UC Irvine Muslim Student Union Under Investigation
Kym Thoumaked | Oct 26, 2009 | Comments 25
In May 2009, the Muslim Student Union (MSU) at UC Irvine, hosted the school-sponsored event, “Israel: The Politics of Genocide” on campus, where over 850 people attended.
Present at the event was guest-speaker, and a member of the British Parliament George Galloway, notorious for his fervid support of the Palestinians in the Arab-Israeli conflict. The event promoted Galloway’s cause “Viva Palestina,” a humanitarian organization that sends convoys with aid to the Gaza strip. The MSU sent out collection boxes at the event to support Viva Palestina.
The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) posed complaints against the MSU because they believed that the convoys supported the Hamas, a group identified by the U.S. State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
The ZOA deemed the event as anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic. They informed UCI and the U.S. Justice Department of complaints that they have received in response to the May conference. ZOA’s president and director authored a lengthy letter to UCI Chancellor Diane F. Geocarris with courtesy copies to other high officials, including UC President Mark Yudof and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The correspondence strongly encouraged an investigation of MSU for possibly funding Hamas and practicing anti-Semitism. The ZOA accused the MSU on further grounds of violating university technicalities with the fundraiser.
In a retaliating correspondence addressed to the UCI’s chancellor, the MSU does not deny that they had violated university technicalities.
“As undoubtedly have every student organization on campus as well as university administrators,” commented MSU representatives in a letter to Chief Campus Council at UCI, Diane Geocaris,
However, according to MSU’s President, Mohamed Abdelgany, it was in their knowledge that all fundraising efforts were in support of a humanitarian aid convoy, as described on Viva Palestina’s Web site.
“All items will be delivered and donated to one or more non-governmental organizations/committee of organizations to be dispersed within the medical community in Gaza based on need,” according to the Web site.
Abdelgany explained his understanding of the Web site’s statement afterward.
“We did have collection boxes at the event. Viva Palestina, in our understanding, is a convoy for humanitarian aid, to alleviate suffering. [We were] trying to help donate to NGOs,” Abdelgany said.
MSU is among many organizations that contributed to Galloway’s Viva Palestina convoy. Abdelgany believes that the ZOA’s primary focus on the Muslim union is another attempt to suppress and limit their first amendment rights to free expression.
In the aforementioned correspondence, the MSU stated that the Zionist Organization’s complains made things personal.
“ZOA’s complaint is not about rectifying MSU’s wrong, but rather it is about what it has always been about: censorship, defamation and malicious prosecution,” said MSU representatives.
The Director of the ZOA’s Center for Law and Justice, Susan Tuchman, says that they have no direct disputes with the MSU but are more so concerned with the university’s “lack of action.” She believes that the university should live up to certain obligations in response to such complaints.
ZOA’s national president Morton Klein commented on the state of the investigation as a result of this conference. “Steven Emerson, a distinguished terrorism expert, is investigating Viva Palestina,” Klein said.
UCI Assistant Vice Chancellor, Susan L. Menning confirms that there is an FBI investigation as well as the university’s own investigation of the allegations.
“We will notify the school and students after the investigation is complete. However, we are unable to disclose any information right now,” Menning said.
UPDATE: In the October 26 issue of the “New University,” the article titled “UC Irvine Muslim Student Union Under Investigation” stated that UC Irvine administration confirmed an FBI investigation of the Muslim Student Union. No such investigation has been confirmed by UC Irvine administration as of November 1.
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Cienfuegos-
You mind explaining to me why there is an entire section on your site dedicated to Jews? (and not in a flattering way) Accusing them of bigotry, calling Zionists “brutalizers”, etc.
http://www.aztlan.net
Where’s your dignity?
It’s about time the FBI looked into the MSU. Any organization that calls terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah their “brothers” needs to be taken very seriously.
And never mind the fact how disrespectful and immature they are; tearing holes, burning, and throwing paint on another nation’s flag, flipping the bird at cameramen, and calling the pro-Israel activists “baby-killers”. It’s what I’d expect to see if Kindergartners ever had political opinions.
These are qualities that I continue to see every time they come out onto Ring Road, and it’s only made me lose respect for them.
