2008 Woodie Awards
With liberty and justice for some
Nadine Goldman
Issue date: 2/15/07 Section: Op/Ed
It all started at an anti-terrorism rally hosted on campus by San Francisco State University (SFSU) College Republicans last October. During the rally, College Republicans stomped on makeshift Hezbollah and Hamas flags, which, unbeknownst to them, bore the word "Allah" in Arabic script. In response to complaints filed by Muslim and non-Muslim students, the Associated Students Inc. (ASI) unanimously passed a resolution condemning College Republicans for "hateful religious intolerance" and for the "[pre-meditated stomping] of the flags knowing it would offend some people and possibly incite violence." SFSU is currently investigating College Republicans, and if found guilty of violating university conduct rules, College Republicans could lose official student group status and/or funding from the ASI.
Wait a minute. Everyone, especially those at a public university, knows that desecrating the American flag, even burning the American flag, is protected under the First Amendment. It goes without saying that if desecrating an American flag is a protected form of political expression, desecrating the flag of Hezbollah, Hamas or any others should also be protected.
When asked about the complaint being pursued, Ellen Griffin, SFSU spokeswoman, told Debra Saunders of the San Francisco Chronicle, "I don't believe the complaint is about the desecration of the flag. I believe that the complaint is about the desecration of Allah."
Whoa! An American public university trying students for the desecration of Islamic religious symbols? Just the very notion of an American public university legislating on any sort of religious symbol is absurd. Imagine if SFSU tried to punish students for taking Jesus's name in vain or violating Torah commandments. We would immediately wonder why a public university had chosen to play the role of a religious court. We would be alarmed and shocked, and rightfully so, by the idea of a secular institution punishing religious offenses.
Wait a minute. Everyone, especially those at a public university, knows that desecrating the American flag, even burning the American flag, is protected under the First Amendment. It goes without saying that if desecrating an American flag is a protected form of political expression, desecrating the flag of Hezbollah, Hamas or any others should also be protected.
When asked about the complaint being pursued, Ellen Griffin, SFSU spokeswoman, told Debra Saunders of the San Francisco Chronicle, "I don't believe the complaint is about the desecration of the flag. I believe that the complaint is about the desecration of Allah."
Whoa! An American public university trying students for the desecration of Islamic religious symbols? Just the very notion of an American public university legislating on any sort of religious symbol is absurd. Imagine if SFSU tried to punish students for taking Jesus's name in vain or violating Torah commandments. We would immediately wonder why a public university had chosen to play the role of a religious court. We would be alarmed and shocked, and rightfully so, by the idea of a secular institution punishing religious offenses.