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| Anti-Semitism And The Muslim Student Association |
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| As we all know, there are a great number of clubs on this campus which all support different causes and usually seem to do it responsibly.� Many of them, in fact, have set up websites and online forums to voice their opinions for the world to see, which I believe is a healthy and productive way of self-promotion.� I am extremely displeased, however, with a certain club here on campus and their blatant disregard for tolerance, which is the very thing that they preach and fight for. |
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| The Muslim Student Association's mission, as found on their website http://www.msalb.org, is "to promote the true image of Islam through the activities and services that it provides to students on campus...as well as to establish a friendly atmosphere between Muslims and Non-Muslims on campus."� You will quickly see why I was so appalled by their apparent ignorance of their own mission. |
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| After accessing the MSA website I quickly noticed that there was an online forum, where users of the website can post messages for the world to see, messages that you would think represent what the Muslim community at CSULB stands for.� The main forum is divided into many sub-forums for more specialized areas of commentary, including discussions on Palestine, Islam, and CSULB itself.� As I was browsing through these forums I decided to click on a link to a general sub-forum, one that features sports, politics, and jokes, among other things.� The following text is a direct copy of an extremely anti-Semitic and hateful "joke" entitled "The Kind Jew" that I found on this website, a joke most likely posted by a Muslim student here at CSULB: |
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| "One afternoon, a wealthy Jew was riding in the back of his limousine when he saw two men eating grass by the road side. He ordered his driver to stop and got out to investigate.� "Why are you eating grass?" he asked one man.� "We don't have any money for food," the poor man replied.� "Oh, well, you can come with me to my house," instructed the Jew.� "But, sir, I have a wife and two children with me!"� "Bring them along!" replied the Jew.� He turned to the other man and said: "You come with us, too." "But, sir, I have a wife and six children!" the second man answered.� "Bring them as well!" answered the lawyer as he headed for his limo.� They all climbed into the car, which was no easy task, even for a car as large as the limousine. Once underway, one of the poor fellows says: "Sir, you are too kind. Thank you for taking all of us with you."� The Jew replied: "Glad to do it. You'll love my place; the grass is almost a foot tall."" |
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| I find it reprehensible that a group, such as the MSA, has not been responsible enough to remove this post from their website.� Can they not see the anti-Semitism present in the joke?� After doing a quick search of other campus clubs including that of Hillel, the biggest Jewish college organization, it is easy to see that none stoop to the level of ignorance and hypocrisy demonstrated by the MSA on their website.� I always thought that the MSA was all about promoting peace and understanding through their club, not intolerance and hate.� I guess I was mistaken. |
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| I really hope this opens up the eyes of the students on campus as to what campus groups really stand for.� I also hope this serves as a lesson to other campus groups who want to start their own website or forum: if it is on the Internet, anyone can see it.� The Muslim Student Association should be ashamed of itself. |
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Copyright Gerry Wachovsky, 2003, and Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. |
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Letters To The Editor Regarding This Article: |
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MSA Continues To Preserve Campus Unity |
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(from March 24, 2003) |
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