COMMENT | Islam on campus |  |
The panic over Muslim graduation stoles
The controversy over graduation stoles worn by Muslim graduates at UC Berkeley reveal much about how fear can warp the truth.
By Shahed Amanullah, June 23, 2004
You'd think that after years of all-Islam, all-the-time news reporting, of people studying Islam both formally and informally, and so many self-styled "Islam experts" plying the radio and TV talk shows, that critics of Islam would know at least the basics about the religion. This week's "controversy" over Muslim graduation stoles at the University of California, Irvine reveals how fear can warp the truth, even when people who make a living watching Muslims are involved. Seems that some Jewish students were upset about the green, Arabic-covered stoles, finding too much of a similarity between them and green headbands Hamas militants use. It's understandable, I suppose, since the students in question can't read Arabic and their only exposure to Arabic written on green cloth (the shahada, or Muslim declaration of faith, was printed on one side of the stole; the other said "Oh, God, increase my knowledge") was what they see on their TV screens. (Muslim students could have made the same complaint about stars of David, which are plastered on Israeli army tanks & warplanes, but they're smart enough to make the distinction between politics and religion.) What is baffling, though, is that nearly every news outlet said that the word " shahada" was on the stoles (it wasn't - the phrase "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger" that makes up the shahada was) and that the American Jewish Congress said that the word "shahada" that they think is on the stole translated to "suicide bomber". The AJC also called the shahada an "expression of hate" that was a "demonstration in favor of terrorists". Thankfully, UC Irvine officials backed the 20 Muslim students who wore the stoles without incident at their commencement ceremonies, and plan to in the future. "Students wore it at last year's graduation, too," said UC Irvine Muslim Student Union president Osman Umarji. "No one even noticed it." Well, they have now - and they want all Muslims to drop the most basic declaration of their faith because some terrorists have been filmed abusing it.
Shahed Amanullah is editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com.
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thats how it starts, they want us to denounce the shahada, next we will have 3 gods.
- Posted by abdullahdia (new york) on June 24, 2004 at 11:34 AM
Islam came to the nonbelievers as foreign and it will leave to them foreign. This will bear witness against them and there will be no excuse that they'd never heard of Islam.
- Posted by khalil (usa) on June 25, 2004 at 06:48 PM
In the Jewsweek article:
"MSU board member Jazakhallah Kair"
Very funny.
These journalists really have no clue.
- Posted by Zack on June 26, 2004 at 12:54 AM
I read that the hatemongers at the ADL apologized for this the other day. Any one remember a few months ago when Muslim kids were having their own foorball tournament with team names like "Intifada" etc ?
The same jewish extremists were barking about it as usual. I wonder if its just jealously or their lack of ability to engage in anything beyond petty selfish demagogary.
- Posted by DrDriveBy (Coony island) on June 26, 2004 at 04:15 PM
I am confused, in the linked article it said the following:
""Shahada" can be translated several ways, including as a declaration of faith in Islam, but it often is used in reference to "martyrdom" Ò especially martyrdom attained by suicide bombers.
Sally Peterson, dean of students at UCI, defended the university against critics who say the school shouldn't allow such a display.
Peterson admits the word "shahada," besides being a reference to Islam, "has also taken on many other meanings depending on where you sit. For some it is seen as 'kill all Jews' or it is seen as a reference to suicide bombers," she said.
So, this lady at UCI admits that the word has a negative meaning, yet allows them to continue to wear the stole? Does this make any sense to anyone.
What if a white Christian student wore a shall that said "Kill all Muslims", the same way that the UCD lady admitted that the Muslim word is meant to say?
Would this be ok? Being a public school, I guess that they should not interfere with the Christians either, but they would, wouldn't they???
- Posted by Kolmer on July 1, 2004 at 12:53 PM
The word Shahada (literally means witness) is not written on the stole. The Muslim declaration of faith, which anyone can take at any time to enter the faith of Islam is. Its simple. It says "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger." Its like a Catholics faith in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Its a benchmark of the Muslim Faith. On the other side a verse of the Quran which says, Oh Allah, increase me in knowledge. I'm surprised an expert on Islam and its origins, and its effects on humanity of your calibre didn't know about this.