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my uncle was a member of MECHA back in the early 80′s while he was at CSULA. They hated jews. so anyone who says otherwise is an outright liar or ignorant. Any hispanic group that promotes “mexican nationalism” is usually quite anti-semitic. Sad that MSU is aligned with such a group. Ernesto Cienfeugos is blatantly lying about the Nation of Aztlan. go to the site http://www.aztlan.net
MSU is doing itself a great disservice by aligning themselves with this non muslim group of jackals. Sad. very sad
Mr Cienfuegos,
Should I take that as a threat aginst my life on the part of you and Hector Carreon?
Ernesto,
Save the threats. You can see my response to Hector’s comment. (or is that you?)
Chazars are who fund and control the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Look up the definition of Chazars in the JewishEncyclopedia.com
The Chazars are essentially the non-semitic Yiddish speaking Ashkenazis from Eastern Europe who are NOT of the line of Abraham. They are the ones that created Zionism.
Mr. Fouse, I would not mess with Hector Carreon if I was you. This is just some friendly advise.
Zionism is racism and is in fact proscribed in many places in the Old Testament of the Jews- see 2 Samuel, 2 Chapter. In addition Jesus Christ condemned the Talmud, the current principal religious texts of Orthodox Jews, for its many supremacist viewpoints. The ADL is an anti-gentile, anti-Christian, anti-Arab/Muslim supremacist organization with ties to criminal war mongering, racist state of Israel. If you preach the Gospel of Christ in Israel you can be imprisoned for up to 8 years. Israel does not allow non-Jews to immigrate and the test for ‘Jewishness’ is administered by Rabbis, whereby your Mother must be a Jew to be granted ‘Jewish’ status automatically. Now many Jews don’t subscribe to the extremist viewpoints of the ADL, nor do they subscribe to the tenets of zionism. Hamas is absolutely no different than terrorist state of Israel which imprisons Arabs with no trials, and is a known murder innocent, unarmed people, and Israel tortures, as many former Palestinians who were in their prison testify. For a modern day History of Israel, see Douglas Reeds book, ‘The Controversy of Zion’, it is an free ebook on line, and the ADL has not yet censored it in America. Reed was a WW1/WW2 war correspondent from England. Without it, it is very difficult to understand Zionist history. Eric Holder the current Attorny Generals mother is Jewish, and one can hardly expect him to be fair to anyone, anymore than John Ashcroft, who was ready and waiting with his misnamed Patriot Act before 911 even happened, that started the assault upon the Constitution. The ADL has continually sought to strip American citizens of their constitutional rights, through misnamed ‘hate law’ sponsorship, and is fact an ‘Israel’ first organization, opposed to the American way of life and Constitution. Another book currently being blocked by the zionist publishing industry is and English Translation of Solzhenitsyns book ’200 years together’ where zionist/supremacist Jews were shown to be the driving force behind the Communist revolution in Russia, and responsible for over 40 million deaths, of predominantly Christians. The ADL should be investigated. I don’t support Hamas and its Aspirations anymore than I support Israel and its bloody zionist aspirations, both are criminal regimes of racist thugs.
Ernesto,
What is a chazar?
As for the Southern Poverty Law Center, I know that they have condemned La voz de Aztlan as an anti-semitic site.
Why don’t you address the articles you have written about Jews that I identified?
BTW, Is it true that you and Hector Carreon are one and the same?
(If I were you, I would have a few alias’ too.)
Mr. Fouse,
I am now wondering why you are always defending the Chazars. You say you are a Christian but you sure don’t act like one. What Larry David(ovich) did on national television is a despicable act against Christianity yet you dismiss it by saying simply that he is a jerk. This is a lot more serious than what you make it out to be. We have the video clip on our website. We included an introduction which points to the seriousness of this anti-Christian act. The video is at http://www.aztlan.net/larry_david_urinates_on_painting_of_jesus_christ.htm Also, ask yourself why hasn’t the Southern Poverty Law Center condemned what Larry David did?
Mr. Fouse,
I love the Jews. I love Jesus Christ and he was a Jew. I just do not like, as you say, jerks like Larry David(ovich) and he is also considered a Jew. There are many Jewish jerks like Larry David that are creating quite a lot of animosity against all Jews. The four Orthodox Jewish Rabbis that accompanied Viva Palestina USA were preaching pretty much the same message. These rabbis do not like the Zionist jerks that are the cause of the problems in the Middle East and the ones that are the driving force behind the heinous atrocities against the Palestinian people. As I mentioned before, most of these Zionists are not even genuine Jews. They are not Hebrews of the line of Moses. Do some study. Ask yourself, why do many of these hard-line Zionists have blue eyes and blond hair? Native people of the Holy Land or true semites have olive colored skin. Study the origins of the Yiddish language versus Hebrew and Aramaic. We all want peace in the Holy Land. The whole world has a stake there. We are all threaten by a nuclear holocaust.
