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Horowitz Will Speak at Columbia
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 8, 2007
Conservative author David Horowitz confirmed Friday night that he plans to speak on Columbia’s campus as part of a “Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week” speaking tour.
Horowitz, CC ’59, said that he will introduce an event featuring Fox News Channel reporter Sean Hannity on Friday, Oct. 26th. Hannity said he was invited to speak by Chris Kulawik, CC ’08 and president of the Columbia University College Republicans.
Horowitz said that during his speech, he would discuss how “Islamo-fascists have killed more Muslims than any other group” and “the hate campaign that has been launched by progressives against this week.”
“Why is it so controversial to talk about Islamic fascists?” he asked in a phone interview. “Why is it an embargoed question?”
Jonathan Backer, CC ’10 and communications director for the Columbia University College Democrats, said that the Dems were planning to host an alternative event to counter Horowitz’s speech, which he said would be conducted with “a message of hate behind it.”
“We want to use this as an opportunity to respond to Islamo-Fascism week ... [and] to counter that sort of rhetoric in the media,” Backer said.
Horowitz said that he is interested in hearing from students, including those who disagree with him, on the oppression of women and moderate Muslims in Islamic nations.
Ali Shafei, CC ’10 and president of Turath, said that Horowitz does not represent moderate Muslims as he claims. “The week and the whole premise behind the week is an inherently racist one,” Shafei said. “It’s not aimed at one part of minority extremists... it’s giving a negative image of the religion itself.”
“My agenda is to open up a debate, it’s not to shut it down,” Horowitz said. “If somebody want to have a panel as to whether Islamo-facism is a fair name, I’m game. I’ll do it that day.”
On the Hannity & Colmes show earlier this week, Hannity said that he doubted he would be “very welcomed” on campus, pointing to last year’s speech by Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist and the University’s handling of punishing those protesters who rushed the stage, ending the speech.
“They had everything on tape, they could have gotten every student, there could have been repercussions for interrupting the speech of an invited guest. Now, I don’t know what to expect when I get up there, but we will be bringing Fox cameras when we show up at Columbia University,” Hannity said on the air, adding, “I better start working out in case I get attacked.”
Horowitz stated in an e-mail that he had a special interest in speaking at Columbia because “It’s my alma mater, and I sent my son there.”
Shafei said that Horowitz’s invitation, which comes shortly after the appearance of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has put Muslim students in a difficult and unfair position. “Muslim and Arab students are not given a choice to chose a moderate middle,” Shafei said. “You’re either choosing to support someone who makes a bunch of controversial statements in the name of your religion ...the other choice is to listen to someone who’s known to have strongly negative feelings about your religion,” he said. “The fact that we’re left to chose between these extremes indicates a problem with the University itself ...Narrative should be hallmarked by notion of moderation and we’re really not seeing that.”
Josh Rosner, CC ’08 and president of Hillel, declined to comment, saying that the board would discuss how to react at its regularly-scheduled meeting tonight.
A piece that Horowitz co-wrote for the Terrorism Awareness Project, titled “Why Islamo-Fascism?,” stated that Islamo-fascists—whom the piece described as radical, totalitarian Muslim jihadists—are waging war against moderate Muslims in order to impose an international theocracy.
“No one who wants to see moderate Muslims succeed in their efforts to resist the oppressive doctrines of the Islamo-fascists should oppose the use of this term. Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week is an effort to educate the general public about the enemy we face, and, in the process, to give moderate Muslims support in their struggle,” the article states.
Horowitz last spoke on campus in an event on academic freedom hosted by the College Republicans in the spring of 2005. The Republicans had booked the Lerner cinema from noon to 1:30 p.m. on the day of the speech for a speaking event. Kulawik and board members of the College Republicans declined to comment.
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"[Iran ... ] organizers imposed tight security measures, checking the identity papers of all students entering the university and allowing only selected students into the hall."
Isn't that exactly how CU public safety handled the situation? They made the campus off limit to non ID holders, and let only "select few" - people who were well connected enough to snap up the tickets in the first 30 mins of posting the event - in the hall.
Uh, I think you missed the point. Care to address press freedom along with "tickets?"
"[Iran ... ] organizers imposed tight security measures, checking the identity papers of all students entering the university and allowing only selected students into the hall."
Isn't that exactly how CU public safety handled the situation? They made the campus off limit to non ID holders, and let only "select few" - people who were well connected enough to snap up the tickets in the first 30 mins of posting the event - in the hall.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - An estimated 100 students staged a rare demonstration Monday against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, calling him a "dictator" and scuffling with hardline students at Tehran University.
Ahmadinejad, who was giving a speech to a select group at the university to mark the beginning of the academic year, ignored the chants of "death to the dictator" and continued with his speech on the merits of science and the pitfalls of Western-style democracy, witnesses said.
The protesters scuffled with hardline students who were chanting "thank you president" while police looked on from outside the university gates. The protesters dispersed after the car carrying Ahmadinejad left the campus.
Students were once the main power base of Iran's reform movement but have faced intense pressure in recent years from Ahmadinejad's hardline government, making anti-government protests rare.
The president faced a similar outburst during a speech last December when students at Amir Kabir Technical University called Ahmadinejad a dictator and set fire to his picture.
Hoping to avoid a similar disturbance Monday, organizers imposed tight security measures, checking the identity papers of all students entering the university and allowing only selected students into the hall. But the protesters were somehow able to gain entrance.
Iran's reform movement peaked in the late 1990s after former reformist president Mohammad Khatami was elected and his supporters swept parliament. But hardliners who control the judiciary, security forces and powerful unelected bodies in the government stymied attempts to ease social and political restrictions.
Numerous pro-reform newspapers were shut down, and since Ahmadinejad's election in 2005, those that remain have been muted in their criticism fearing closure.
At universities, pro-reform students have been marginalized, holding low-level meetings. They hold occasional demonstrations, usually to demand better school facilities or the release of detained colleagues. But pro-government student groups have grown more powerful.
Dr. Pipes is right - any discussion about Islamo-Fascism should not be "embargoed." IMO it's the most legitimate topic today. Anyone who seeks to silence Dr. Pipes and other conservatives from speaking has got something to hide.
Dr. Pipes is a Columbia graduate and so is his son. He has a right to be here. The person who did NOT have a right to be here - the dictator, murderer, and consummate liar, Ahmadinejad. I'm ashamed of the Columbia students who applauded him. What are you doing? Feeding the crocodile, as the saying goes?
Welcome Dr. Pipes! Remember - those who seek to silence you have something - a lot - to hide and/ or suppress. Such as, the truth about Islam, Mohammed, and Qur'an.
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