Dear Editor,
We, the undersigned student groups, strongly regret TU Purpose’s decision to host Nonie Darwish as a speaker at the university. We do so because we denounce any attempts on campus to target a single religious group or portray a single religious group as an enemy.
We also condemn TU Purpose’s announcement for the event targeting the Muslim Student Association (MSA), a religious student organization on campus, in which MSA is branded “an arm of the Muslim Brotherhood.” In reality, MSA is catered to and run by ordinary college students who happen to identify as Muslims. It is the responsibility and the duty of every organization and student on campus to stand together and protect the rights of Temple students and all members of the Temple community to hold differing religious views. This event is a direct attack on the Muslim community on Temple’s campus.
Darwish is the latest in a series of bigoted, Islamophobic figures, including Geert Wilders, Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, that TU Purpose has hosted at Temple. It is extremely disturbing that this group has organized so many events that demonize Islam and Muslims, all with the thin excuse of “promoting free speech” or “furthering democratic rights.”
Darwish is an Egyptian born convert from Islam to Christianity who is well-known for her attacks on Muslims and Islam. She has called the Quran “violent, incendiary, and disrespectful.” In reference to Islam, she has said that “an entire religion and its culture believes God orders the killing of unbelievers.” Darwish said, “hate propaganda is the rule and not the exception in Muslim preaching. It must go hand in hand with demands for conquering other people, otherwise jihad will end.”
For the past decade, heightened rhetoric against Islam has been used by some as a way to justify the United States’ ongoing wars against a number of Muslim countries. Additionally, this kind of bigotry has led to hate crimes and physical violence toward Muslims in the U.S.
The Darwish event is part of this Islamophobic campaign, and it is shameful and unacceptable that TU Purpose consistently gives voice to such hate speech on Temple’s campus.
The groups below are hereby signatories to this statement and implore others to follow our suit. Bless you all and may hate not rule the day.
International Socialist Organization of Temple University
Students for Justice in Palestine
Muslim Students Association
Muslim Law Students Association
Temple National Lawyers Guild
Gamma Phi Sigma “Hermanos Unidos” Fraternity, Inc.
Project EDU
Black Law Students Association
Latin American Law Students Association
Editor, Did Jesus Christ rise again from the dead?
THE TOMB WAS EMPTY. The disciples preached the resurrection. If they were lying about the facts, the Jewish leaders would have produced
the body and removed all doubts(matthew 28:6).
THE LARGE STONE BLOCKING THE DOORWAY HAD BEEN ROLLED AWAY. Witnesses who saw the massive stone noticed it stood up on a slope
away from the entire tomb(luke 24:2).
THE ROMAN SOLDIERS GUARDING THE TOMB FLED THE SCENE. Roman soldiers were to fulfill their duties under penalty of death. The fact
that they abandoned their posts supports the miraculous resurrection(matthew 28:4,11).
THE GRAVE CLOTHES OF CHRIST WERE EMPTY, YET STILL INTACT. When Peter and John found Christ’s empty grave clothes in the tomb,
they had not been disturbed. They retained their original form(john 20:5-7).
OVER 500 PEOPLE WINESSED CHRIST’S APPEARANCES AFTER THE RESURRECTION. These people could attest to having literally seen Jesus
in the flesh after His resurrection(1corinthians 15:5-8). A theory states Jesus did not really die, but fainted and revived. Is it possible to
survive the crucifixion, live for three days in an airless tomb, and roll a two-ton stone away? The Jewish leaders declared Christ’s disciples
stole His body(matthew 28:12-15). The disciples defended Jesus’ resurrection and suffered persecution. Few people will die for a known lie.
You make a decision readers. You can reject the evidence and the Savior, accept the evidence and reject the Savior, or you can accept both.
Edwin Radler
Freeland, Pa. 570-636-3549