- Posted by haben79 on July 1, 2004 at 01:19 PM
The question here, is the interpretation of the word. And if the UCI Dean admits that the word has a negative meaning towards Jews, then why would she let it go? She didnt not go into anything about the historical and factual information about the meaning, she discussed the perceved meaning or the word by some people.
My question was, How can this be permited from some and not others?
If the Dean said the meaning of the word is to "Kill all Jews" then why cant someone else wear "Kill all -----(whomever)??
Maybe you should inform the Dean of your advanced knowledge of Islam so that she can get her story straight and not make her argument invaild.
- Posted by Kolmer on July 1, 2004 at 01:31 PM
Also, the article said that the Muslims group at the school had recently had worn green arm bands in suport of Hamas (a Middle East Terrorist Group, and you cant argue that one so don't try thats what they are). So why cant other people show their support of other terrror groups on campus such as the KKK?
In all fairness, if we want freedom os speech then we need not censor those who do not agree with the "Political Corectness of the Liberal Left" but allow
everone to be treated as equals and use freedom of speech equally.
Dont worry, I already have my questions directed at the school (still waiting for a response on this one, haha), but I am confused as to the schools motivations for discriminating against all groups excet Muslims.
I will let you know how the school responds, if they ever do.
- Posted by Kolmer on July 1, 2004 at 01:35 PM
The word Shahada never means kill all anything. IT IS NOT EVEN WRITTEN ON THE ARMBANDS. If you have issue with groups supporting suicide bombing, etc, I don't have a problem with that, and I agree. Its a different problem than these armbands. It is so extremely ridiculous to associate the declaration of faith as a terrorist icon. That is sick.
Also, I'm sure along with your angst with suicide bombers, you take just as strong a stance agains the illegal Israeli settlements which are fortified by armed settlers, which kill unarmed civilians too, and Israeli Militar massacring of civilians as well. Or maybe you're not.
- Posted by haben79 on July 1, 2004 at 02:57 PM
Listen, click on the link from this web site, click on the word Shahada in the above article and you can read what she said you moron.
You are a fucking idoit if you cant READ ENGLISH. I never said that that was what the word mean moron. I said that the Dean at UCI said that it meant "Kill all Jews"
Before you start judging me you moron, you better start reading things for what they are, not for what you want them to be. You are trying to justify me being right by saying that i am a suicide bomber? Where do you get this from? you dont know where I am from or what religion I practice.
I have an angst and you do, that is clear. You make judgments on someone you dont even know just because you cant read english. Thats not my problem.
And I am not Jewish. My whole point was freedom of speech in America and how it only pertains to certian groups. Cause when people say the truth about Muslims you all start crying and bitching that we are lairs. Well we are not. And you are a sick and jelous insecure person for making any assumptions about me.
And why do you stupid people always have to turn around and say "we can be fucking crazy KILLING MUSLIMS cause the Jews kill people too?? You make no sense, go back and read what you just wrote and you will see you are an idiot.
Hamas is a group of crazy KILLERS. And thats it. There is nothing more to them then that.
AND I AM NOT JEWISH YOU STUPID MUSLIM.
Maybe you can stop spreading lies about people like me to further your "casue" which is to supprese your own people can keep them stupid.
Can you even read Arabic cause most American Muslims CANT!!!!!!!
- Posted by Kolmer on July 1, 2004 at 03:12 PM
GO BACK AND READ WHAT I SAID THE FIRST TIME, AND YOU WILL SEE THAT YOU ARE A MORON WHO CANT READ ENLGLISH, CAUSE I NEVER SAID WHAT THE WORD MEANT. I QUOTED AN ARTICLE WHICH IS A LINK FROM THIS WEB SITE.
IF YOU DONT WANT TO LEARN HOW TO READ, THEN GET OFF THIS SITE WHICH REQUIRES PEOPLE TO KNOW HOW TO READ.
i AM SICK OF YOU CRAZY RADICALS TRYING TO MAKE DECENT PEOPLE LIKE ME LOOK BAD CAUSE YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE WRONG AND PRAY THAT THE WORLD CANT SEE IT.
- Posted by Kolmer on July 1, 2004 at 03:14 PM
I was responding to this
"So, this lady at UCI admits that the word has a negative meaning, yet allows them to continue to wear the stole? Does this make any sense to anyone.
