Free Speech Comes to Toronto

My alma mater, the venerable University of Toronto is receiving Jewish student union sponsored an event on radical Islam (as opposed to mainstream Islam but mainstream Muslims tend to regard discussion of radical Islam as tatamount to criticism of mainstream Islam, if you follow).

Anyway, the Islamic students are following up with the not-so-ambiguously named "Israel Apartheid Week."

I certainly remember those heady days from my time in school. The displays featuring maps of "Palestine" which bore a striking resemblance to the shape of Israel, and so forth.

There are a bazillion things that could be said about all this, but I'll try to only say a few things.
-It would be nice if the Muslims actually discussed radical Islam and the Jews didn't have to bring it up. It'd be nice if each used their week to talk about themselves - whether that be self-promotion or self-questioning
-S, in my experience, Jews criticize Israel about 1000X times more often than you hear prominent Muslims talking about the problems in their flock...I discount the idea that there is some kind of quid pro quo going on.

Nope, Israeli leftists (from Noam Chomsky on down) are a dime a dozen and yet I doubt that the Muslim students had to hestitate in choosing between Israel Apartheid Week and, say, Gay Rights in Saudi Arabia week. If I may generalize, their agenda is just a bit one track - and it does not involve looking in the mirror at any point. Israel ain't perfect but they have bigger problems to solve first.

-so the aim of the Muslim Students Assocation, as you can tell from the article, is to ""foster a deep respect and appreciation for other faiths and cultures on campus."

And that's why, instead of calling their event Palestinian Freedom Week, Arab Liberation Week or even End the Occupation Week, they went for the very deferential Israel Apartheid Week.

Nonetheless, the Jewish and Muslim student groups have, to their credit, done some work together and that, i suppose, is better than nothing. They co-hosted some lectures last week, for example. It's certainly better than the anti-Semitic cesspool (or hotbed of progressive thought, if you prefer) of Concordia University in Montreal where Israelis of all stripes are prevented from speaking by riots, destruction of physical property and harrassing Holocaust survivors .
*Tangential related note: One newspaper in Jordan actually had the cojones to publish the Danish cartoons. The editor pleaded with people to consider for a moment which was worse publicity for Islam: The cartoons, or a suicide bomber hitting a wedding in Jordan. He was summarily fired and is now up on charges.

-Meanwhile over in Indonesia (the biggest Islamic nation, didn't ya know), a group of students are showing a wonderful spirit of unity by pledging to die to defend their religion from political cartoonists.

Yeah, I know they certainly do not represent most Muslims but when you read quotes like this one, it really all becomes so very clear:
"Long live Islam. Destroy Denmark. Destroy Israel. Destroy George Bush. Destroy America," shouted some 3,000 protesters who marched in a steady rain to Danish Embassy from a nearby mosque.

I'm not sure how Israel and George Bush got involved....except of course that they are already regarded as the worst things to ever happen to Islam (note that Osama Bin Laden isn't on the list) so when discussing something else horrible (ie free speech in Denmark) we might as well toss em in. Just like when you're making a salad, no matter what kind, you need some lettuce. The West is the lettuce.

You want to sympathize with them - I mean, a Christian wouldn't be HAPPY about cartoons depicting Jesus in a negative light - and then they have to go off, make a big fuss and start dragging in the kitchen sink.