I would like to remind participants in the comments section to remain civil in their discussion and to keep it relevant to the article. Personal attacks will not be tolerated and will be removed per moderator discretion.
Mr Cienfuegos,
As a Christian, I am offended by what Larry David did, but not surprised. The fact that he is Jewish is not an issue to me; perhaps it is to you. It could just have easily been done by Bill Maher. To me, they are jerks, but what else can I do but criticize it? I don’t know why you brought it up except to go after Jews again.
BTW: You completely ignored the articles I listed written by you-which have little or nothing to do with Israel, but are devoted to attacking Jews as people.
As for the ME issue, I could care less who you side with. I am sure that the Palestinians have legitimate issues and I hope for a two state settlement with everyone living in peace. (That is the position of the US Govt, BTW). The issue that inspired this exchange is simply a matter of whether campus rules were broken or US laws were broken by the Viva Palestina convoy. I cannot make that judgement. It is not a matter of Muslims as a people here. Yet for you, it is about Jews as a people-because you hate them and your writing is quite clear on that point.
Mr. Fouse,
Last week Larry David, the writer and producer of “Seinfeld” urinated on a painting of Jesus Christ on his HBO program. Larry David is a Jew and what he did is a despicable act against all Christians. I am sure that if La Voz de Aztlan wrote and published an article criticizing this act, people like you would call it antisemitic. You can not silence the truth by labeling it antisemitic. This does not work anymore.
The fact is that Zionists, most who are Jews, committed abominable crimes against Palestinian civilians. Many of these crimes were right down evil. As one example, some Israeli snipers were bragging of killing pregnant Palestinian women. After completing their 22 day attack on Gaza, an elite IDF sniper squad were wearing t-shirts bragging of their exploits. One t-shirt showed a pregnant Palestinian mother within a sniper’s crosshairs with the words, “One Shot-Two Kills.” Please see our report and photos at http://www.aztlan.net/1_shot_2_kills.htm
The world is not blind to these horrific acts. Acts like those of Larry David and those of the Zionists against the Palestinians are already having serious repercussions. The nations of Bolivia and Venezuela have both expelled the ambassadors from Israel and Venezuela no longer welcomes Israeli tourists. See http://www.aztlan.net/israeli_tourists_not_welcomed.htm
In addition, Mr. Fouse, we suggest that you do some research into semitic
peoples. Palestinians are genuine semitic while many of the Zionists who are occupying their land are not. These non-semitic Zionists have no historical right to Palestine nor to any part of the Holy Land.
I posted a response to Mr Cienfuegos yesterday, and it has not been posted. Since he has raised the specter of Islamophobia, I think it is fair to let me respond.
If, in fact, Muslims in Orange County should be subjected to attacks, as Mr Cienfuegos has suggested, I would be the first to condemn it. This is not about attacking Muslims as a people.
As for the complaints in the ZOA letter, I have no involvement in that complaint other than reporting on it. I will not pre-judge whether there has been a violation of campus rules or US law. That is for the proper authorities to determine, and I will await their findings.
Whether or not La voz de Aztlan is part of Nation of Aztlan is a matter of argument, but I will take Mr Cienfuegos’ word on that point.
Mr Cienfuegos says, however, that my characterization of La Voz de Aztlan as anti-Semitic was a “canard”. If you go to their website (http://www.aztlan.net), you will find a host of articles with such titles as :
“Did Schwarzenegger pay the Wiesenthal Center to shut up about his father’s Nazi past?”
(which has this statement : “The great success of the Rabbi Marvin Heir‘s Los Angeles based Simon Wiesenthal Center is due primarily to the rabbi‘s uncanny ability to capitalize on Jewish victimhood concerning the much exaggerated and propagandized holocaust that occurred under the Nazi regime in Germany.”)
