David Horowitz: “I am a Jew. The head of Hezbollah has said that he hopes that we will gather in Israel so he doesn’t have to hunt us down globally. … For it or against it?”
Jumanah Albahri: “For it.”
Watch this chilling exchange, which just recently occurred at the University of California-San Diego (UCSD):
From Aaron Elias, on Pajamas Media:
Albahri’s blatant support for genocide has sparked a backlash, prompting students to try and get the UC chancellors to condemn her remarks as inflammatory hate speech. The movement has taken the form of a petition directed at UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox. (The petition originated in a Facebook group named “Condemn UCSD MSA’s ex-Officer for Supporting 2nd Holocaust.”
Begun on May 13, the group has, in the course of a few days, swelled to nearly 600 members. It provides updates on the situation, including the press releases and statements released by the UCSD MSA, Chancellor Fox, and Albahri herself. Most importantly, of course, it provides a link to the petition asking Chancellor Fox (and potentially the other UC chancellors) to directly condemn Albahri’s pro-Holocaust statement.
On May 15, in a half-hearted damage control scramble, the UCSD MSA released a statement denouncing “all groups or organizations, whether state or non-state actors, who target civilians or target a civilian population to impose collective punishment.” The statement is very vague and non-committal, and does not even mention the incident or the people that elicited it. It then goes into an anti-Israel diatribe and a quote from Malcom X that is totally irrelevant to the situation in question. It is, for all intents and purposes, utterly meaningless.
Albahri, on May 16, released a statement via a new blog she set up titled “For Truth, For Justice, For Peace.” In her statement, Albahri attacks Horowitz as a “seasoned polemicist” who avoided her initial (and irrelevant) question and accuses him of turning the conversation around on her, which, of course, is something one must expect when leaping into these types of discussions.
Read her full equivocation here, which comes straight out of the anti-Semitic guidebook for how-to-try-and-make-yourself-look-victimized, which guidebooks do exist.
Huh. Unreal. Actually, too real. I’m from Santa Barbara, born and raised. I was going to say that we would likely see the same behavior at UCSB as we see here at UCSD, but I didn’t realize the quote cited above from Horowitz was a scene he witnessed in SB.
Yes, too real indeed, ScummyD.
I am sorry for the long comment, but hear me out:
I watched the video and I listened to their exchange.
And then I read the text. It struck me that the choice of words used by the article to depict the exchange between the two of them is much more inflammatory and sensational than the actual exchange that took place between them. I also feel that that exchange is a perfect example of why this situation is in a gridlock and has been for a while.
It is very easy for people to comment and take a side on an issue, be they American, Jewish, Arabic, or both (or neither). Its very sad that this articulate young woman, obviously to me a palestinian americam due to her head redscarf and b&w checkered traditional palestinian scarf (the combination which has come to symbolize the spillage of palestinian blood), feels the need to support Hammas. It is very sad to see that man feeling the need to condemn them too, despite what hammas has said about wanting to kill all jewish people. Do you know that many israeli leaders have said the exact same thing about the palestinain people.
You know, I am in a privileged position on this matter because I have no hate for either or ties to either, although I do claim both a jewish *and* arabic heritage from by arab father’s side of the family. Because I have both an american and a kuwaiti passport, but see myself as a citizen of the world and have even transcended the idea of nationality, to be quite honest. I have lived on both sides of the globe and listened to many many news channels cover different events on the palestinian / israeli dillema over the last 30 years of my life. I have looked into the history of the issue and what happened in 1947 when the state of palestine became the state of israel, and why. I think the holocaust was terrible blight on the face of humanity, but you know how england, france, and america responded? They gave them someone elses country. Wow!
Israel and hammas are both incredibly wrong and stupid. The Israelis (notice I am not saying jewish) have committed crimes against the palestinians that are as equal on the horrific scale. They really have. So how does terrorism organizations like hammas and those guys in ireland, how do they get to be created? What creates such organizations? What makes a young woman like that get so worked up that she would support hammas? What has she experienced, seen? What does she know that would make her feel she has no choice but to say she would choose hammas?
