap.
Among the concepts that need special handling and deep understanding of surrounding historical circumstances are the concepts of dar al-Islam (abode of Islam) and dar al-harb (abode of war). This categorization, if taken out of its historical context, will lead to great misunderstanding as well as misapplication of the rulings of Islam, especially those connected with jihad and relations between Muslims and non-Muslims.
Muslim scholars maintain that the labeling of a country or place as dar al-Islam or dar al-harb revolved around the question of religious security. This means that if a Muslim practices Islam freely in his place of abode, then he will be considered as living in a dar al-Islam, even if he happens to live in a secular or non-Islamic country.
It is clear that the above categorization does not entail being in a state of war with all non-Muslims. Rather, it emphasizes the fact that, in Islam, war is directed only to those hostile to Islam and Muslims. This categorization appeared in a period in which war was the norm between nations and it was impossible for a Muslim to enjoy security or to live safely in a non-Muslim country.
I would like to know why in this entire debate, as well as in MSA and Hillel’s presentation on the subject, no one is bothering to engage in the binary state solution or the even more popular two-state solution?
In this entire debacle, I find it upsetting that those who are advocating for peace and involved on this topic on campus have not bothered to bring this up?
Why?
I’m not pulling this out of the blue these are topics that are constantly and currently on the cutting edge of this issue and actually provide solutions! Where the hell is SDS? Why don’t they get behind this? Is it more enjoyable to just regurgitate everything the older generation (A generation without the same education as us and who lived when segregation was considered a perfectly reasonable solution to race issues) then actually break into new thought?
Throwing up the same mantra over and over (and just tossing out numbers) is neither listening nor brainstorming.
Breath, reflect, and think. If you only look at the bodies you can’t see the ones who are actually alive.
Isn’t this a bit like Chomskybots protesting the Fourth of July? I mean the whole thing of even bringing this up was out of place. This wasn’t supposed to be a political type event but a celebration of Israel’s birth. The Hillel students are not “partly at fault” for anything here.
Chomskybots? What the fuck are you talking about?
This is from a message that Chancellor Santiago released today, clearly showing that MSA and SDS’s claims that they didn’t draw the swastika are legitimate.
“The chalking included numerous messages attacking the State of Israel and its policies. That morning, members of university administration,
including the Office of Equity/Diversity Services, reviewed the
messaging in light of the university’s anti-discrimination policy. At
the time of the inspection, no members of the administrative team saw
any evidence of a swastika. The messages that were seen represented
protected political speech, and, therefore, were left undisturbed.”
Again, Santiago falters under the pressure that it’s taboo to condemn a religious organization. Conversation on religious topics at UWM have become diluted of reason and substance. When will campus leaders and administration start calling a spade a spade? Shame on you Santiago for reinforcing the growing attack on the Jewish body at UWM.
@jason- are you israeli? because they have the exact same reaction whenever a finding comes out they don’t agree with- blame whoever wrote it.
here’s how i interpreted the gaza war last year:
1.israel killed over 1,400 palestinians in less than a month, using banned white phosphorus bombs and cutting off all necessary supply lines.
2. goldstone, a zionist himself, and an obviously fair judge, says israel committed war crimes beyond a doubt (no crap, all u need to do is look at the facts).
3. Israel just denies the entire thing, as if they didn’t just commit a massacre.
it’s ok though, america will always support israel. even if it is an extremist, terrorist nation.
1. Goldstone, if you do some research has a dirty history when it comes to human rights. Are you familiar with his South Africa Acts?
2. Hamas continued to fire rockets into Southern Israel (the equivalent of Toronto firing rockets onto Buffalo, NY). They also hit weapons under mosques and hospitals on purpose! Israel would always warn before going in and destroying war areas so civilians can get out. Shouldnt Israel have a right to defend itself?
2. http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?ID=175858&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter – IDF just sent 14,000 TONS of humanitarian goods to Gaza.
Great Article, i saw that too!
@peace in the middle east People like you are an embarrassment to campus. How can you watch these terrorist groups (who are not any more human than animals) terrorize innocent people and then you call the other side extremist? hahahaha FUCK U
Palestinians are terrorists and everyone knows ittttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt. Stop arguing with these stupid people. Its like talking to a wall
Can we look at the facts of this article? A student organization was holding a celebration. NOT a debate. Other students decided to show up with an unplanned debate and disrupt the celebration. Let’s not try to place blame on anyone based on whose side is right or wrong in a land that in thousands of miles away, because we’ll be here all ding dong day. Both Israelis and Palestinians have committed unforgivable acts that are detrimental to the ultimate goal of peace.
