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Militant Islam Monitor > Satire > Muslim Student Association claims Iranian who was charged with attempted murders 'for Allah' "only used their prayer room"

Muslim Student Association claims Iranian who was charged with attempted murders 'for Allah' "only used their prayer room"

MSA held "Extinquishing the Ignorance" vigil over Mohammed cartoons cosponsored by administration and faculty prior to attack
March 5, 2006

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Poster for an MSA event at at a University in Virginia

MIM: The Muslim Student Association was up in arms about the Muhammed cartoons which were published in the student newspaper and announced an educational forum on "The Prophet Muhammad"... and... "the messages of peace and toleration he taught..."

The MSA call for "religious and cultural diversity,dialouge and mutual respect..." evidently had a strong effect on 'The Prophet's" namesake Mohammed Reza Tahieri - azar - who apparently was "peaced off " to the point of trying to kill and maim as many UNC students and faculty he could to "avenge Muslims".

Feb.10,2006

"... Next week, (date, time, and place TBA) the MSA will hold an educational forum on the Prophet Muhammad, his life, and his teachings to highlight the messages of peace and toleration he taught. All are welcome to attend. Again, please check this site for updates.


Again, the MSA thanks its friends and members for their constant support. May we all work together to continue to futher religious and cultural diversity, dialogue, and mutual respect at UNC-CH..."

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March 6, 2006

University Of North Carolina Jeep Jihadist Claims He Was Avenging The "Deaths Of Muslims"

March 6, 2006 - San Francisco, CA - PipeLineNews.org – On March 3, Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, 22 – an Iranian immigrant and former student at the Chapel Hill campus of the University of North Carolina drove a Jeep SUV into a crowd of students at a spot on the campus known as "The Pit," sending 9 of them to the hospital.

Arraigned over the weekend, Taheri's statements indicated that his actions were those of a terrorist, claiming that the attack took place to "avenge the deaths of Muslims around the world."

The seemingly bucolic North Carolina University campus has a recent history of brushes with terror. On July 15, 2005 UNC chemist Maqdi el-Nashar was arrested in Cairo, Egypt in connection with the July 7 London subway bombings and University of North Carolina 1986 graduate, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed [the Kuwait born mastermind behind 911] and Abd al-Karim Yousef, Mohammed's nephew [attended UNC in the mid 1980s] was arrested in Pakistan in 2003.

In a Monday court appearance a smiling Taheri said of the murder attempt that he was, "thankful for the opportunity to spread the will of Allah."

Of the incident, the Islamist Chapel Hill Muslim Student Union said, "Peace be upon you all."

©1999-2006 PipeLineNews.org, all rights reserved.

http://www.pipelinenews.org/index.cfm?page=taheri3606%2Ehtm

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http://www.uncmsa.org/

UNC MSA CONDEMNS HIT AND RUN INCIDENT March 03, 2006

- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

- PRESS RELEASE -

UNC MSA CONDEMNS HIT AND RUN INCIDENT

(UNC CHAPEL HILL, NC, 3/3/06) –

The Muslim Students Association joins the campus community in its shock and frustration at the events that occurred today in the pit. We are thankful none of the injuries were severe and our prayers are with all those affected. Although the driver appears to have been Muslim, he is not nor has he ever been a member of our organization. Our relationship with him was limited to the few appearances he made in a prayer room, which is a room on campus reserved by MSA open to anyone who desires a quiet place in which to pray.

We, alongside the rest of the campus community, anxiously await any information regarding the incident. Regardless of what his intentions prove to be, we wholeheartedly deplore this action, and trust that our fellow classmates will be able to dissociate the actions of this one disturbed individual from the beliefs of the Muslim community as a whole. Campus religious tensions have been running high as of late, and so we renew our commitment to work with the campus community and leaders to strengthen the bonds of friendship, cooperation, and faith in the community. Peace be upon you all.

- END -

CONTACT:

Muslim Students Association
University of North Carolina at Chapel

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MIM: On February 13th the MSA organised a 'vigil' to protest the Mohammed cartoons which was co sponsored by the UNC administration and faculty entitled

Ten days later their fellow mosque congregant Reza Taheri-azar attempted to extinquish the lives of students and faculty on campus.

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http://www.uncmsa.org/index.php?itemid=28

UNC MSA Hosts Vigil and Educational Dialogue Event February 14, 2006

- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -


- PRESS RELEASE -

"Extinguishing Ignorance with Knowledge" UNC MSA Hosts Vigil and Educational Dialogue Event on Thursday, February 16th, 2006

(UNC CHAPEL HILL, NC, 2/13/06)


In coordination with campus administration and faculty, the Muslim Students Association will be hosting a vigil and educational dialogue on Thursday, February 16th entitled "Extinguishing Ignorance with Knowledge." The vigil will be held in the Pit at 6:15 pm and we will use this time to hear opinions of Muslim students about the Prophet Muhammad as well as the events surrounding the Danish cartoon controversy. We will then move into the Union Auditorium at 6:45 to hear from administration, faculty, and Muslim panelists about the Prophet, his life and teachings, as well as the importance of religious tolerance and responsible journalism. We invite the UNC Chapel Hill community as well as all interested parties to join us for this educational opportunity.


