UM Mixed on Rushdie

New beginnings All aboard Eat your heart out SI The African Student Union is reorganizing at UM South Florida's Tri-Rail offers a free ride from Mi Wendy Williams, an Olympic diver and bronze — after a four-year absence. ami to West Palm Beach. medalist, is featured in today's sports section. New* — page 4 Accent — page 8 Sports — page 10 THE MIAMI URR1C Volume 66, NumberH 37 University of Miami Friday, Feb. 24,1989 UM mixed Hey, batta! Swing, batta! on Rushdie Satanic Verses sparks debate By OLYMPIA ROSS Staff Writer 'The book is insulting to For Munzar Al-Marhoon, 25, our religion [Islam]... the questions raised by Salman "He [Rushdie] is Rushdie's novel, The Satanic Verses, are futile. insulting the prophet. The growing debate over cen The Moslem-Americans sorship is a waste of time, he said. So is the concern for Rushdie's have a right to stand up protection against death threats issuesd by Iran's religious leader, for their religion.' Ayatollah Rudhollah Khomeini. Munzar Al-Marhoon, Al-Marhoon said the whole freshman, matter boils down to one simple premise: "Rushdie's fate is up to God." The opinion expressed by Al- nal politics in Iran." Marhoon, a freshman majoring in Lisa Cooper, 22, a senior major computer science, also represents ing in public relations, said the is the views of other Moslem stu sue is in fact generated by reli dents at the University of Miami. gious beliefs. "The book is insulting to our re "I think there peeople are truly ligion | Islam|," Al-Marhoon said. incensed, and they believe killing "He is insulting the prophet. The this man will solve the problem," Moslem-Americans have a right Cooper said. "But it will just to stand up (or their religion." make them look like a bunch of "Rushdie is telling lies." said terrorists." Abdullah BahajaJ, 24, a sopho Indeed, Americans often equate more majoring in electrical engi the acta of the Shiite Moslems MICHAEL HOY/PhoUe editor ne-wring. "He should get hard pun with the sentiments of the entire ishment for this." Islamic faith, said Dr. Steven UM's Alex Fernandez pitches Sunday against Seton Hall. The Hurricanes play this weekend in Austin against Al-Marhoon said he agreees Sapp, a professor of religious arch-rival Texas. Rushdie should be held responsi studies who teaches the Islam ble for his actions, but he dis section of a survey course on agrees with Khomeini'* execu world religions. tion order. "It is Important for people In 'The best thing to do is to stop this country to realize that Islam publishing the book in America," is a much larger religion than that Al-Marhoon said. "Avoid the represented by the Ayatollah Faculty: Evaluations need work problem and send it back to En Khomeini," Sapp said. gland." By LESLIE CASIMIR not the number of professors who Sapp said the branch of Mos Staff Writer ate are making "much to do about According to Dr. G>eorge Alex But while some Moslems would lems Khomeini leads, the Shiites, publish evaluations, but the con nothing." andrakis, chairperson of the Fac rather not see the United States represents only 15 percent of all tent in the evaluations. Although Levine said the pre ulty Senate, the UM Board of Many University of Miami fac "I'd like to see the evaluations involved in the issue, other Amer Moslems. ulty members say Student Gov sent evaluation system needs im I rusiees has final authority on all icans believe the United States Sapp also attempted to .shed more sophisticated," Levine said. provement, he added they are University policy, but delegates ernment missed the real issue "Everybody should be evaluated, should take a more active role in some light for non-Moslems as to when it demanded faculty evalu useful in helping him determine some authority to the Faculty support of Rushdie and The Sa why The Satanic Verses has cre but the present vehicle is not sat pay raises for faculty. Senate. In this case. Alexandrakis ations be made mandatory. isfactory." tanic Verses. ated such a furor. The SG Senate recently passed "I personally encourage, as said, the Faculty Senate had the "In defense of freedom of "The view is that the book blas Levine said evaluations do not chairman, evaluations to our fac authority to make the release of a resolution calling for mandato reveal if the course was innova spemh, it would seem an appro phemes this prophet who was so ry evaluations of all faculty mem ulty," he said. evaluations optional. priate thing for an American uni important to the Islamic faith," tive and do not consider how bers, except those who have been much time the professor put into Dr. Lemuel Schofield, associate "Evaluations were never com versity to offer him |Rushdie| a he