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Saturday, March 4th, 2006
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After weeks of violent protest across the Muslim world over a set of cartoons satirizing the Prophet Muhammad printed in European newspapers, the tension over the images has reached the United States.
The decision by a pair of editors to
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reprint the cartoons in The Daily Illini at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on February 9 has caused an uproar on the campus — and on Wednesday, it cost the students their jobs.
The New York Times reports that Muslim students and supporters held protests on the campus quadrangle on Tuesday saying they were stunned by the paper's publication of the images. From Pakistan to Malaysia, the two-week protests over the comics have resulted in more than a dozen deaths, the torching of European embassies and the burning of effigies of President Bush (see "Muslim Fury Over Danish Cartoons Spurs Riots Across The Globe — Why?").
The Daily Illini staff was so angry that in Wednesday's paper the publisher announced that editor in chief Acton H. Gorton, 25, and the opinions-page editor Chuck Prochaska, 20, had been suspended pending an investigation into how the cartoons made it into the paper.
Most major American newspapers, including The New York Times, have not printed the cartoons, first published in a Danish newspaper last September.
"This has gotten crazy," said Gorton, who decided to run six of the 12 cartoons even though he said he found them "bigoted and insensitive," according to the Times. Gorton said he received calls for his resignation, but quite a bit of praise as well, including comments of support from students as he walked on campus. "We did this to raise a healthy dialogue about an important issue that is in the news and so that people would learn more about Islam. Now, I'm basically fired."
The Illini printed the cartoons on the opinions page next to a column by Gorton explaining why he decided to publish them. Angry calls began coming in the morning the cartoons ran in the Illini. Shaz Kaiseruddin, a third-year law student and president of the Muslim Student Association, told the Times she awoke to a phone call from an angry colleague. "I was in disbelief that they would do this," Kaiseruddin, 24, said, "that our own student-based newspaper would be so ignorant and disrespectful."
The publication of the images has drawn so much ire because any depiction of Muhammad is considered blasphemous and is strictly avoided by Muslims.
The chancellor of the university sent a letter criticizing the paper, which is an independent publication. Richard Herman's letter said, "I believe that the D.I. could have engaged its readers in legitimate debate about the issues surrounding the cartoons' publication in Denmark without publishing them. It is possible, for instance, to editorialize about pornography without publishing pornographic pictures."
Staffers were reportedly furious that Gorton and Prochaska printed the images without properly discussing it with the paper's other top editors. The pair said they followed proper protocol and that anyone working at the paper could have seen the pages before they ran. The Illini ran an apology in light of the uproar and has promised more complete, nuanced coverage of the issue.
But the situation got even more heated on Thursday when the paper ran an opinion piece and a letter to the newspaper alumni blaming the two suspended editors for the publication of the cartoons. According to the Chicago Tribune, the opinion piece repeatedly named the two editors and said they "began planning for these cartoons, without the knowledge of the editorial board and executive team, at least two nights before their publication," going on to say that they didn't act responsibly and "weren't sensitive and tactful" with co-workers. Paper alumni also received an e-mail Thursday from publisher Mary Cory making similar charges.
Gorton's attorney sent a letter calling the paper's comments and Cory's e-mail defamatory and threatened legal action.
Some of the cartoons have been published in papers at the University of Wisconsin, Harvard University, Northern Illinois University and Illinois State University. While a handful of college papers, such as those at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, have published their own cartoons that comment on or refer to the controversial cartoons.
The decision to print or not print has set off debates on campuses across the country pitting two of the most dearly held values at universities: freedom of speech and sensitivity to other cultures.
After the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Badger Herald ran the most controversial image on Monday — depicting Muhammad with a turban in the shape of a bomb — officials organized a forum to discuss the issue next week. "Universally, we found the cartoon to be repugnant," Mac VerStandig, the editor in chief of Herald, told the Times. "But we believe that there was a certain endangerment of free speech here, especially given the general prudishness of the American press. We believe our readers are mature enough to look at these images."
— Gil Kaufman
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. Mar 3, 2006 (AP)— Authorities planned to charge a former University of North Carolina student with attempted murder after he allegedly drove a sport utility vehicle through a popular gathering spot on campus Friday, clipping and scattering startled bystanders.
No one was seriously hurt.
Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, 22, who graduated in December after studying psychology and philosophy, was in the custody of campus police. They intended to charge him with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, said police Capt. George Hare.
Taheri-azar called police to surrender and then awaited officers on a street two miles from the campus, authorities said.
The FBI joined the case because Taheri-azar, a native of Iran, "allegedly made statements that he acted to avenge the American treatment of Muslims," said agent Richard Kolko, an FBI spokesman in Washington. "The ongoing investigation will work to confirm this."
Local investigators declined to discuss a motive.