Arif Khan
UNC MSA Outreach Coordinator
Cell: 919.247.9192 Email: [email protected]


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- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -


http://www.uncmsa.org/

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PRESS RELEASE: UNC MSA DENOUNCES CARICATURES OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD February 10, 2006

- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

- PRESS RELEASE -

UNC MSA DENOUNCES CARICATURES OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD

(UNC CHAPEL HILL, NC, 2/10/06) –

The Muslim Students Association, along with numerous Muslim organizations across the United States, disapproves both Prophet Muhammad's caricatures published in various European media outlets and violent Muslims reaction to them. We also strongly disapprove of the caricatures of Prophet Muhammad printed in February 9th's The Daily Tar Heel. Prophet Muhammad is highly revered in Islam and depicting him as a terrorist is a provocation and highly offensive, akin to anti-Semitic or anti-Christian images.

Though we value freedom of speech and freedom of the press, the DTH's actions have irresponsibly misused these valued rights to offend and further only intolerance and disrespect. Such actions undermine the environment of diversity and multiculturalism that UNC's student body, faculty, and administration try to create.

At this time, the UNC MSA asks that media outlets desiring further information refer to the MSA's editorial response to the DTH, printed on February 10th, as well as the MSA website. The link can be found here: DTH was insensitive to depict to run depiction of Muhammad. We wish to allow the situation to normalize and students to return to their educational pursuits.

- END -

CONTACT:

UNC MSA
Arif Khan, Outreach Coordinator


Daily Tar Heel Cartoon Depicting the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) February 10, 2006

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http://www.uncmsa.org/index.php?itemid=25

Daily Tar Heel Cartoon Depicting the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) February 10, 2006

In the name of God, the Beneficent, Most Merciful

The MSA would like to thank all of the individual as well as organizational support we have received. We would also like to thank all of our members for their hard work and dedication today and throughout the year.

The MSA's article can be found at www.dailytarheel.com: DTH was insensitive to run depiction of Muhammad

On Thursday, Feb. 9th, MSA met with Mr. Ryan Tuck, DTH Editor-in-Chief, as well as Mr. Chris Cameron, Opinion Editor, to discuss our concerns. We requested space for an editorial as well as an official apology from the Daily Tarheel.

Further actions will include:

1. A request for a meeting with Chancelor Moeser and other university administrative officials to discuss concerns of religious and cultural tolerance and diversity at UNC.

2. Early during the week of February 13th, the MSA will host a demonstration (futher information TBA as we look for a suitable time and location) in the form of a peaceful protest against religious intolerance. A petition will also soon follow on that theme. Please check this website for updates on these events, or feel free to email any of the board members for questions or comments.

3. Next week, (date, time, and place TBA) the MSA will hold an educational forum on the Prophet Muhammad, his life, and his teachings to highlight the messages of peace and toleration he taught. All are welcome to attend. Again, please check this site for updates.


Again, the MSA thanks its friends and members for their constant support. May we all work together to continue to futher religious and cultural diversity, dialogue, and mutual respect at UNC-CH.

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http://www.dailytarheel.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=873abef8-ac3e-48f0-91ce-fcf1757aede5

MIM: Letter by UNC MSA to Daily Tarheel - the MSA students also staged a sit in of the newspapers office to emphasise the democratic nature of their demand.

DTH was insensitive to run depiction of Muhammad

Posted: 2/10/06

TO THE EDITOR:

Yesterday's The Daily Tar Heel printed a political cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad, whom Muslims view as the ideal expression of God's message. Muslims believe illustrating him degrades the divine essence of Islam and any personified depictions of the Prophet are strongly prohibited.

The argument is not about the fundamental right to freedom of speech. Had the same message been relayed in a text editorial, the Muslim Students Association would have respected the DTH's right to publish it. This, however, was an admitted attack on Islam as Editor In Chief Ryan Tuck stated Thursday that the image "would incite because it is blasphemy to Muslims."

The intention of bigotry was clear. One must question the DTH's ethics in advancing a widely protested issue to cause a riot of their own.

The editor describes this cartoon as "the newest in a saga of blasphemy that is being accepted into society." Such blatant disrespect is clearly not "accepted," as no other respectable U.S. news agency has published depictions of the Prophet. CNN and BBC chose not to republish the Danish cartoons, understanding the issue's sensitive nature. For the DTH to knowingly draw a cartoon of the Prophet in the midst of all this uproar is sensational yellow journalism. The editorial staff is simply pouring salt into an open wound.

Correlating the Prophet with the extreme responses of a select few equates the core values of Islam to violence, perpetuating stereotypes. As the Prophet represents a guide for Muslims, associating him with the inexcusable actions of a few extremists diverts the blame to the religion of Islam. By publishing this cartoon, the DTH is no longer commenting on a fringe group but is attacking Islam, which preaches peace. The magnitude of the offense is not easily understood by non-Muslims but is the equivalent of using the N-word for African Americans, trivializing the Holocaust for Jews or portraying Jesus as a terrorist for Christians.

The MSA not only found this cartoon derogatory but is also shocked at the editor's allowance of its publication - one that incites hate in the current political and social context. Any hate speech cannot and should not be tolerated by any institution, much less the DTH, which must represent the values of diversity held by the UNC student body and administration. It is a contradiction for members of the student body to stand by in silence in the face of such disrespect and insult.

To rectify the situation, the MSA requests that the DTH issue a formal public apology for publishing degrading and insulting material. We also ask that the DTH exercise a greater measure of responsibility by not repeating such bigoted actions. We also ask the University community to join in signing a petition representing the unified condemnation of these intolerable actions. Again, any depiction of the Prophet is a known violation of Islamic theology, understood and respected throughout the world. To intentionally tag the disgraceful depiction with an implication of terrorism is unacceptable.

It is a basic teaching of our beloved Prophet to extinguish the fire of ignorance with knowledge. We invite everyone to an open forum regarding the nature of this offense and the Islamic principles behind it. Please see www.uncmsa.org.


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