Spring Break
Islamo-Fascist week goes unobserved at Hopkins
Issue date: 10/25/07
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Student groups on college campuses across the country will participate in the controversial Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week, from Oct. 22-26. Organized by the David Horowitz Freedom Center, the event aims to highlight Islam's oppression of women and the threat posed by the Islamic crusaders on the West, according to the Center.
The event will take place at more than 100 colleges and universities, according to Jeffrey Wiener, Terrorism Awareness Project National Campus Coordinator at the David Horowitz Freedom Center. Participating schools include Princeton, Brown, Yale, University of Pennsylvania and George Washington University.
No group at Hopkins will officially participate.
"We support the event, but we will not be participating this year," Evan Lazerowitz, vice president of the Hopkins College Republicans, said. "It's partially because Hopkins is a politically apathetic campus, and also the fact that the event didn't plan out very well. I don't think the University administration would have liked the idea."
"Had the administration been contacted about the event, it would have been treated like any other activity," Dorothy Sheppard, Associate Dean of Students, said. Sheppard explained had students approached the administration with the intention to participate, the administration would have needed to know the details, such as where the funding is coming from, who is organizing the event and whether the event may cause unrest on campus.
"Generally, the University is careful with events that may be harmful or that attack the beliefs of others," she said.
Though Hopkins is not participating in the event, the IFC has planned a response.
"The way the IFC chose to respond to this hateful programming is by showing the greater Hopkins community that not only are Muslims being marginalized but that all faith groups on campus are being marginalized by this event," said Farah Quereshi, a Satellite Intern for the Interfaith Youth Core. "By demonizing one religious group, we attack the pluralism which exists at Hopkins."
The event will take place at more than 100 colleges and universities, according to Jeffrey Wiener, Terrorism Awareness Project National Campus Coordinator at the David Horowitz Freedom Center. Participating schools include Princeton, Brown, Yale, University of Pennsylvania and George Washington University.
No group at Hopkins will officially participate.
"We support the event, but we will not be participating this year," Evan Lazerowitz, vice president of the Hopkins College Republicans, said. "It's partially because Hopkins is a politically apathetic campus, and also the fact that the event didn't plan out very well. I don't think the University administration would have liked the idea."
"Had the administration been contacted about the event, it would have been treated like any other activity," Dorothy Sheppard, Associate Dean of Students, said. Sheppard explained had students approached the administration with the intention to participate, the administration would have needed to know the details, such as where the funding is coming from, who is organizing the event and whether the event may cause unrest on campus.
"Generally, the University is careful with events that may be harmful or that attack the beliefs of others," she said.
Though Hopkins is not participating in the event, the IFC has planned a response.
"The way the IFC chose to respond to this hateful programming is by showing the greater Hopkins community that not only are Muslims being marginalized but that all faith groups on campus are being marginalized by this event," said Farah Quereshi, a Satellite Intern for the Interfaith Youth Core. "By demonizing one religious group, we attack the pluralism which exists at Hopkins."
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