Our statement that was released to the Hatchet:
Dear President Knapp, Students, and GW Community,
We hereby take responsibility for the flyering incident that occurred on Monday morning. This creative political action was part of a rich American tradition of raising awareness, in this case, about Islamophobia. We exposed the upcoming Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week sponsored by the GWU Young America’s Foundation for the celebration of racism that it is. This is a real event that is being hosted at our campus. Most people who saw the fliers were offended, but with a second glance, saw that the absurdity of the message was clearly a horrific exaggeration of the racism that is behind this event.
We regret that some people were unable to discern the intent of these posters and took offense. We wanted to counter the true hate speech that is embodied by the upcoming Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week. We hoped students would feel outraged and come together (much like they did Monday night) and work to counter systemic Islamophobia and the equation of Islam with terrorism. It was inspiring to see that students directed their attention to the real threat. We want to reach out to our Muslim brothers and sisters in the Holy Month of Ramadan in hopes that they will embrace our misrepresented, but honorable stand against racism.
Campuses allied in their commitment to a hate-free environment and critical thinking should not allow Islamo-Fascism Awareness week to take place. The institutionalized and glorified type of Islamo-phobia of this event being imposed upon us from outside forces (The David Horowitz Foundation) is a dangerously divisive force. Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week is the real threat to our community. We hope that the students who take offense to this and hear the call to action will do something to protest Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week.
It is to our great dismay that the student body and the media missed the clear, if subtle, message of our flier: the hyperbolic nature of the flier was aimed at exposing Islamophobic racism. As such, it is imperative that we unequivocally condemn racism (especially in its most egregious organized forms) on our campus. We hope that as a community we can come together to oppose the true racist propaganda that we initially set out to expose: Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week.
Signed,
Students for Conservativo-Fascism Awareness
Adam Kokesh
Yong Kwon
Brian Tierney
Ned Goodwin
Maxine Nwigwe
Lara Masri
Amal Rammah
It seems we were so effective with this action that now we are discussing the racism of Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week on national TV! Of course, Students For Conservativo-Fascism Awareness is working with a number of groups to organize an alternative week of activities at GWU including speakers, movie screenings, and a candle-light vigil and prayer ceremony. I will be giving a speach called "Recovering From Racism" about the effects of war and occupation on racism and my experience with the dehumanization of the Iraqi people. I wish I could give you all more details about this action but since the university is "still investigating," there are certain things I shouldn't discuss.
15 comments:
If a person isn't allowed to be a "respectful" pain in the ass on a college campus then what's the point of college.
My question (rhetorical of course) is what the hell the difference is between a fasict and an "islamo-fascist." And by what standards (and who defines those standards) do we differentiate between a fascist and an islamo-fascist.
Doesn't fascism by nature of it's most recognized spokesperson contain an element of racism justified by an a sense of fundamentalism.
I guess the only reason to put islamo first is for groups like YAF to remind people that the truly patriotic (like them) are defending our rights against evil teachers talking about dangerous concepts like free speech when we should just go shopping...but I digress.
Free Speech doesn't stop being free if the the joke isn't funny.
Oh yea nice job on Fox Noise. Too bad Hannity wasn't on.
I think you held your ground very well, forcing the opposition to resort to petty personal insults rather than actually making reasoned arguments.
Unfortunately I see many troubling issues: though clever the flyer created a reaction which did nothing but strengthen the hand of your opponents; it gave them the "moral" authority because your side ironically used "preemptive" war propaganda to stop "hate speech"(orwellian) BEFORE it was allowed to be used: this blitzkrieg of the brain echoes the actions of those in power!!
HYPOCRISY?
Moreover, I am saddened that you continue to make yourself the "issue": the producers got what they wanted, your white face as ringleader! Lastly, if "war is deception" as Sun Tzu postulates in "ART of War" then they are winning the war on campus; their deception of "who" and "what" they misguidedly represent has now been given the moral cover by your side making THEM the victims...