The incident happened just before noon near the center of campus in an area known as The Pit, a sunken, brick-paved area surrounded by two libraries, a dining hall and the student union.
"I see everyone kind of part because there's a car coming through, and the next thing I know, I'm on his windshield," sophomore Jeff Hoffman, his arm in a bandage, told The Daily Tar Heel, the campus newspaper.
The Pit is a center of campus activities, with students perched along walkways and steps. Friday's noontime crowd included candidates for Black Student Movement elections.
"He slowly came in, and I thought he was going to stop or something," sophomore Scott Wilson, a candidate, told the newspaper. "But then he sped right through."
Five students and a visiting scholar were treated at UNC Hospitals for minor injuries. Five were released, and the sixth person was not expected to be admitted to the hospital, the university said in a statement.
Three other people declined treatment at the scene, police said.
A bomb squad searched Taheri-azar's apartment in nearby Carrboro and declared the building safe. Taheri-azar encouraged authorities to check the apartment after he was arrested.
"He said it almost in a baiting type of way," Carrboro police spokesman Capt. Joel Booker said.
Investigators declined to say what they found in the apartment and continued searching it Friday night for other evidence, Booker said.
The incident came a week after a UNC dormitory resident adviser was killed when he and another student crashed through a dorm window, falling four stories onto the concrete below. The second student remains hospitalized.
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Monday, February 6th, 2006
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Fran and I were in the car the other day and this popped into my head so I started singing it...here we go:
isn't it weird? isn't it strange?
eventhough we're just two strangers, on this runaway train
we're both trying to find, our place in the sun.
we've lived in the shadows, but doesn't everyone?
isn't it strange, how we all feel a little bit weird sometimes?
lol, i'd keep going but i'm sure you've got the message.
i love you pretty lady!
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Saturday, January 28th, 2006
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clearly its been a while.
you know its a new semester a new attempt for me to get on my grind.
we'll see what happens. i'm studying for my first psych test now, wish me luck!
i wont spend too much time procrastinating here....so yeah. i'll get back to studying and i'll catch up with lj later.
:D
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Tuesday, December 20th, 2005
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so around 6.30 am my mom came in my room and told me there was a transit strike... i cursed and then heard sirens in the street and lots of cursing and cars honking through my window. i thought there was going to be insanity in the streets all day. but stores were open and things were seemingly normal. my aunt was caught in the longlong line at the jamaica lirr station. she went from brooklyn to queens to penn station. god bless her. i dont know if i could have done all that. i wouldn't have had the motivation. i hope this doesnt last long---homecoming was canceled. i guess i shouldnt have thought so hard about how i didnt want to go. lol
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Sunday, December 18th, 2005
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so im home cracker jacks. i spent the day with my baby--shopping and stuff. and then i spent the night with my rachie. remy spent the night trying to get rachel to marry him...hmm..
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Sunday, December 11th, 2005
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two days until my first final. this shit is crazy. biology is crazy. there is way to much for me to learn. i'm hoping to learn enough to get a c. a c would be great. i've been studying all day. i went out to eat once--and then downstairs to pick up some more food. i need a couple of someones to pray that i get a c so that i dont fail this class cuase if i have to take it again i'll be really sad. i just want to pass. i think im about to go over some more of my notes and then go to sleep--wake up at 8 take a shower and start studying again. i have a math review session to go to tomorrow. so i need to focus tomorrow and just get a lot of shit done..
i'm sad guys.
three finals in two days. i can't wait until tuesday is over.
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Thursday, December 8th, 2005
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It is December 8th...that means there are 9 days until I can leave, and even fewer days until my first final. I'm so stressed, but I know that everyone else is too. Tonight is the last party of the year. The Alpha's are having their probate. I'm excited, but I also know how much work I have to do before i can allow myself to go out. This sucks. I haven't gone to a party in weeks, so there is no way that I'm not going. But I also have to make sure that I go to biology in the morning, because I've missed the last three classes by accident, and that ladies and gentlemen is some shit. lol. o well.
Right now I'm waiting for Franzannie to get out of class so I can go with her to eat before I go to math. I should probably be studying right now but I'm just too tired. I woke up early today to meet with my advisor to talk about switching my major. I have a lot of questions, so I need to meet with an advisor from the Journalism school. I'll do that when I get back from break though. There just isn't any time to do it now. I think I'm going to switch out of my freshman seminar and take the required history class for the J school with Fran and Sara. Taking that class on monday wednesday friday will really free up my tuesday's and thursday's and hopefully i'll be able to get more work done then next semester, and I won't be so bothered by misconception practices on those days. There is a lot to think about. I know that I am going to take classes over the summer at a cuny--either at hunter or at city college. I have to go and see if I can get some information from both schools when I get home. I don't really want to deal with it now, but I need to call up and see how much it's going to be and when I need to register because there isn't enough information on either website. I did find out that the first summer session at city is really short--from 6-5 to 6-29. So I'd be done with my classes by the time that Justin graduates...which would be really nice, and I'd have the rest of the summer to work or do whatever. I really want to get an internship somewhere but I don't really have any skills that would help me out...but I think I'm just going to write to someone at Complex and see what can happen. I would love to intern there over the summer. I love that magazine. word.
hmm. well let me get my stuff together, it is almost 2.50 and my zannie-fran is almost out of her class...blah and after this short break i'll be dying in my last boring math class..i can't belive my first semester of college is over already.