Thats the real tragedy. All of this tragedy is because of a few world leaders, who were ashamed of what happened, and simultaneously wanted to be rid of the european jews, said ‘hey, why don’t we just give them the land back where they came from thousands of years ago? Ah, so what if there is a race of people occupying that space- they are only arabs and heathens and we are the colonialists!
Because that’s what happened, Ray. Thats what this is all about. And you know I have no vested gain in the outcome wither way, jewish and palestinian to me are as adam and eve are to me I wish them both good luck. So poor older professor, who feels threatened by hammas, and poor young girl, who feels hammas is a group who shares her suffering for what is happening right now to her relatives.
Its a really sad world we live in, but the pockets of enlightenment that fall in between the madness is why i still have faith in humanity, despite how ugly it can be.
And you know that was way too long for me to edit so please excuse the crazy typos. cheers.
And last comment on this, sorry: Arabs and Jews lived in peace all over the middle east until 1947, why is that? What broke the ties? They are both racially Semites. terrorism as we know it is a new age phenomenon that must be stopped, but really it is simply a product of the age we live in. I just want to make it very clear that I have a humanitarian outlook on this and do not support terrorism.
“terrorism as we know it is a new age phenomenon that must be stopped, but really it is simply a product of the age we live in.”
“From 1866 to 1876, more than three thousand free African Americans and their white allies were killed in cold blood by terrorist organizations in the South.
Over the years this fact would not only be forgotten, but a series of exculpatory myths would arise to cover the tracks of this orchestrated campaign of atrocity and violence. Little memory would persist of the simple truth: that a well-organized and directed terrorist movement, led by ex-Confederates who refused to accept the verdict of Appomattox and the enfranchisement of the freedmen, succeeded in overthrowing the freely elected representative governments of every Southern state.” –Stephen Budiansky “The Bloody Shirt: Terror After Appomattox”
War has been around since the beginning of humanity itself and if history is any guide it is innate to the human condition. Terrorism is a form of war. Terrorism was around long before us and long before the example cited above. And it will be around long after we’re gone. The only thing that has really changed is the means by which it is carried out.
“Little memory would persist of the simple truth: that a well-organized and directed terrorist movement, led by ex-Confederates”
Yeah who didn’t offer their children up for slaughter. Get a fucking clue you idiots.
Hey Toad, get back to us when you can contribute something substantive sans the expletives. You missed the point rather splendidly.
It’s comical to equate Israel with Hammas. Anyone who would do so need simply ask: who would you be more comfortable having nuclear weaponry, Israel (which has had nukes for a long time) or Hammas?
Case closed.
You don’t need chemicals to abuse power. All of you should study your facts before having such judgmental opinions, your credibility is questionable. And although I despise Hammas personally, you are right, case closed; it is comical to equate israel (meaning the government of Israel specifically) with Hammas. Israel has a lot more power than Hammas, a fly in the hornet’s nest, and Israel has done a lot more damage than Hammas. Last comment from me least i abuse the hospitality of our silent (?) host, being the only American here whose got her facts straight on the whole Israeli / Palestinian issue and am feeling like I’m casting my pearls…
cheers
chemicals as in nuclear power…
“You don’t need chemicals to abuse power.”
No, you don’t. A totalitarian religion that instructs you to slaughter the infidel by the blade and bomb and which stands in strict opposition to democracy/consensual government, egalitarianism, meritocracy, women’s rights, secular rationalism, civilian audit, free speech, free market enterprise. . .that will do just fine.
Listen. In my opinion all religions a man-made concept to control the masses, but that is beside the point. I am not talking about religion. If you think I am talking about religion, your missing my point completely. I’m talking about a simple concept, which is human life. Surely all and non religious people place a value on life, their own especially? I am saying that you should stop and think about the chain of events that would lead a young woman in a university to get up in an outfit symbolizing the genocide of her people and be goaded into putting herself on a cross and saying she chooses a group like Hammas over the other option. What does a logical, articulate, intelligent human being need to experience at a young age that would make them support a terrorist organization and wish other people dead? This is not about religion, even though people like to make it out to be. So no, that “won’t do just fine.”
