Week of Activities to Oppose Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week at UCB
Monday 10/22
Some students had been passing out green t shirts and fliers for Peace Not Prejudice Week, (a sort of alternative week to IFAW though not directly challenging it.) Then something happened that gave students a sharp and sour taste of what IFAW is about.
A guy with a big ugly sign showed up on campus just past Sather Gate where the student groups have tables at noon.All afternoon knots of 20-100 students surrounded him, challenging him about the sign which said Islam Abuses Women on one side and Islam = pedophilia, polygamy & wife beating. Some said he should add the word "fundamentalist" to Islam. Some insisted he change it to add All religions or none. People yelled at him to take down his sign because it was a lie. He read quotes from the Koran. We responded with stuff from the Bible. He promoted Nonie Darwish's talk that night, encouraging people to hear what an Arab woman said about Islam.
Students who before had been blase about our materials against IFAW now were coming up and taking bunches of them. We showed them the article on "Newly Minted Feminists" in Revolution Newspaper. Many were just hearing about IFAW. Some who had heard about it were now just getting what it really was. Most were incensed by the guy and his sign. That evening dozens of students came to Darwish's talk to confront her and the Republicans because of all this.
WHEN: Tuesday Oct. 23, 8:00 PM
WHERE: 145 Dwinelle Hall, UC Berkeley
PANEL: "Who Are the Real Fascists?" Larry Everest, author of Oil, Power, and Empire, and UC Berkeley Ethnic Studies graduate student/acting instructor Roberto Hernandez will speak about attacks on academic freedom and the fascist agenda of David Horowitz and IFAW and their relationship to the Bush Administration.in the context of expanding US war in the Middle East and repression at home.
Also, activists will expose, politically confront, deflate and defeat "Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week" during these local "IFAW" events sponsored by college Republicans:
· Monday October 22, 7-9 p.m. talk by Nonie Darwish, author of "Now They Call Me Infidel" and spokesperson for "Arabs for Israel ," at UC Berkeley, 10 Evans Hall.
· Tuesday October 23, 7-9 p.m. Film showing of "Obsession" by Berkeley College Republicans, location TBA
· Wednesday October 24, 7-9 p.m. Panel by Berkeley College Republicans on "Law and Public Policy Used to Fight Terror" at UC Berkeley, 160 Dwinelle Hall
· Wednesday October 24, 12 p.m. right wing radio personality Brian Sussman speaks, SF State University, Jack Adams Hall
· Thursday October 25, 12 p.m. Berkeley College Republicans read quotes from "terrorist groups" at UC Berkeley, Sproul Plaza
Forum @ SF State
Wednesday 10/24, 5:30PM
Burke Hall, Room 236
Freedom, Democracy and Women's Rights in the Middle East: What does the US Got To Do With It?
There's a lot of hype these days about the oppression of women in the Islamic world. Some go so far as to label oppressive Islamic regimes "Islamo-fascist." But does this term fit? Does the US government have the best interest of women at heart when it intervenes in the affairs of Muslim countries - or does it bear significant responsibility for the gender inequalities that exist in parts of the Islamic world? What role then has the US played historically in blocking efforts by progressive and women’s movements to achieve more just societies?
Might US foreign policy factor significantly into whatever form of "fascism" exists in the Muslim world?
Come hear these speakers give critiques, and discuss what steps we can take to make change:
Dr. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz - Professor of Ethnic Studies
Dr. Maziar Behrooz - Professor of Middle East/Iranian History
Sureya Sayadi, M.D. - Human Rights Activist
Sponsored by: CRUCS
Contact: Ahhhlex@gmail.com
San Francisco Bay Area Planning Meeting.
8pm, Wed Oct 10 in 123 Wheeler on the UCB campus: come to a Bay Area-Wide Planning Meeting to RESIST "Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week"
The right-wing assault on college campuses across the country has nothing to do with "free speech" or opposing the oppression of women...it has EVERYTHING to do with silencing dissent, critical thinking and whipping up hysteria to justify U.S. domination of the Middle East.
Come to talk about how and why we must boldly oppose this IFAW. Your input is really important.
Very initial plans are to be present at IFAW events at Stanford, SF State, and UCB with signs, materials, a fact sheet and our articulate voices to politically challenge, defeat and deflate IFAW peakers with the truth.
There will be a forum at Revolution Books Oct 16: IFAW Must be Confronted and Exposed -- You Can't Defeat Fascism By Ignoring It.
Also a panel of speakers on Opposing IFAW (David Horowitz is planning "Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week"....WHAT ABOUT U.S. FASCISM AWARENESS WEEK?) October 23 at 145 Dwinelle.
For more information about Horowitz, IFAW, and why it should be opposed, see www.defendcriticalthinking.org, and www.revcom.us.
info: 510-848-1196