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Monday, December 5th, 2005
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Friday, December 2nd, 2005
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15 days!!!
it's franz's birthday!! she's 19...thats old. we are going to the strip club and wearing little black dresses and its going to be hott!
lol, im excited. we are fancy bitches...in a dirty strip joint in the souf
its mad late, and im working on a paper so i dont have to do it during my breaks tomorrow..when in reality i could care less.
i dont even know what im talking about right now though...maybe you can help me figure it out
yo tengo sueno
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Tuesday, November 29th, 2005
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so..i just finished my anthropology papers. i planned on getting three things done tonight, but im going to accomplish two. thats good enough right?
i cant stay up late every night, i'll just kill myself. so right now i'm going to take a shower and then i'll come back in the room and review my biology notes from today.
YIKES!--i have cramps..whoa. that last one was massive.
luckily it's late and i wont have to rush out of the shower :)
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Monday, November 28th, 2005
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um..who the FUCK is the new host of rap city!?!?
BET is going down the shit hole.
additionally...will people STOP using jay-z lines in their hooks? Please, that shit is old.
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so you know..i'm back at the hill. it sucks there is so much work to do in three very short weeks. i didn't get to do everything that i wanted to do when i was home. everything was very rushed, and this feeling--of being rushed isnt going to leave anytime soon unfortunately.
i want this semester to be over. i've decided that the reason i'm not doing as well as i would like to in some of my classes is because i'm not interested in them. anthropology of the caribbean is by far the class i'm doing the best in and its a history class. in high school history was always a weak spot for me, but now that doesnt seem to be the case. everything else is lame as hell. blah blah blah!
my head is killing me and i have a feeling that this pain is going to linger for a while..i can't fight being stressed so i think it is just going to take over me. i cant barely keep my eyes open.
this can't be good.
:(
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Tuesday, November 22nd, 2005
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so i'm lonely. jazzy fran and eman left around 9:50, and sara is in class. the suite is empty and sad. i'm ready to go but it isnt quite time for that yet. i'm washing clothes right now. i have to go down to check on my clothes that are drying soon. then i have lots of time to chill and take a long long shower. i can't wait to get to the airport. i just want to leave this dusty little room. now!
there isn't anyone online for me to play with..tear tear
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Monday, November 21st, 2005
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only HOURS until im on that glorious plane that will take me home! HOME! i cant wait!
im bored! i have a quiz to take today and a paper to hand in and then im DONE DONE DONE.
er---yeah i have nothing to do, im sitting in the student union.
Rachel--figure out when we are going to see rent and do dinner or whatever. i love you! alyssa you should come see rent too!
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Friday, November 18th, 2005
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its friday....yay! that means there are one-two-three-FOUR more days until i go home for turkey day!!
I can't wait, I just want to sleep in my bed and chill and eat my mommy's good food.
Instead now i have to go to class and listen to bullshit about english and papers..blah blah blah, college is for CHUMPS!!!
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Wednesday, November 16th, 2005
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yeah yeah it's been a while..
today a ladybug almost climbed up my nose..
my thumb was under my nose and the ladybug was on my thumb. i flipped out when i noticed it.
im sad and stressed but you know thats life.
today is lianes birthday!
i'm about to study for a philosphy quiz i have on friday...then theres dinner and the EROT show. then back to the room for more studying! yay!
cause--come on guys. college is all about learing.
grrr. i just want to go home. NOW.
in 6 days i'll be at the airport waiting to go home and get my thanksgiving dinner.
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Tuesday, October 18th, 2005
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lol so i suck.. the last time i wrote was a month ago.
a lot has happened i guess.
school is fun. i love it. the work is hard...at times. im lazy most of the time which makes it more difficult but whatever.
im coming home tomorrow, so yay! im so excited. i cant wait to eat my mommy's food.
i havent packed yet though..er i guess i should get to it but im lazy. and tired....so so tired.
i'll update from the airport or atleast i'll try.
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Sunday, September 18th, 2005
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Fran & Mo
[aka Fran-Fran the Boogie Man, and Droopy Butt]
First Home Football Game
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Monday, September 5th, 2005
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The view from outside my window...
Now you can't deny that Chapel Hill is a southern part of heaven.
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laboricuamorena's journal
