Rutgers Cancels Islamofascist Hatefest!

Dean Marie Logue of the Department of Student Affairs at Rutgers College, Rutgers University announced to several student representatives of student Palestine advocacy organization New Jersey Solidarity that the administration has deemed that "logistics" forbid students to proceed with a national Palestine solidarity conference scheduled for October 10-12, 2003.

The student organization is determined to continue, saying they will hold the conference "wherever we must." The decision came the day University President Robert McCormick was scheduled to appear at a dinner sponsored by Rutgers Hillel. This move contradicts previous positions of the Rutgers Administration in which they advocated free speech precident over political biases.

Students attempted to reschedule the meeting but were denied. Dean Logue stated at the meeting that "deadlines" prevented the conference from occurring, even though students had raised over $6,000 to be deposited in their account and met with Dean Johnston of Rutgers College on September 5 - the day of the allegedly missed deadlines. Organizers replied that this assertion was "ludicrous." "The University is attempting to abuse bureaucracy in order to silence student voices," said Paola Rizzuto, a Rutgers College sophomore.

"We refuse to be silenced. We will hold our conference wherever we must - in a hotel, in a park, wherever. The Palestinian people have continued to resist despite incredible and overwhelming force displayed against them - and we owe them nothing less than to refuse to be silenced. We stand in solidarity with Palestine, and we call upon this university to divest all of its funds from the state of Israel and companies that do business with it. To do otherwise is to support apartheid. This is an official action on the part of Rutgers University in support of apartheid," said Charlotte Kates, a second-year student at Rutgers School of Law in Newark.

Indymedia

On August 26, I posted that this anti-semetic hatefest was moving to Ohio State. From what little I have seen, Ms. Kates refused to allow the move, and now Rutgers has done the decent thing and cancelled it. I have my beady little eyes on the topic and will report any further developments.

Just in case you're a little bit confused, here's part of the resolutions adopted at the last conference:

4. Just as the Conference condemns the racism and discrimination inherent in Zionism underlying the policies and laws of the state of Israel, the Conference rejects any form of hatred or discrimination against any group based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.
..
STRATEGY
6. The Conference seeks to promote the following campaigns:
a. divestment from Israel
b. ending U.S. aid to Israel
c. Right of Return;
Using tactics which may include:
a. education
b. public demonstrations and rallies
c. civil disobedience or direct action

In other words, they don't support Zionists, nor any form of discrimination, but they will support direct action by Palestinians, who actively practice hatred or discrimination against any group based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. And, of course, the right of return which began with a half million Palestinians fleeing at their leaders' requests and six million returning. What morons!

-- posted by Chuck at Monday, September 15, 2003 | E-mail | Permalink | Main | 0 comments

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Monday, September 15, 2003

Rutgers Cancels Islamofascist Hatefest!