Pre-registration for MSU-UCI’s College Day 2010 is now open!

Sponsored by MSU-UCI and Al-Kalima.

To participate you must print out and bring the following signed waiver forms on the day of the event:

Mandatory Activity Waivers

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If you are not able to register above, then please send the same information being asked to msucollegeday@gmail.com.

Scholarship Essay Contest Information Below!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

UC IRVINE MSU APPEALS RECOMMENDATION TO SUSPEND MSU

(Irvine, CA – 6/14/10) — The Muslim Student Union (MSU) at the University of California, Irvine, announced today that it has filed an appeal to the recommendation by the Senior Executive Director of Student Housing to revoke the student group’s charter for one year, following allegations that the MSU violated sections of University policy. 

The allegations arose as a result of the appearance of Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren for a UCI-sponsored event in February. During the event, seven UC Irvine students stood up and protested against inhumane Israeli policies, which deprive Palestinians of their human rights. The University alleged that the students actions were an officially sanctioned MSU activity, which the MSU has repeatedly denied. The students acted in their personal capacity.

“Suspending the MSU would undoubtedly create a chilling effect and deprive Muslim students — both current and incoming — of a place where they can develop a sense of community with one another and with the broader UCI campus community,” said incoming MSU President Asaad Traina. “Depriving Muslim students a venue to associate jeopardizes their rights under the First Amendment and is an act of marginalization at a time when Muslim students and Muslim youth already feel besieged.”

Contrary to news reports and statements made by the Jewish Federation of Orange County, the Office of Student Conduct has not officially suspended the MSU, but made an initial recommendation that is pending appeal by the Muslim Student Union. According to University policy, the Office of Student Conduct cannot make a unilateral informal determination to suspend organizations on campus. The MSU recently submitted its appeal.

The recommendation to suspend the MSU as a registered student organization for one year came as a shock to the student group, which was recently presented with the Social Justice Award by the UCI Cross Cultural Center, a group of active and socially conscious student organizations. From humanitarian and educational events to events that encourage social justice and youth outreach, the MSU’s multifaceted activities encourage spirituality among its members and create well-rounded individuals who are active participants of the UCI community. Among other activities, the MSU raised $5,000 earlier this year for the people of Haiti following the devastating earthquake.

Despite their vibrant and contributing role in the campus community, the MSU and its members have repeatedly been targeted and singled out by the administration for monitoring and punitive actions, and been subjected to hateful and threatening verbal and email attacks by off-campus entities.

Even UC Irvine faculty members who disagreed with the students’ actions have argued that suspending the MSU would be unnecessary, unfair, and overly harsh.

Dean of the UCI Law School Erwin Chemerinsky wrote in the Los Angeles Times that he “disagree[s] with those who call for draconian sanctions against these students or of punishment for a larger group.” When asked by the Orange County Register whether the Muslim Student Union would be disciplined, the director of UCI Media Relations also said she “would find it highly surprising if that was happening.”

The UC Irvine MSU aims to provide a space for Muslim students to engage in religious study, public education and community service alongside other student groups on campus. As a recognized student group, the MSU strives to be a positive addition to the UCI campus as well as the larger community.

CONTACT: msu.uci@gmail.com

Come join us for a night of reminiscing with food, friends, speeches, slide-shows & the infamous video!

Pre-register for the Muslim Student Union’s End of the Year Banquet is now closed.

Read & Browse the Issue:

Alkalima, Spring 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

(Irvine, CA – 05/17/10) The Muslim Student Union at UC Irvine joins Chancellor Michael Drake in condemning terrorism and in reaffirming our university’s “commitment to dialogue and democratic rule, not violence.” The MSU condemns the killing of innocent civilians, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or any other label. As stated numerous times throughout the week, we will not tolerate the promotion of hatred against any particular group on the basis of their race, color, ethnicity or religion. As human beings, people of faith, and students of conscience, we will be the first to speak out against any form of injustice.

Our week’s events brought professors, academics and human rights activists to shed light on the apartheid state of Israel and its occupation of Palestine. This does not necessarily mean that we endorse everything that our speakers say. Our speakers have differing views when it comes to discussing the apartheid state of Israel, but nonetheless, we remain committed to educating our broader campus community. Our week’s goals, which were constantly reiterated before every event, were meant to educate students and start dialoguing in a way that is conducive towards taking peaceful, non-violent means towards a solution to the conflict.

