Detroit, MI – About 40 Arab-American demonstrators gathered today outside Wayne State University’s Administration Building to call for the reinstatement of an award named after journalist Helen Thomas.
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“We’re here to defend free speech. To defend our ideas and to defend Helen Thomas,” said Ali F. Beydoun, organizer of the demonstration and president of the university’s Arab American Student Union. “We hope the administration hears our message and the decision is repealed.”
University officials last week retired the Helen Thomas Spirit of Diversity award amid a controversy over statements Thomas made at a recent conference in Dearborn and earlier this year.
Thomas, who is of Lebanese descent, retired from Hearst Newspapers this summer after telling an interviewer that Jews should “get the hell out” of Palestinian territories and go to Germany, Poland or the United States. She recently told a gathering in Dearborn that she doesn’t regret the remarks and that “Zionists” control Congress, the White House, Hollywood and Wall Street.
Jewish leaders have called the remarks anti-Semitic, but Arab-American groups and others say the 90-year-old was commenting on Israel, not Jews.
“The controversy has brought a negative light to the award, which was never the intent of the award,” Matthew Seeger, interim dean of the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts at Wayne State told The Detroit News.
Protesters marched and chanted for about an hour, holding signs that read “What the Helen is going on?” and “Zionists run WSU. We pay the price.”
“A lot of students stand with Helen Thomas and what she said,” Beydoun said. “But what we’re primarily defending today is free speech.”
Free speech and antisemitism are not the same. This individual is imbued with hatred for Jews. Her hatred for Jews exceeds her ugliness
nothing could exceed her ugliness, but to all the bullies and bigots out in Dearborn confusing free speech with hate speech: Helen Thomas echoes the classic internalized Jew hatred that some people seem to absorb with their mother’s milk……….it truly is as ugly and perverse as Thomas herself. Kudos to Wayne State for its principled, ethical stand.
you can email the president of wayne university to thank him for his courageous stance. president
Wayne.edu
Of course she has a right to say what she said. I don’t think anyone is saying she should go to jail for it. But she shouldn’t be honored in light of those statements, that’s all.
I love it! I am of a few frummies on campus and my professors love me! I have heard quotes as, “my good friend” and, “I have never had a student like you”. Muslims keep rearing their ugly head to all the faculty, are known to be massive cheaters, and are extremely rude to professors. I was in a chemistry lecture with this Ali Beydoun, and he kept on rudely whistling during lecture, and would only stop when a T.A. went over to him and shut him up!
So I must say to all my lovely cousins, just remember who is paying your tuition dollars, who your faculty and deans consist of, and who’s buildings you are sitting in. Even though you may be graduating from Hezbollah high (Fordson High) you are probably sitting in the Applebaum School of Pharmacy, Deroy Auditorium, and Shapiro Hall, just to name a few.
Free speech or hate speech. This arabs just want to control the world and nothing less
The old expression “birds of a feather flock together” comes into play here. #’s 3, 4, 5. 6 ,7 good to great comments. The Muslim students rally behind a hate monger without regard for the stupidity of their actions, screaming “free speech”. I wonder how much free speech some of their home countries would allow before throwing them into jail or worse. These birds are going with the wrong flock. Kudos to Wayne State for for their wise actions.