“Student” thugs shut down Horowitz talk

As I said the other day, the left and the “right” in America agree that Islam is wonderful, and only disagree about the tiny little bad part of Islam. The left says the tiny little bad part of Islam is our fault, caused by our oppression and greed and support for Israel. The “right” says the tiny little bad part of Islam is the fault of false, “Islamo-fascist” Muslims. But because the “right” blames the tiny little bad part of Islam on (false) Muslims rather than on America, the left hates the “right” and considers it to be bigoted and racist.

And that’s why the left at Emory University shouted down David Horowitz last night and prevented him from giving his speech on “Islamo-fascism.” However, as indicated in the below press release from Ben Clark of the College Republicans at Emory, the shouting protesters may have been more Muslim than leftist, which suggests that my above analysis is not adequate. It is not just a matter of an increasingly tyrannical American left shutting down all views that criticize the Other. It’s a matter of Muslims in America shutting down all views that criticize Islam.

Which means that Horowitz’s analysis of the situation is also inadequate. If we want to maintain the freedom in America to talk about Islam, we must prevent more Muslims from coming here. If, in the interest of helping out the “good, moderate” Muslims, as Horowitz wants us to do, we keep letting Muslims in, we will also inevitably be letting in the harder-line Muslims as well—the very kind who shut down Horowitz’s own speech. Even Horowitz’s main writer on Islam, Robert Spencer, who used to promote the screening of potential Muslim immigrants to winnow out the radicals, gave up that view (after I had repeatedly criticized him on it) and admitted that there was no way the radical Muslims could be reliably distinguished from other Muslims. Having given up his screening idea, he then for the first time proposed real immigration restrictions, declaring that no immigration should be allowed from Muslim countries.

So Horowitz should get this straight: The more he talks about the dangers of “Islamo-fascism,” the more he sends the signal that all “regular” Muslims are A-Ok and are our natural allies against the “Islamo-fascists.” Which requires us to be more friendly to “regular” Muslims and permit lots of “regular” Muslims to immigrate into and study in America, a sufficient number of whom end up being the kind of “Islamo-fascists” who shut down Horowitz’s speech on “Islamo-fascism.” What will it take for Horowitz to get this?

Here’s the press release. One wonders, will Emory discipline the students who prevented a speech from being delivered? Or is the president of Emory another Lee Bollinger?

ATLANTA (October 24, 2007)—On Wednesday evening, the Emory University Chapter of the College Republicans hosted acclaimed author and activist David Horowitz for a lecture on radical Islam as part of Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week. From the beginning of Horowitz’s speech, rowdy protesters continually interrupted him and less than half an hour into the event, the crowd became so disruptive that police were called in and Horowitz had to be escorted off stage.

Over 300 people—a cross-section of students, professors, and Atlanta community members—packed into White Hall where the event was held. The audience included a wide range of Leftists from Amnesty International, Veterans for Peace, and Students for Justice in Palestine, as well as Muslim groups such as the Muslim Student Association. In addition, members of “National Project to Defend Dissent & Critical Thinking in Academia,” an organization dedicated to opposing Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week events throughout the country, participated in the protests dressed in orange attire as a reference to Guantanamo Bay. There was also a sizable group of men and women dressed in traditional Muslim garb as well as students wearing Kafiyehs, a symbol of Arab solidarity.

“I’ve spoken at Emory University several times and I’ve never seen it this bad,” said Horowitz responding to the crowd as they shouted and jeered. “This is exactly what the fascists did in Germany in the 1930s.” Protesters began their efforts as soon as Horowitz was introduced with boos and chants of “Heil Hitler.” Despite the people who stood with their backs to Horowitz and the shouting of obscenities and other remarks from audience members, Horowitz attempted to deliver his speech that covered academic freedom and radical Islam. The loud chants, sign-waving, and disruptive gestures continued to escalate from audience members until the atmosphere was so chaotic that even the police present were unable to subdue the crowd. Horowitz was led off stage and left the campus under tight security, and the event came to an abrupt end. “This is a poor reflection on Emory, and we are embarrassed by the actions so many in the campus community,” said Emory College Republicans Chairman Ben Clark.” The Emory administration must make it clear that they do not condone the protesters’ behavior, but that they respect Horowitz’s right to speak on campus and will work to ensure that this does not happen again.”

Many in the audience left the event disappointed. “Even the students who did not agree with David Horowitz did not get a chance to speak their minds because of the protesters’ disruptive actions,” said Emory Professor Mark Bauerlein. “No one was able to listen to the lecture or to speak themselves—pro or con—everyone was shut down.”

Over 100 campuses across the country are hosting speeches, film screenings, and other events this week, as part of the Terrorism Awareness Project, a program of the David Horowitz Freedom Center dedicated to waking up American college students to the threat of militant Islam. Elsewhere in Atlanta, the Georgia Tech College Republicans will host a screening of the film Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West on Thursday, October 25th at 6:30 p.m. “Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week has been very effective across the country, and even our opposition demonstrates that,” said Horowitz, reflecting on Wednesday’s debacle at Emory. “We’ve already won this debate.”

The Emory College Republicans works to represent the Republican and conservative students on campus. Our group provides members with opportunities for political involvement and works to bring conservative viewpoints to Emory.

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Jeremy G. writes:

I think the counter productive nature of Horowitz’s approach becomes more clear if we consider that he would feel compelled to oppose a genuine opposition to Islam. What would Horowitz say, for example, to the Swiss if the nationalists fulfill their election campaign promise to take down all the minarets from the mosques in Switzerland?

Isn’t this an attack on Islam? Shouldn’t the nationalists be more tolerant and inclusive of the large majority of peaceful Muslims and only go after the much smaller numbers of Muslims who actively engage in or advocate mass murder?

What if a Western nation decided to halt all Muslim immigration? Wouldn’t Horowitz be opposed to that?

LA replies:

Good question. Horowitz of course does not favor a halt of all Muslim immigration. But what if other people favored it and pushed it through, so that Horowitz didn’t have to dirty his hands in the process? Would he oppose it, or would he bad secretly glad that there were adults (i.e., non-liberals) in the house after all?

David H. from Oregon writes:

The Muslims and Muslim fellow-traveller thugs who shouted down David Horowitz’s speech might be labelled The Greenshirts.

James W. writes:

It is simple to see that if conservative protesters prevented an individual from speaking, and hundreds of people from hearing, they would be expelled. And should be, with our blessing.

Of course, that’s ridiculous, because no conservative group has ever done such a thing. What this really shows us is that the rulers of Emory are as committed to defending liberty as any university in America—not at all. We’re not surprised, are we? The shock would have been were this dealt with on the spot. That would have been a first.

The evidence shows they are not turning a blind eye, but are committed to ending liberty as we once understood it.

There is another reason to end all Muslim immigration to this country. As we have seen in Europe, the children and grandchildren of Muslim immigrants are prone to being more backward than the original copies. Even as this ratio is far different in America than it is in Europe, it is plain to see at Emory that they mean to change that.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at October 25, 2007 09:30 AM | Send