"
And I am explaining why it "makes sense to anyone." Even if someone believes shahadah can in some instance mean kill all Jews (it doesn't under any circumstances at least not in Arabic) IT IS NOT ON THE STOLES. This is why it makes sense to anyone (I read Arabic, and if someone is going to launch this massive campaign against those students, they should probably see what is actually written dont you think?). The whole point behind this article is how some people jumped the gun without even knowing what the stoles said. I may have suspected you are a Jew, but I never said so anywhere, and it is kind of irrelevant. But in other posts where you claimed Islam taught nothing to the West, "My kind is evil, and your kind is good" you made the bad impression on yourself, without my help. Maybe you are confusing me for DrDriveBy who talks of your "Talmud inspired hatred."
- Posted by haben79 on July 1, 2004 at 03:30 PM
I didn't say you are a suicide bomber kolmer. I said you have "angst" with them. As in they piss you off. They piss me off too.
- Posted by haben79 on July 1, 2004 at 03:33 PM
Listen I have no hatred to you, Muslims, Catholics, Jews, or anyone else. That is the difference between me and most people in the World who hate at least one group.
The article said what UCI Dean said the word meant.
If, according to the Dean, then world means "Kill all Jews", then my concern is how can that me permited?
How can a school claim that something means something negative to one group and not want to do anything about it?
The issue was not the true meaning of the word, however it was that the Dean said the word meant one thing, and did not care to do anything about it. However if it was a Christian who wore a stole that said, or meant, "Kill all Muslims", I bet the school would not premit that.
My issue here was with the Dean and how she is clearly showing disrcimination to one group. The woman probally does not know what the word really means, however based on what she thinks it means, how can she allow it to be worn?
Thats my issue.
- Posted by Kolmer on July 1, 2004 at 04:12 PM
I understand what you are saying. Shahadah means witness. It also means declartaion of faith. It also means martyrdom (which is not a bad word, even if assholes who kill civilians believe they are that). The problem is that:
It is not even written on the stole. And what is written on the stole is a declaration of faith of 1.2 billion people all across the planet. You can't take a declaration of faith of an entire religion and say it means "kill all jews." And if someone felt that way, I would tell him I'm sorry that the sentence, the benchmark of an entire world religion, that states a belief in monotheism and in Messengership of a particular man, means Kill All Jews to you, but I still think I can wear it on my stoles.
The stole does not mean anything like that. Its very clear what it means. This is a confusion.
to summarize:
1. Shahadah does not mean kill All Jews in any context, It means witness (and interpreted in different ways can mean different kinds of witnessing, bearing witness to a faith, testifying in court, bearing witness with your life to a cause etc.
2. Even if Shahadah means kill all Jews (which it doesn't under any circumstances), it is not written on the stoles
3. Two things are written on the stoles:
a. There is No god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God
b. On Lord increase me in knowledge
4. Neither a nor b means kill all Jews.
This is like a series of 20 misunderstandings.
- Posted by haben79 on July 1, 2004 at 04:31 PM
Sorry I left out something in my first sentence. that Since the UCI lady thinks it means "kill all jews" she should not allow it to happen.
- Posted by haben79 on July 1, 2004 at 04:36 PM
Then Mr. haben79, I think you need to clarify things with the Dean at UCI who is making this case sound like a joke to people like me when she says that it means "Kill all Jews" but that they will not do anything about that. She is making Muslims look bad by not clearly stating the meaning of the stole and why they will let it be worn at the commencement.
Glad we could clear things up.
- Posted by Kolmer on July 1, 2004 at 04:58 PM
Well, I don't know what circle thinks "shahadah" means "kill all jews." Though I can understand someone thinking it refers to suice bombers since the bombers see themselves as martyrs.
- Posted by haben79 on July 1, 2004 at 05:08 PM
your argumentation is patetic. when you yourself compare muslim students with army tanks, what shall i think about muslim student graduates?
are they now, or are they not, the equivalent of israely army tanks in western countries?
salaam
cool_view
- Posted by coolview (austria) on July 4, 2004 at 11:48 AM
I have to agree with haben79, but something i think was not right was joining the two religions. You don't mix the christians cross with the star of David . I know that everybody has a God, the Jews have thier God and I respect that. But some people don't like the idea of having thiers or somebody elses relgion in thier graduation. If you are make sure everybody is cool with it.
- Posted by Rebekah on November 3, 2004 at 05:11 PM
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