“Jewish Maquiladoras Owners Scam Tijuana Workers”
“Jews are behind attacks on Cruz Bustamante and MEChA”
“The Kosher Nostra Scam on the American Consumer”
“Senator John Kerry’s Jewish roots and membership in Skulls and Bones”
“Jews attack Mexican heritage in Los Angeles County”
“Zionist plot to take over the Mexican presidency”
“Jewish lobby and Israel blamed for economic crisis”
There are many others, however, I chose this sampling because they were all written by……..
Ernesto Cienfuegos.
Canard, indeed.
My advice to MSU: You really don’t want to be linked to these folks. They can only discredit your cause on behalf of the Palestinians.
I didn’t know giving aid to starving Palestinians under a brutal Israeli siege was “terrorism.”
There’s a witch hunt against anyone who supports human rights for the Palestinian people, I suggest you guys get lawyers, because its going to get ugly.
is “anti-zionist” now “anti-semitic”? what do you call yourself if you are against the settlements, the camps, and the incursions of the IDF against civilians in palestine yet you are completely fine with judaism and hold many jewish people in high esteem? i’m just wondering since the two seem to be used interchangeably in these response and clarification of language is helpful.
Morton Klein is sick. To knowingly lie and twist a situation to make it about terrorism and anti semitism turns my stomach inside out. Zionists and their sympathizers has made me loose all faith in humanity.
If Mr Cienfuegos is denying that La voz de Aztlan is anti-semitic, I invite anyone to peruse the site (as I have) and read the numerous articles that slam Jews in areas that don’t even involve the Israel issue.
I would also remind Mr Cienfuegos that this is not about bashing Muslims as people. Is there a problem of Arabs and Muslims being attacked in Orange County? No-and if it should happen, I will be there to condemn it.
There is a legitimate question, however, as to whether UCI policies were violated by the fund raiser on May 21, just as there is a legitimate question as to whether US laws were broken by the Viva Palestina convoy to Gaza (and Hamas). I will not pre-judge those questions, but I will await the findings of the proper authorities.
Mr. Fouse is misinformed. There is no such thing as the Nation of Aztlan. What he is parroting is an old canard that originated with the ADL of B’nai B’rith in order discredit our news and information service. The ADL is notorious for fabricating rumors that will adversely affect critics of Israel’s policies against the Palestinian people. There is a group called Aztlan Nation but it is a musical group. See http://www.musicsrc.com/video/Aztlan+Nation.php?id=SaXsTMuG2-s
The accusation that La Voz de Aztlan is antisemitic is also a canard that all Zionist organizations utilize against critics of the criminal Zionist regime in Israel. The Zionists attempted the same tactic against Professor William I. Robinson of the University of California at Santa Barbara but they were rebuked by the Academic Senate. See http://www.aztlan.net/adl_rebuked_by_ucsb.htm
La Voz de Aztlan did send a reporter with the Viva Palestina USA delegation to Gaza. We also received donations and support from a sizable portion of our Mexican-American community. The effort was humanitarian and provided much needed medical supplies. Many in the 200 member delegation also took books, candies and toys for the Palestinian children who are now traumatized by the merciless devastation inflicted by the brutal Israeli armed forces. Among the delegation were four rabbis from New York city. The rabbis, who are anti-Zionist, collected and contributed $30,000 dollars. A significant number of nations have now condemned Israel and their war crimes including Mexico. See http://www.aztlan.net/mexico_condemns_israel.htm
Mr. Fouse should be more thoughtful. Islamophobia can cause violent elements in Orange County to commit hate crimes against Muslims and Arabs. We as Americans of Mexican descent know how ugly this can get. See http://www.aztlan.net/zoa_hate_crimes_muslims.htm
Dear UCI MSU: You all need to STOP TALKING and GET LAWYERS. There is a witch hunt under way, now is the time to take cover.
Kym Thoumaked’s article contains several errors and key omissions. First, the article says that the ZOA has no “direct disputes with the MSU.” That is not accurate. To clarify, the ZOA’s legal action on behalf of Jewish students at UCI was not filed against the MSU. It was filed against UCI for failing to ensure a campus environment free from anti-Semitic harassment and intimidation, in accordance with federal law.
That is not to say that the ZOA has no issue with the MSU. We do have an issue with this group, because the harassment and intimidation that Jewish students have faced comes primarily from the MSU and the hateful and bigoted programs and speakers it routinely sponsors on campus, which promote demonizing lies about Jews and Israel.