But the events that took place two weeks ago were neither the time nor the place to work out which side is more vile than the other. It was a Holiday.
Let’s put it this way: What if a student org had a St. Patrick’s day celebration on campus? This is generally a Irish Catholic Holiday. Let’s say that some Protestant students show up to start a debate because they feel that the Catholic students don’t deserve to have a good time because of the troubles in Ireland and they want to start a debate expressing all the acts of violence the Catholics have committed in Northern Ireland. Would you be so quick to condemn the Catholic students just because other people miles away have been violent?
To the students who showed up for a debate: I’m sorry your feelings got hurt on that day, but you tried to turn a party into a debate. Arguing that the birthday boy should have never been born is rude to do at a party. You should have enjoyed the free cake.
peace in the middle east says:
May 18, 2010 at 4:41 am
“@jason- are you israeli? because they have the exact same reaction whenever a finding comes out they don’t agree with- blame whoever wrote it.”
Don’t be presumptuous. Do you always make sweeping generalizations about Israelis?
As an earlier poster noted, the gathering was a “celebration” of the birthday of Israel, not a debate. If anyone wants to hold a constructive debate,or has issues with any information handed out that day, organize a debate or just simply maintain composure during conversation. Climbing a rock-wall to drape a flag is not constructive in such a context. The provocative behavior displayed that day brings the groups motives into context.
@peace in the middle east says:
“1.israel killed over 1,400 palestinians in less than a month, using banned white phosphorus bombs and cutting off all necessary supply lines.”
Now while I do believe Israel is often a somewhat excessive in regards to this I have one question: Who initiated the violence? I think you will find that before this happened, Israeli neighborhoods had been shelled by a constant barrage of over 3000 Qassam rocket attacks spanning several years. Not that I agree with them killing 1,400 Palestinians, but hey that many rocket attacks on your civilians combined with a PC press supporting the aggressors and anyone could fly off the handle.
“A student organization was holding a celebration. NOT a debate.”
My thoughts exactly. It would be as if the Hate-America-people showed up to protest a Fourth of July parade. It’s absurd.
The article is BS, and is time to lay off the PC.
Rabid anti-Semites can come to UWM and Jewish groups are expected to sit by. Racists, who in this case are of Arab decent, incite a riot and we have to see both sides. Baloney!
In the United States, this is not how we comment on events that we disagree with and it is not acceptable behavior.
And, I am not Jewish in case some look to dismiss my comments.
I would also like to know what the reaction by Muslim groups and the University would have been had the Muslim Student Association held a rally to commemorate what they see as Israeli massacres and Jewish students had shown up with the Danish cartoon of the prophet, surrounded them and tried to hoist an Israeli flag.
@Johanan Ratz
“Who initiated the violence”
I guess u forgot the blockade of a civilian population of Gaza with the objective of “putting them on a diet”. I guess starving innocent Palestinians is A-OK with u
@Liz
“A student organization was holding a celebration. NOT a debate”
And are Muslim students prohibited to protest the celebration ? They too have rights don’t they.
“I guess u forgot the blockade of a civilian population of Gaza with the objective of “putting them on a diet”. I guess starving innocent Palestinians is A-OK with u”
You are missing the point. The blockade is necessary though unfortunate. Why? Because it is Israel’s way of defending itself against a horde of suicide bombers. Once again it was not the Israeli’s that initiated the violence here either.
Unless you’ve read the Bible (not the Koran), and visited both Israel and Palestine, understand from way back in Genesis the selling of a birthright right up until present day Israel and the IMPOSSIBLE to obtain peace without the return of Christ, this discussion, any protests can NEVER bring for true and lasting peace. Of course, you’d have to agree to ULTIMATE TRUTH as well. Muslims, Jews, Christians – one day the Lions will lay down with the Lamb. Praying groups like InterVarsity and Campus Crusade take the lead here on UWM campus. The time is now…
@xer
Based on what I’ve read, they were allowed to protest the celebration in the allocated section. But they didn’t. They continued to antagonize anyone taking part in the celebration and tried to make sure that no one had a good time.