Leasdership, is also what NOT to do!!!
Thank you for the smooth composure and reflecting what tools these people really are.
Jeremiah
I could only get through a portion of the "interview" before I turned it off. Young American Foundation - if this is the group that will be trying to lead our future in America, I'm leaving.
Sgt Kokesh, although the flier was over-the-top - good for you and the other students in your group for bringing the idea of "Islamo-fascism" and its racist ties to the forefront. Hopefully anybody watching that video - or anybody hearing that term being used knows exactly what to think about it and the people who are using it. I hear it all the time with the Eagles, paired with other derogatory terms and they make no distinctions. I see that the YAF tried to claim that some distinctions were being made - that it wasn't targeted at all people of the Islamic faith - but who would these YAF students react if they heard "Christiano-fascism"? Or "Americano-fascism"?
There would be riots in the streets. Granted, they would be whiny, well dressed, star bucks drinking, metrosexual riots - but riots none the less.
And yes, I'm being snarky. I'm in a "mood".
Adam .. allow me to express my appreciation to your efforts in this specific subject (beside the Iraq War opposition) .. Keep it up man
(We met at CMC in 05 in IR class -- am the Egyptian guy)
Ur doin great,
Best
Trying to understand how you justify using the tactics that you claim to oppose at GW. Your "flyer" was fascism in action while your opponents had yet to make an action showing their supposed fascism.
I would have expected better from a fellow veteran in setting an example for those who support your cause.
Adam, I would like to join you in the attempt to further explain the flyer issue to people especially Muslims ..
check the whole story on:
http://muslim-affairs.blogspot.com
Add your comments and tell me if i succeeded in portraying the true story
Adam, Keep ur great efforts up
It's good that you and the other students have brought awareness to this topic - too bad so many misinterpreted the poster's intent, but hopefully more are coming to an understanding of what you were really conveying.
To address a few of the comments here(if I may-thanks), to call someone a fascist is not racist, it is simply a definition of their political ideology. In fact, the very definition of fascism involves a policy of "belligerent nationalism or racism", so the fascist is the racist. But to call someone an Islamo-fascist is to call attention to their religion as being subversive, which is discriminatory.(Plus, interestingly, there are fascists who happen to also be Christians(I could name a few), but we never hear the term Christo-fascist or anything like it).
Further, beyond this discription simply being racist, is the horrible insult in how it is being used as propaganda to enhance the position that it is us(as a mostly Chritian nation) against them the 'evil' Muslims. This is what the powers that be really want a 'holy' war, and this term Islamo-fascism is one way to instill in the minds of Americans that we should fear Islam and that all Islamic people are enemies. If this is not the intent, than why not just use the word terrorist or just call a fascist a fascist.
Also, I don't think this poster was really 'preemptive' as Lightbringer described, because the hate speech came first and has been going on too long- yes, this was an incendiary tactic, but it was used to bring attention to an already existing problem. And thankfully, you've gotten alot of attention!
Susan
(will you be posting your speech "Recovering From Racism" after you deliver it?- hope so!)
LCPL Kokesh, you don't have the balls to answer why you posted a photo of yourself in Arab headress and then took it dowm.
Umm, yeah, so.... hey anonymous....if you click on 'older posts' at the bottom of the page you'll see that the picture in headress is still there.......might want to be more thorough next time before making a point.....just thought I'd help!
Sergeant Kokesh,
I disagree with anonymous, who doesn't have the balls to use his name, who said you don't have balls. You have ironclad balls. This is a proven fact. The problem is that many times you go over people's heads. Some people can't comprehend your artistic ways. That's ok if you're misunderstood sometimes. At least people will talk.
hey adam, i thought you did a good job of allowing your opponents the opportunities to deface themselves on national television. it got pretty funny there near the end.
though honestly, i would have given them even more chances... see you later on the front lines,
- logan laituri
I love u Adam.
Lol durkas.
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