Kym Thoumaked asked us many questions about the two Jewish students whom we know left UCI because of the hatred and bigotry that the MSU promoted on the campus. We gave Ms. Thoumaked many details about what these students faced before they decided that they could no longer endure the hostility and transferred elsewhere. For instance, we told her that one Jewish student was screamed at, “Go back to Russia where you came from” – even though this student’s father was from Lebanon and his mother was from Syria – “burn in hell,” and “f_ _king Jew.” We described to Ms. Thoumaked that the other student was called such epithets as “dirty Israeli” (he was actually Egyptian), “dirty Jew,” and “f_ _king Jewish bitch,” and his life was threatened. None of this was even mentioned in the article.
Second, the article says that “Steven Emerson, a distinguished terrorism expert, is investigating Viva Palestina.” In fact, Mr. Emerson’s Investigative Project on Terrorism completed its investigation and issued a 31-page report about it. Mr. Emerson concluded that “the Viva Palestina campaign is more about supporting and legitimizing Hamas than it is about providing aid to the needy. In their speeches and in the delivery of their supplies, Viva Palestina’s most visible leaders call for the elimination of the State of Israel to pave the way for a ‘one state solution’ to the [Palestinian Arab-Israeli] conflict. They treat Hamas leaders as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and provide both material and moral support to the terrorist organization.”
Third, this article disseminated the falsehood that the MSU has been promoting – that the ZOA is attempting to suppress the MSU’s free speech rights. That is patently false. We have our own free speech rights, entitling us to speak out against the MSU’s hateful and bigoted conduct, and to decry the harmful impact it has had on the UCI community.
The article notes the MSU’s letter to UCI’s chief campus counsel in which the MSU launches a vicious and baseless attack on the ZOA and other groups, accusing the ZOA of violating the MSU’s First Amendment rights. We answered these claims in a detailed response, which the article neglects even to mention. Interested readers can access it here: http://www.zoa.org/sitedocuments/pressrelease_view.asp?pressreleaseID=1730.
What is most significant about this article is that it highlights the fact that the MSU has not denied that it solicited funds for Viva Palestina, that Viva Palestina provided support and resources to the terrorist group Hamas, and that such conduct is illegal. It is also significant that the MSU has admitted that it violated UCI’s policies on fundraising. As the article makes clear, the MSU simply shrugs off its misconduct by belittling UCI policies as mere “technicalities,” and contending, without proof, that other student groups violate these policies, too.
Many like us believe that university policies should be fully and fairly enforced. This situation certainly cried out for strict compliance with UCI policies. By failing to comply with them, the MSU may have aided and abetted a violation of federal law, by soliciting funds for a group that provided material support to Hamas, an organization that our government recognizes as a terrorist organization.
About time they started investigating MSU. I think MSU is a pretty misguided bunch, but it would be both unexpected, yet surprising, to learn of terrorist-related activity with MSU.
Mr Cienfuegos is associated with a tiny group of radicals in LA called Nation of Aztlan and writes for their news outlet, La Voz de Aztlan. One of his associates accompanied Viva Palestina to Gaza.
Nation of Aztlan is an extreme left-wing radical group that is viciously and openly anti-semitic. All one needs to do is read La Voz de Aztlan oinline to see the nature of this group and all the far-left causes they support.
Mr Cienfuegos does not speak for Christians nor the Mexican-American community in his diatribe. I myself have been married to a Mexican for 34 years, and this is the first time I have encountered anti-semitism coming from that community.
Gary Fouse, Adjunct teacher
UCI Ext
The Zionist Organization of America is simply defaming Muslim students at UCI in order to create a hostile environment for the MSU on campus. The ZOA’s action can lead to more serious hate crimes by Islamophobe extremists in Orange County.
Viva Palestina USA is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious humanitarian affort to aid the besieged people of Palestine who came under military attack by the criminal Zionist regime in Israel. Last December and January the Zionists launched a brutal attack on Gaza for 22 days killing over 1400 civilians of which more than 300 were children. The Zionists bombed homes, schools, hospitals and mosques.
Viva Palestina USA is also supported by Christians and Mexican-Americans here in Southern California. It is the ZOA of New York City that should be investigated by the US Department of Justice for aiding and abetting a foreign criminal regime.