You know, i should know better. I’ve had this same conversation a hundred times but with Arabs, arguing the other side. All I’m saying is that there should be one side only. Religion doesn’t separate man. Man uses religion to separate himself.
Cheers
“What does a logical, articulate, intelligent human being need to experience at a young age that would make them support a terrorist organization and wish other people dead?”
I assume you have in mind an answer of some sort regarding experiencing dispossession from native lands and violence and war. But, there is quite obviously something much more at work, as I can cite numerous other peoples throughout history that have experienced those unfortunate events and yet have never joined organizations that routinely and intentionally target civilians for slaughter or strap explosives to themselves to blow civilians to smithereens. Native Americans of the North American continent being just one of the most known examples.
“This is not about religion, even though people like to make it out to be. So no, that “won’t do just fine.””
There is no doubt Israeli actions play a role in this. But it is also true and very much the case that the religion of Islam most definitely plays a significant role. All one has to do is listen to the militant Islamists in their own words over the decades to understand this; the justifications referencing Islam are ubiquitous. Denying this fact renders your credibility on this issue near worthless.
I won’t bother spamming the forum with a looong list of supporting quotations from numerous Islamic leaders and their average coreligionists over the last half century. Anybody following this conflict, and the current American led war on radical Islam, even in a cursory manner should know this all too well. Good grief! I would kindly suggest that you follow your own advice and “study your facts.” You could start here: http://www.amazon.com/Al-Qaeda-Reader-Raymond-Ibrahim/dp/038551655X.
In point of fact, the arguments of the militant Islamists, including but not limited to the al-Qaedists, are deeply rooted in the religion of Islam with extensive citations from the Koran, ulema (legal scholars and jurists), ummah (community of Muslim peoples), ijima (consensus of the ummah), sunnah (the words, sayings and life ways of Muhammad and common Islamic practice), and hadith (narratives derived from Muhammad).
So, your assertion that “this is not about religion” is just flat out false.
And just for the record, since you mentioned briefly your position on religion, the closest I can claim to being religious would be to say I identify with Baruch Spinoza’s take on the matter as explained in this book: http://www.amazon.com/Spinoza-Theological-Political-Treatise-Cambridge-Philosophy/dp/0521530970.
ScummyD, I am baffled by the way you keep trying to pull religion into a political issue, even though this political issue is between two different religious groups. if you knew the path I walked you would understand how much I agree with you on the points you are highlighting about islamofacist practices and ideology. It is all that you say and much more insidious than you will ever experience, friend.
But this is not about religion or religious malpractice and lunacy, the whole brouhaha, the way muslim fundamentalists keep on using the whole israel trump card to incite poeple, not any of it.
Can we leave all that out just for a minute and look at who In its simplest form, it is about a group of people who were helped by a few world leaders take over a country that legally belonged to others. That’s the highest truth of the matter. Why do you keep ignoring the point that it is about human suffering and fighting over land and keep on throwing in red herrings to deflect and not address the points I am trying to make? You and I are in agreement about Islamofacism; why keep trying to make it a point when it is a moot one and out of context?
I won’t post again, you can have the last word, and I hope that you reread my posts and try to see the human point I am making beyond the word games, but you should not let these pockets of political religious parties make you stereotype all Muslims in a one dimensional manner people comes in different molds.
Mr. Harvey, my initial comment was in response to your post, addressed to you; I must confess I am disappointed that you declined to answer back.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100531/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians
I hate it when snobby academics use sophistry on outspoken students. There is something truly babyish about exploiting a student in order to mask one’s own flaccid arguments – what a pretentious noncontributing zero.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/exposed-the-truth-about-israels-land-grab-in-the-west-bank-2020110.html