I have been following some very disturbing events taking place on college campuses both here in Florida and across the country. The events involve an organization known as the Muslim Student Association (MSA). Anyone with a child on a college campus today must be aware of the MSA and the impact that this organization has upon our college students and the communities that they are a part of.
A little history…In 1963, the Muslim Brotherhood (the same organization linked to terror and jihad that you have been hearing about in Egypt) created the Muslim Students Association (MSA) at the University of Illinois in Urbana, Today, MSA chapters are present on many college campuses across the country. I encourage you to watch this video in which a MSA leader offers the MSA’s “pledge of allegiance”, an oath that is based upon the beliefs of the Muslim Brotherhood. If you watch the video, you will see for yourself the organizations commitment to jihad and the willingness of MSA members to die to establish Islam.
The links between the MSA and the Muslim Brotherhood have been well documented as a result of the 2007 United States vs. The Holy Land Foundation trial – the largest terrorism financing trial in U.S. history.
Today, at the University of Central Florida, Imam Siraj Wahhaj — who was an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and a character witness for Abdel Rahman, known as the Blind Sheik — was invited by the Muslim Student Association to speak on campus. TODAY!
A few months ago, on November 4, also at UCF, the Muslim Student Association invited Jamal Badawi, a former board member of the Muslim Brotherhood and a current board member for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) to speak. CAIR, as many of you know, was created by the International Muslim Brotherhood in 1994 and is widely reported to have ties to Hamas. CAIR was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2007 Holy Land Trial. In 2004 Badawi issued a fatwa (Islamic legal ruling) for “Islamonline”, detailing when a wife can be beaten as a result of her bad habits. Furthermore, Badawi was involved in another 2004 fatwa which explained that it was a religious “duty” for all able-bodied Muslims to wage jihad against the American military. In 2006, Badawi justified Muslim suicide bombings, saying they were legitimate tactic of jihad. In the summer 2007 Holy Land trial Jamal Badawi was listed, along with CAIR, as an unindicted co-conspirator.
Last February, at the University of California Irvine, 11 members of the Muslim Student Union (an organization associated with the Muslim Student Association) were removed from a lecture given by the Ambassador of Israel, Michael Oren, after disrupting the lecture, attempting to shut it down and violating the UC Irvine’s free speech policy. Watch it here.
UC Irvine disciplined the students. However, upon learning of the planning that went into the disruption created by these students, the local District Attorney filed misdemeanor charges against them. Many, including the ACLU, are outraged that these students are being charged and they are protesting – saying that the freedom of speech of the 11 MSU members was violated. What about the freedom of speech of Israel’s Ambassador?
It is important to point out that a man who asked a challenging question, during a question-answer session, to Mr. Badawi at his November appearance at UCF was forcibly removed from the lecture by uniformed police. The ACLU has not challenged this man’s right to freedom of speech.
What’s going on here?
Clearly, there is a major problem going on our campuses. The attacks against Israel, the presence of speakers with ties to terrorism, and the increasing support of Muslim student groups at the expense of Jewish student groups is on the rise on our campuses. Our kids are at risk. We need to educate them and ourselves. Imagine what it is like to be a Jewish kid, a kid who supports Israel, to be on a campus where pro-Israel voices can be suppressed while voices with connections to terror can be heard loud and clear! We have a problem!
Given this, I am happy to announce that on April 13th at 7:00PM, we invite all of you, any of our college students who are around and our high school students to a special viewing of “Crossing The Line” – a film that deals with the struggle college students face when it comes to supporting Israel and the values we hold dear. This is not to be missed.
Please call Ramat Shalom for more information (954-472-3600)