said. "One of the fundamental at the University for less than dean of the School of Communi position. If we are going to be the beliefs of Islam is that Moham preparing for the class. pulsory," Alexandrakis said. two semesters. "No one gets credit," he said. cation, said there is not a simple 'Great Satan' let's go all the med is the final Prophet of God." The legislation was a response answer to the problem with fac However, almost every profes way," said Dr. Patrick A. McCar "There should be ways of mea Despite such explanations, to recent Faculty Senate legisla ulty evaluations. sor handed in his evaluations any thy, the director of graduate stud suring how creative and up-to- way, he said. many American students will tion which gave faculty members date the professor is." ies for UM's English department. the option of not releasing their "It would be nice if there "With this legislation, we are McCarthy, a Joyce scholar and probably never understand the were," Schofield said. "There is a reaction. evaluations. William McElrath, assistant able to treat the evaluations in a a spokesperson against censor SG's demands have some facul dean for the undergraduate tetter way to do these evalua reasonable way," he said. ship, is especially troubl>_d by the "There are books everywhere ty members confused. School of Business, said students tions, but the question now is Dr. William Hipp, dean of the decision of Waldenbooks, B. Dal that people don't like," said Rac- "I don't know what the issue had not expressed concern about how to do it." School of Music, said he was not ton and Barnes & Noble book quel Oseborne, 19, a junior major is," said Dr. Robert Levine, chair evaluations either before or after Associate Dean for the School sure if it was a good idea for SG to stores to remove The Satanic ing in advertising. "It's only a person of the history department. the Faculty Senate's decision. of Business Dr. James Foley said, challenge the Faculty Senate. Verses from their shelves. book." "I think the faculty needs to ask "It | faculty evaluations! should "I think there are certain "We've got porn movies and all Levine said the real problem is He said SG and the Faculty Sen the right questions." remain an option," Hipp said. groups like university libraries kinds of things for sale over here. and newspapers that have a vest All the fuss over one book is igno ed interest in freedom of expres rant," said Leighton Condell, 21, sion. Booksellers fall into precise a junior majoring in marketing. Internationals overcome language ly the same category," McCarthy "They are always doing some said. thing stupid over there in Iran. ByCINTHIAMANZANO 100 different countries contribute Many must first go through an from Kuwait, said in addition to McCarthy also called for a boy They're on the news every Staff Writer to UM's image as a global cott of these bookstores until night." intensive English program. learning English, he had to adjust university. But language barriers, Jamal Aldousari, a senior from to a new way of life. they return Rushdie's book to Ahmed Al-Ibraham, 24, a se Homesick, estranged and alone. feelings of isolation and other their shelves. nior majoring in electrical engi Kuwait, said he experienced The students come to the No, this is not an ad for the problems make adjustment a difficulty at first in the United University forvarious reasons "If you want to let one group neering, said the publicity over personals. This is how some difficult process for some. get away with intimidating you, The Satanic Verses has gone a bit States betau.se of the language and have many different views international students feel when According to Laura Morgan, barrier. you're opening up the flood too far. "They should limit the they arrive at the University of on campus life. gates," he said. "My sentiment is propaganda," he said. "Now ev di rector of i n ternational student "I did not know any English for Mitu Hossain is a freshman Miami. and scholar services, an obstacle the first four or five months," who moved from Sierra Leone in that it is not primarily a religious eryone wants to read it, even Approximately 1,568 for many internationals at UM is question, but a question of inter- me." international students from over Aldousari said. learning the English language. Mahmoud Aljuwaisen, also Please .see pof-e _/FOREIGN SG: Give students Whitten priority UM fills petitions for official tags By ROBERT MILLER ter ... that bothers me," DeMoor said. but were not part of the resolution. Stuff Writer The bill, however, was not passed with Also at the meeting two senators were out debate.

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