Tuesday, April 04, 2006

USF Oracle Column: Walid Shoebat and Hillel Shock USF Audience by Preaching Violence and Hatred

Last week, I (Ahmed Bedier) asked the question: Why are some Florida "Jewish" Groups sponsoring anti-Muslim hate speech events?. I brought up the question because of an anti-Muslim event hosted by the Hillel (conservative Jewish Org. at college campuses) group at USF and funded by Greater Miami Jewish Federation where a known Islamophobe named Walid Shoebat declared "Islam is not a religion."

Today Sean Kinane, a contributor to the campus newspaper of the University of South Florida, The Oracle, replies to both Walid Shoebat and Hillel in a column titled "Walid Shoebat preached violence, not peace." In the Column Kinane tells both Shoebat and Hillel "more violence and killing is not the way to bring peace," more violence was Shoebats solution for bringing peace. Kinane recalls a troubling exchange between Walid Shoebat and a student in the audience looking for solutions to the Mideast conflict:
A student in the audience asked Shoebat for the advice he would give young
people on creating a world of peace. Shoebat replied, "Sometimes we have to
shoot brother wolf until he promises to stop eating sister sheep." I was not
alone in my shock at this evidently contradictory answer, so I asked him if he
really thought more violence was the way to attain peace. He replied that yes,
essentially, extrajudicial assassinations were acceptable.

Kinnane rightly added:
What a shame it is for Hillel to bring to USF someone who advocates hateful
assassinations and retaliatory violence.

As shame it is indeed, Hillel and Greater Miami Jewish Federation are not only doing a disservice to humanity by promoting hatred and intolerance, but they're also doing a disservice to their own Jewish community. Respectable Jewish organizations in Florida are always at the forefront fighting bigotry, racism and hatred, it's very troubling that they would sponsor events that contradict the work they advocate.

Troubled by these type of events, I recently brought up my concern to a couple of my Jewish friends. Their response was embarrassment and frustration, questioning the wisdom of groups like Hillel and Greater Miami Jewish Federation. They also told me that these groups don't speak for all Jews and they don't speak or act in their name. I am realizing more an more, that when it comes to the Jewish community, one-size does NOT fit all. Like other religions and groups their is diverse opinions among the followers. My Jewish friends explained that the hardliners and extremists tend to be more active voicing their opinion and silencing other views.

5 comments:

Edward Ott said...

It is terrible to see such events happening but it is nice to see that the campus paper called them out for promoting hate and violence.

wassalam

Anonymous said...

I now can see why you do not want females to get an EDUCATION. If your young men are that stupid the women of your country would take over in no time.

Anonymous said...

Do you think the U.S. should engage in talks with Iran?

Anonymous said...

I mnust disagree.
While my heart is with the suffer of the Palestineans, Israel's aim is to defend itself. One may think that, reducing Israel's activities in the Palestinean areas would reduce violence. It did not work that way when it tried. Israel tried more than once to keep calm - the result was that the efforts of the Palestineans for suicide bombing and for increasing their fight, became more successful. Israel owes the fact that most of the efforts to harm it, are futile to its policy.

It is a false assumption to think that the reason for the attacks against Israel is its violence. If the Hamas and Islamic Jihad, can make more bombing events in Israeli concentrations, they wouldn't hasitate, just because Israel decides to stop its own actions.

snowdog said...

Israel has a right to defend itself. Islamic extremists as far as I can see, is the only group promoting violence inthe World. Every single person who has killed or injured thousands of people since 9/11 are Muslims and are mostly Middle Eastern. I don't see any other religions or races committing such violence. The Jews acted in every instance to defend themselves or eliminate active and continuing threats against its security.