Campaign is for the students
To the editor,
Yes, last week the curbs were painted red, bright new banners were hung and the new parking garage was opened. But where you are wrong is "Students aren't top priority." All that was done for the students.
Apparently the only ignorance permeating our campus is in the content of your article on Oct. 12. If you had sought to inquire about what this billion dollars was being raised for you might have found out that it is for (guess who) the students. Your lack of information and research in this matter is very disheartening.
I attended the event Friday night, not as a guest but as a volunteer for the program. I was honored to have that opportunity to promote my school for funding. Were you there? Did you stay to hear how President Likins spoke with passion and dedication for the students at the University of Arizona? He has so much pride for this school and he is so eager to share how proud he is of the students that attend it. Anyone who is not an idiot can plainly see that.
President Likins didn't get all dolled up because he was hosting the Big Wigs. He did it out of respect for the students and his commitment to the UA as our most prestigious representative. Campaign AZ is a $1 billion fundraiser to help in over 26 departments for funding and research. (Yes, research). The people attending the event were UA alumni and other people who came from all over the United States-they came because they still share in the passion, dedication, and well-being of this university!
So... I ask you, next time you decide to write an article based on perception and lack of knowledge and inquire and do your research because the construction and the money are for the betterment of our school. Maybe the selfishness will subside when you realize that these improvements and donations are for your little brother/sister or for your friend's children or your children in the future.
Liberty Tsighis
English senior
Palestinian conflict mischaracterized
To the editor,
First of all, I would like to thank Nick Zeckets' article about CBS "60 Minutes'" unfair coverage about the Middle East. Most Arab and Muslim Americans see the three major networks ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, BBC as well as CNN as the "Israeli Broadcasting Corporations" when it comes to coverage of, well, the Muslim World in general. CBS is known to have dozens of programs aimed to show how bad the Muslim world is and also had two hour paid programs like: "This is our land" which was an Israeli propaganda documentary showing the Jewish claim to a land belong equally to Muslims and Christians along with the Jews.
PBS had a program called "Jihad in America" which basically targeted all Muslims in America as a threat to the US national security. The organizer of the program, Stephen Emerson, also blamed Arabs and Muslims for the Oklahoma bombing, TWA Flight 800 and a recent Egypt Air crash. In all three instances, no Arab terrorist was involved yet the media singled out the Arabs and the Muslims.
Due to the ignorance among average Americans, misuse of the media by certain right-wing Jews against Muslims, and the practice of scapegoating the United States practiced the "secret evidence" against Muslims and Arabs. It is at a point that dozens of Arabs and Muslims are held without trial and don't know what they are charged for.
A lot has to be blamed on the media. What the Nazis did to the Jews in the 1930s by making evil propaganda films against them, the right-wing Jews in Hollywood, the news agencies have done to the Arabs and Muslims. At the same time, I must say many liberal Jews have supported the Muslims - like folks at Hillel when UAPD beat a Muslim students two years ago.
It is true that Arab terrorists do exist, but that does not mean all Muslims and Arabs are terrorists just the like all Irish are not part of the Irish Republican Army or Shin-Fenn. Muslim students and Jewish students here at the U of A are responsible for the future of Mideast peace. The politicians of today, leaders of Israel, US, and the Arab world are all messed up. The US wants oil so it has to support the Arabs, while US government is dependent on Israeli Lobbyists so it has to support Israel. It is up to the common Jews and Muslims who worship the same God. You can call him Yahweh in Hebrew or Allah in Arabic, both Muslims and Jews worship the same God. Peace starts with the children not the politicians. There is no deadline to peace like Bill Clinton wants. You can only have a deadline for one thing, and that is hate.
Ahmad Saad Nasim
General business senior
