House chairman Brad Sherman (D-CA) calls on UC Irvine to throw out Muslim Student Union

[grassfed]

Brad Sherman is a liberal Democratic congressman from California and populist on Wall Street issues. He is also chairman of a House subcommittee on terrorism. With the applause (and likely the urging) of the Zionist Organization of America, he has sent out three letters to federal officials, urging investigations directed at Viva Palestina, the George Galloway group that is devoted to bringing aid to besieged people of Gaza– for allegedly supporting a terrorist organization, Hamas. The letters are to the IRS, to the Justice Department, and to Hillary Clinton.

In a fourth letter, written last week to the chancellor of the University of California at Irvine, Sherman accuses the Muslim Student Union at UC Irvine of soliciting funds for a terrorist organization because it hosted Galloway last May. Once you have determined these facts in your internal investigation, Sherman says, you should bar the Muslim Student Union from the campus.

The ZOA, a rightwing pro-settlers group, says that it brought the Galloway event to Sherman’s attention earlier this fall and pressed for an investigation. Here, the Muslim Student Union at Irvine describes how it has been harassed by the ZOA:

The truth of the matter is that ZOA has been attempting to defame, censor and essentially eradicate the MSU for years now. This is only the most recent attempt to silence the MSU and restrict its constitutional right to freedom of speech, religion and association. Although this is not the first time the organization has made such claims against the MSU, the complaints continue to receive attention. This is surprising, considering all previous claims the organization made against MSU have been proven to be groundless. In 2004, ZOA claimed that the green stoles MSU members wear during graduation were a symbol of support for Hamas.
http://mondoweiss.net/2009/12/house-chairman-brad-sherman-calls-on-uc-irvine-to-throw-out-muslim-student-union-for-raising-money-for-gaza.html#comments

[Jefferson23]

1. Interesting:

New University – ‎Nov 2, 2009‎

*The New University is the official campus newspaper of the University of California, Irvine since 1969.

I was surprised to read in the last issue of the New University a headline that read, “UC Irvine Muslim Student Union Under Investigation.” The article claimed that the MSU was to be investigated – by the FBI no less – for fundraising for Hamas. Call me forgetful, but I don’t recall ever getting that memo. The ludicrousness of this accusation was explained when my eyes fell on a single name – the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA).

The ZOA, an external organization with no official affiliation to UCI, has a long history of attacking organizations that it deems a threat because they do not fall in line with its extreme right-wing stances on the issue of Palestine. Not only has it gone after pro-Palestinian organizations, but it has also attacked pro-Israeli groups that it deems too soft. Recently, ZOA, in a letter to the chief campus counsel at UCI, attacked and defamed the MSU by claiming that it broke university policy as well as fundraised for Hamas. The truth of the matter is that ZOA has been attempting to defame, censor and essentially eradicate the MSU for years now. This is only the most recent attempt to silence the MSU and restrict its constitutional right to freedom of speech, religion and association.

in full: http://www.msu-uci.com/

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Thanks, I'll make sure Brad Sherman is not on my 'liberal Democrats' list ever again.

[Violet_Crumble]

3. Doesn't the ZOA support the extremist settlers?

How can anyone take someone seriously who's having matters brought to him by a bunch of wackos like the ZOA?

[Douglas Carpenter]

4. yes they are and they are fiercely hostile to moderate Zionist including J - Street

and pro-Israeli groups that support peace efforts

here is their website:

http://www.zoa.org/sitedocuments/oped_view.asp?opedID=1719


It is a said reality in American politics that sometimes there is no pro-peace vote when it comes to Middle East issues. The choice is all to frequently between two candidates; one who supports the radical right-wing settlers and another who supports the radical right-wing settlers.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

5. This is really outrageous. ZOA should be condemned for the hate group it is. nt