Imam questions U.S. image

Deirdre Newman

Controversial political activist Imam Mohammed al Asi brought his

fiery rhetoric about the war in Iraq to campus Wednesday.

The thrust of Al-Asi’s speech was that the U.S. administration is

a puppet of “Zionist” Israel, a point he emphasized as he tried to

motivate UC Irvine students on campus to take action to change what

he perceives as America’s inexorable alliance with that country.

“It is you, youth on campuses, that can tip the balance and

recreate [America’s] image -- not in the image of Zionist Israel,” he

said. “Anti-Americanism is at an all-time high because the U.S. --

lock, stock and barrel -- is doing what Israelis want you to do.”

Al-Asi blamed Israel for the United States’ invasion of Iraq,

which he called a war without justification. He asked why more people

of all faiths don’t speak out against the war.

“We should have brave Muslims, Christians and Jews that tell

Washington, ‘Hands off Iraq,’ ” Al- Asi said.

He compared the U.S. occupation of Iraq to Israel’s occupation of

Palestinian territories, adding that the U.S.’ war on terrorism

possesses criminal elements and is just a front for a war against

Islam.

“The average person is falling victim of equating terror with

divine revelation and scripture,” said Al-Asi, who appeared two years

ago at Orange Coast College during a daylong event on the conflict

between Palestine and Israel.

The Orange County branch of the Anti-Defamation League denounced

Al-Asi’s appearance at UCI.

“The Anti-Defamation League vigorously supports 1st Amendment

rights,” Associate Director Kevin O’Grady said in a release before

Al-Asi’s appearance. “We have not asked the university to limit the

content of speech. Instead, we have asked them to condemn hate speech

and anti-Semitic speech. The university has an obligation to speak

out against hate.”

In his speech, Al-Asi warned that the alleged murder of an

American civilian employee of the U.S. European Command found dead

Monday in Liberia and Wednesday’s bombing outside the

Pakistan-American cultural center in Karachi were harbingers of more

violence to come “if the United States accepts the Israeli dictate.”

“We all believe -- Christians, Muslims and Jews -- that killing

any innocent human beings in the world is wrong,” Al-Asi said. “But

let’s take a count. Many of our innocents have been killed when we

all believe ‘an eye for an eye’ and ‘a soul for a soul.’ We’re

lagging behind, but we have plenty of time to catch up.”

Al-Asi also addressed the burning of a symbolic wall built by Arab

students on campus last week to depict Israel’s controversial

security barrier being used to fend off Palestinian suicide bombers.

Although it is still under investigation as a hate crime, Al-Asi

blamed his favorite target, “Zionist” Israel.

“Why would someone have to burn it down after midnight?” Al-Asi

said. “This could be considered a hate crime. Is the pro-Zionist

crowd running out of patience and logic?”

The Muslim Student Union invited Al-Asi to speak to raise

awareness about the Muslim point of view, said Kareem Elsayed, 18,

president of the union.

“He’s very knowledgeable, very eloquent and he presents points

very clearly,” Elsayed said.

Al-Asi attracted a moderate-sized crowd, with a large Muslim

majority. Many of them said he articulated a reality that isn’t often

represented.

“I think it’s a good rendition of what’s going on between the

United States and Israel -- their relationship and their policies,”

said Ahmed Ibrahim, 21. “I also think that the all the actions we’re

seeing from the United States -- complacency on the attacks on

[Palestinians] in Gaza -- can only be indicative of a close, biased

relationship with Israel.”

Others in the crowd said Al-Asi’s speech was an extreme distortion

of reality.

“I thought it had no basis whatsoever,” said Omer Hendler, 23, a

member of Anteaters for Israel. “It screamed of anti-Zionism back in

the day and reminded me of ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ that

says Jews are trying to take over the world. Jews are only 2% of the

population -- actually less than that -- so to make a claim that the

U.S. is running its programs on Jewish policy is to make a claim that

the U.S. is being operated by 2% of the world.”