While we don’t agree with blanket support of the actions and stances of groups like Hamas, Hezbollah and others, we do believe that it is important to distinguish that the expressed support for such groups, made by one of our speakers, comes in the context of leading resistance against a state that continues to function based on genocidal and apartheid-like politics. It comes in the context of trying to end the inhumane siege on Gaza, and in the struggle of striving to secure freedom, peace and justice in the midst of an illegal occupation. Let us be clear, terrorism and the killing of innocent civilians is never justified whether it is practiced by Palestinian militant groups or the Israeli government. However, one cannot blame the victim for being victimized by the aggressor while turning a blind eye to the aggressor’s actions that are the root cause of the conflict, which, unfortunately, has too often been the case in discourse about the Israeli-Palestinian issue. This type of discourse only serves to undermine the atrocities that occur in Palestine and Israel and to deflect the attention away from Israel’s violation of international, moral, and humanitarian laws.

It is for this reason, the death of innocent people on all sides, that the MSU seeks to translate its words into action. The violence on both sides is a result of the occupation and with an end to the Israeli occupation will come an end to the killing of people on both sides. As mentioned throughout our week, we would like to announce the launch of a peaceful and nonviolent initiative known as the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction Campaign on campus. The BDS movement aims to ensure that our money at UC Irvine does not fund war crimes and terrorism practiced against innocent civilians. The campaign, which is supported by many in Israel and around the world, aims to divest university funds from companies that profit from the occupation and oppression imposed on the Palestinian people.

In the past few days, we have been overwhelmed by the support of the UCI community for our campaign; hundreds of students have already signed a petition in support of BDS. The University of California was an essential part of the movement to divest from, and successfully end, the apartheid in South Africa and it is now the time for the University of California to take the lead again and stand up for justice and equality by demanding an end to the illegal apartheid taking place in Palestine, not only by words, but also by action. We ask the Chancellor and all people of social conscious to stand with us now and peacefully demand an end to the occupation.

Contact:
publicrelations@msu-uci.com

The Muslim Student Union at UC Irvine presents

ISRAELI APARTHEID WEEK:

A Call To Boycott, Divest, and Sanction Israel

May 10th – May 13st, 2010

Dr. Norman Finkelstein \\ Ph.D, Princeton University, Independent Scholar
Hedy Epstein \\ Holocaust Survivor & Peace Activist
Dr. Hatem Bazian \\ Senior Lecturer, Department of Near Eastern Studies, UC Berkeley
Dr. William Robinson \\ Professor of Sociology, UCSB
Alison Weir \\ Activist & Founder of IfAmericansKnew.org
Amir Abdel Malik Ali \\ Activist & Community Leader

Asian Pacific Students Association (APSA), Black Student Union (BSU), Indian Subcontinental Club (ISC), Kababayan, Middle East Studies Student Initiative (MESSI), Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA), Pakistani Student Association (PSA), the Radical Student Union (RSU), Society of Arab Students (SAS), Worker-Student Alliance (WSA).

Click here for the Speaker Biographies

Click here to read the Press Release

May 14 marks the 62nd anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe) and the beginning of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian people. The repressive occupation continues today, enforced through policies reflective of the social, political, and economic segregation founded on race that was characteristic of apartheid South Africa. Apartheid in South Africa was dismantled after the international community began to BOYCOTT, DIVEST, and SANCTION the country. Taking from this legacy, it is time for a new movement for a generation of socially conscious people – it is time to BOYCOTT, DIVEST, and SANCTION Israeli Apartheid and its ILLEGAL OCCUPATION of Palestine.

]]> http://www.msuuci.com/?feed=rss2&p=2098 0 http://www.msuuci.com/?p=2160 http://www.msuuci.com/?p=2160#comments Sat, 01 May 2010 06:25:02 +0000 admin http://www.msuuci.com/?p=2160

The Muslim Student Union at UC Irvine presents

ROOTS OF PAIN: OPRESSION

Spreading Awareness For Issues of Injustice & Opression

Co-Sponsored By: American Indian Student Association, Black Student Union, Cross Cultural Center, Hip-Hop Congress, Pakistani Student Association, Radical Student Union, Society of Arab Students, and Uncultivated Rabbits

May 3rd – May 6th, 2010

[In addition to the flier below]
Oppressive Middle Eastern Dictators
Speaker: Hussam Ayloush
When: Tuesday, May 4th at 12 PM
Where: Flagpoles
Come out for a speech by CAIR-LA representative Hussam Ayloush
who will be discussing the corrupt policies of some Middle Eastern nations and their governments.

