Groups
still feel tension
By Sonya Smith
On-line Forty-Niner
Last
spring the tension between Jewish and Muslim
students reached a pressure point and boiled
over during what was intended to be a peaceful
demonstration which ended instead with charred
emotions.
 These
same students had decided to work together
toward healing this burned bridge with the
Muslim Student Association and the Beach
Hillel working on “creating a joined program
this semester” according to Mohammed Khan,
the faculty adviser for the Muslim Student
Association.
Apparently these tensions increased after
Sept. 11 last year with peaceful demonstrations
and informational gatherings, according
to James Manseau Sauceda, director of the
Multicultural Center. Sauceda
said that an off-campus Christian group
intentionally copied the poster format for
MSA and distributed these during the gatherings
attempting to undermine the MSA’s intentions.
This misconception then caused further tension
and stress between the two groups on campus
showing that the campus itself can be used
by outside political parties, Sauceda said.
University Police Capt. Stan Skipworth said
last semester the informational meetings
and peaceful marches involved no violence
and were similar to gatherings at other
campuses as they communicated on social
issues in the Middle East.
Beach Hillel Director Jeff Posner said he
wanted to mend the differences between the
two groups.
“I would like to see a better relationship
between our two groups (the Muslims and
Jewish) here, locally and also internationally,”
Posner added.
Posner said his club would rather educate
students, faculty and staff about the conflict
and what peace attempts may work.
However, Posner said working together may
not happen.
“My president said that she was very discouraged
about working with the MSA, as previously
the MSA agreed to co-sponsor events and
recently said they were no longer interested,”
Posner added, “I think we may be weary of
each other.”
Hani Abdelhadi president of MSA said his
club has never declined to co-sponsor events
with Beach Hillel and that MSA “did not
plan any events for this semester yet.”
Abdehadi also said that both clubs should
be open to “a better understanding of our
diversity.”
Ahmab Almutawa, a member of MSA, said “there
is no tension between possibly co-hosting
events with the MSA and Hillel because it
is a good idea because it will get students
together.
Skipworth said, the leadership of the student
organizations and the leaders at Student
Life and Development helped to keep these
issues out in the open.
“A lot of people have made sure that the
environment provides for open dialogue,”
Skipworth said.
So far this semester no hate crimes have
been reported and hopefully this new generation
can get past the misconceptions they have
been brought up on, Sauceda said. Along
the same line a Beach Hillel member wishing
to remain unnamed said “We do not hate each
other, we all just want to get along.”
Sauceda is currently setting up a Multicultural
Festival during Oct. 21 through 24, and
later this semester he plans to host interfaith
sessions that would include MSA and Beach
Hillel, in which he is trying to get students
and staff involved.
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