Film screening shines spotlight on militant Islam
By Dennis Zhou
Jan. 24, 2007 9:00 p.m.
Growing up in Cairo, Egypt, Nonie Darwish was saturated by images of a militant Islam and lived in a culture she said hated the West.
Darwish, founder of Arabs for Israel, presented her life story along with the movie “Obsession ““ Radical Islam’s War Against the West” on campus Wednesday in an event aimed at denouncing militant Islamic radicalism.
Representatives from the Muslim Student Association and Students for Justice were gathered outside the event because they said it portrayed Islam in a negative light in that it highlighted the radical sects of the religion.
Organizers said presentations were separate events sponsored by Bruins for Israel, Bruin Democrats, Hillel, the Persian American Jewish Organization and Students for Peace and Justice.
More than 100 people were at the screening, and attendees’ bags were searched as they entered.
Darwish said the event was intended to show audiences the culture of militant Islamic radicalism in the Middle East and to call moderates to protest.
“It is no longer enough to claim to be moderate, we must prove that through our actions,” Darwish said. “We cannot claim to be against terrorism. Instead of protesting the movie, why don’t we go and protest those people in the movie.”
The film follows the spread of radical Islamic ideology and mixed imagery from Arab media with supporting commentary by speakers such as Walid Shoebat, a former member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which is a political body seeking the creation of a state for Palestinians.
The film compared the modern culture of militant Islam to Nazi Germany and called for people to face the reality of the doctrine of militant jihad.
“”˜Obsession’ was made to give you information that was not freely available to you,” said Karyn Leffel, the campus coordinator of the movie.
Darwish described growing up in the Middle East. Her father was an Egyptian soldier who led guerrilla attacks on Israel and was later assassinated by the Israeli army. She said she believed the culture of jihad is pervasive in the Middle East.
The film showed images of children being taught songs and poetry that promoted martyrdom.
“I grew up for thirty years on these songs, and I can’t avoid remembering them,” Darwish said. “It is not just by the mosques. It is not just by the leaders. It is all Arab leaders.”
But several students present were skeptical of the intentions of the event.
The students protesting held signs saying “diversity” and “students for tolerance” and said the presentation was divisive.
“Basically (Darwish) states Arabs are racist,” said second-year student and MSA member Norah Sarsour. “(But) the people standing out there were not only diverse, but they wanted to show that Arabs and Muslims do embrace diversity.”
However, coordinators of the event said their intentions were not to divide, but to unify and educate.
“”˜Obsession’ does not have a political agenda. This is about terrorism. The goal of “˜Obsession’ is to unite all beliefs … everybody who’s fighting for freedom and justice,” Leffel said.