]]> http://www.msuuci.com/?feed=rss2&p=2160 0 http://www.msuuci.com/?p=2084 http://www.msuuci.com/?p=2084#comments Thu, 22 Apr 2010 02:01:31 +0000 admin http://www.msuuci.com/?p=2084 Highlights of Islam Awareness Quarter – Winter Quarter 2010

“Timeless Religion” and “Does God Exist?” – Hamza Tzortzis

Hamza Tzortzis, an internationally known debater and orator who speaks about the existence of God, proved that God truly does exist with 4 basic arguments. 1) The origins of the universe were divine. 2) The presence of objective morals which are prevalent in society can only come from God, the only objective source. 3) The miracle of the Holy Quran is an act of impossibility that breaks from the nature the Arabic language. And 4) God permits intelligent life. After he made his points, the floor was open to a debate-like question and answer session in which a few individuals challenged his points.

“Wake Up Call” – Amir Muhaddith

Amir Junaid Muhaddith, the rapper formerly known as “Loon” of Bad Boy Records, paid UCI a visit to share his story of how he came to Islam. His journey started in Harlem, continued into the music industry, and eventually led him to Abu Dhabi in the UAE where he converted to Islam. Since then, he’s completely separated himself from the music industry, and has been seeking knowledge, calling people to Islam, and helping remind the youth what it means to be a Muslim. His fame drew out a diverse crowd of students who attended his talk, and the question and answer session ranged from topics about how his family reacted to his conversion to Islam, to his views on music in American and Muslim societies, and issues which young Muslims face in America today.

“The Real Malcom X:  Faith Over Fear” – Amin Abdul Latif

Malcolm X was one of the most influential and well-known activists in American history, but something relatively unknown about him was his spiritual side — his connection to Islam. As part of the Islam Awareness Quarter series of events for 2010, Brother Amin Abdul Latif addressed the faith of Malcolm X after he converted to Islam, and the impact it had on his activism. He spoke of the history of racism in America, and shared some personal experiences of his own, too. His message was that Islam is a faith which breaks all racist barriers. “If white Americans could accept the oneness of God, maybe they could accept the oneness of mankind.” –Malcolm X

“Pursuit of Happiness” – Imam Mustafa Umar

What is happiness? And how can a person attain it? Imam Mustafa Umar tackled these questions in his discussion, mentioning the 4 ways one can pursue happiness through: 1. material possessions, 2. social status and reputation, 3. fulfilling “animal” desires and 4. service. He also explored the Western concept of the “pursuit of happiness,” and its appearance in the American Constitution. He concluded that Islam promises happiness — absolute happiness — only in the Afterlife, and our happiness in this world can be attained through the fourth path alone; personal submission to the service of Allah.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

(Irvine, CA) The Muslim Student Union (MSU) at the University of California, Irvine commends and wholeheartedly supports the Associated Students at the University of California, Berkeley for its recent passage of a UC divestment bill which supports removing funds from two US companies that support the military of the apartheid state of Israel. We applaud the members of the Senate for voting with their conscience in support of this bill. It is an inspiration and a goal every university should strive to emulate.

The MSU also commends the students and community members who have worked for years researching, drafting, and pushing for this bill. The passage of this bill is a historic step towards holding corporations accountable for their investments in war crimes.

According to the United Nations, the 2008-2009 Israeli bombing of the occupied Gaza Strip, termed “Operation Cast Lead,” targeted civilian infrastructure including schools, mosques, the education and justice ministries, the main university, hundreds of factories, livestock, prisons, courts, and police stations, resulting in the deaths of 1,440 people and the injury of another 5,380 in three weeks – with more than half of the casualties innocent women and children. Furthermore, a UN fact-finding report led by Justice Goldstone found that “Israel committed actions amounting to war crimes, and possible crimes against humanity”. Prior to Operation Cast Lead, Israel blockaded the Gaza Strip by land, air, and sea, creating a siege that did not allow medical supplies to enter, severely damaging the Palestinian health system, and according to Physicians for Human Rights, “endangering the lives and health of thousands of Palestinian patients.” This form of collective punishment is prohibited by Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and was condemned by many human rights organizations, including the Red Cross and Physicians for Human Rights.

Student research has found that the UC Retirement Program fund and the General Endowment Program fund contain “direct investments in American companies materially and militarily supporting Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories, including American companies General Electric and United Technologies.”

The Muslim Student Union stands in solidarity with all those who support human rights and who respect international law. We call on every person of conscience at UC Irvine to follow in the footsteps of the students at UC Berkeley and initiate a divestment campaign from those companies which support the illegal Israeli occupation. We urge the administration of UC Irvine and the UC Regents to follow the tradition of social justice, which led before to the divestment campaign targeting the apartheid in South Africa, and withdraw its investments from General Electric, United Technologies, and other corporations which support the illegal Israeli occupation and apartheid policies.

Contact:
publicrelations@msu-uci.com
www.msuuci.com