It appears UF has been blessed with more than its fair share of armchair experts on First Amendment rights, counterterrorism and so-called "Radical Islam."
I am afraid, however, that they may be giving themselves a little more credit than they deserve. A couple Google searches on the Quran, a documentary or two and a season of Glen Beck do not make you a qualified authority on any of these subjects.
As a Muslim citizen of moderate political inclination without the slightest shred of sympathy for any extremist ideology, I was intimidated by the fliers posted around the campus.
I was also insulted by the allegations contained within an e-mail advertising "Obsession."
Now, based on some of the letters to the editor, some of this paper's readers would therein find a reason to question my loyalty to this country, to freedom, to the very right to live. I am informed that "only radicals should take offense to ads."
Unfortunately, it is beyond my ability to articulate a polite and non-profane response to such a ridiculous insinuation. But I don't think any member of this society ought to be put into the position where they must. No subsection of our nation ought to be subjected to this kind of cultural interrogation as a matter of course.
So I will end by merely thanking the Alligator editorial board and Vice President for Student Affairs Patricia Telles-Irvin for the principled positions they have taken on this whole unfortunate controversy.
