Swastika Vandalism Hits GW

The highly publicized case of a Jewish student who complained about swastikas showing up on her door has abruptly come to a close, after she admitted to putting the symbols on her own door. The shocking news was discovered on Monday, November 5th, through secret security cameras that were set up in Mitchell Hall, the student’s dorm. The freshman admitted to authorities that she did, in fact, draw the half dozen swastikas on her door over the past few weeks.

The story hits especially close to home her at GW, with over thirty percent of the university being Jewish. Local news networks and even national ones like FOX News ran stories about the incidents.

So what is the student reaction to these recent acts of offensive vandalism? Lauren Mann, a Jewish freshman, told GW Radio she was “abhorred that someone could have drawn such an image of hate on her own door, especially being that she was from the Jewish community.” Mann called the student “very disturbed” and said that she “needs to be removed from campus immediately.”

A copycat was caught a week ago drawing a swastika in New Hall, as well. It was also reported that the ‘N’ word was brandished on a poster on a black student’s door here at the university.

These incidents could not occur at a worse time for The George Washington University. Just weeks before these incidents, GW was named the most expensive university and crime has increased substantially on campus over the past month. Not to mention, the huge controversy last month over the posting of anti-Muslim flyers during Islamo-Fascism week.

GW students seem to have very strong opinions on all of these incidents – not only because of the effect they have on GW’s image, but also the way the incidents have made them feel personally.

Carina Sohaili, a freshman, says she is “more disappointed at the students, than anything.” She added, “I didn’t think I went to a school like that.”

Sophomore Ryann Deering noted, “All of these events make me question what we are paying so much to go here for. Is GW really all that cultured when students are drawing swastikas on their own doors? When people are getting mugged every other days and students are putting up posters to frame conservative organizations on campus makes you wonder what has happened to our school.”

- Connie Dekis

It's Here...

Despite all of the protests against it, Islamo-fascism week is here. The weeklong awareness week sponsored by the Young America's Foundation will feature panels, rallies and speakers.

The events began Monday with a panel on the Vern about Radical Islam with New York Times bestseller Micheal Ledeen and Daphnai Patel. On Wednesday from 2 to 4 pm, there will be a rally against the abuse of women at the Women's Studies Department where, according to the facebook profile, the YAF will be passing out literature. This event may be one of the more contested, but probably the most contested will be held on Thursday evening. The conservative activist and author, as well as sponsor of the nationwide Islamo-fascism week, David Horowitz, will be speaking at Jack Morton Auditorium at 8pm, with doors opening at 7:30pm. Tickets are required for the event and protests are expected. Finishing up the week, on Friday night at 8pm, Young America's Foundation will be showing, Obsession. The film is a documentary about radical Islam's war against the west and it compares radical Islam today with World War II Nazi Germany.

Flier Controversy Update

GW has been engulfed in heated controversy since fliers were hung around campus on Monday, October 8th. The fliers read "Hate Muslims? So do we!" and cited the Young America's Foundation (YAF), a conservative group on campus, as the group responsible. Seven students unaffiliated with the group later admitted to hanging the posters to oppose Islamo-Fascism Awareness week, which is sponsored by YAF and will begin October 22nd.

Despite the group responsible for the poster's intentions, many on campus said they felt the fliers were offensive. "I think that the post they were trying to make was a good one, that there is a lot of racism towards Muslims. IT goes on event if its not talked about. The way that they went about it maybe went a little bit tot far because viewers didn't realize it was satirical. If that wasn't obvious, then the point wasn't clear, because no one knew," said one GW sophomore.

In response to the fliers, President Knapp issued a statement saying that "any violations of university policies that occurred in connection with the incident will be handled through the Student Judicial Services process without regard to the political views or affiliations of anyone found to be involved," and reiterated that "there is no place for expressions of hatred on our campus."

The enraged YAF responded by having two full page ads in the Hatchet. One was titled "A Forgery and A Hate Crime," and the other, "Stop Profiling Conservative Students." Both ads expressed their concern over anti-conservative sentiment at GW and the lack of action taken by the university int he hanging of fliers.

Lawrence Slocum, a GW senior, said, "As a conservative, I think the Young America's Foundation's letter to Knapp is very true. I think there's extremely liberal bias in terms of professors in the classroom and it's reflected in the student body. There's a stigma to being conservative here on campus."

- Julie Hyman

Students Admit to Hanging Posters

Seven students have taken responsibility for the anti-Muslim posters hung around campus on Monday, according to the Hatchet. The students, Adam Kokesh, Yong Kwon, Brian Tierney, Ned Goodwin, Maxine Nwigwe, Lara Masri and Amal Rammah, sent a letter to the Hatchet late Tuesday night saying that the intent of the posters was to counter the Islamo-Facism week.

"We regret that some people were unable to discern the intent of these posters and took offense. We wanted to wanted to counter the true hate speech that is embodied by the upcoming Islamo-facism Awareness Week. We hoped students would feel outraged and come together," they said. The letter was signed as "Students for Conservativo-Facism Awareness." View the full letter here.

Islamo-Facism Awarness week, sponsored by David Horrowitz, is scheduled for later this month on 142 campus across the nation and will feature events focusing on terrorism awareness. The students responsible for the fliers call the week racist although organizers disagree.

The local media has picked up the story, using it as one of the leads for two consecutive nights in a row. Even the pundit Fox News talk show, Hannity and Colmes, featured the story, bringing Sergio Gor, the president of the Young America's Foundation, Adam Kosech, a graduate student who was one of the students responsible for posting the fliers, and Jason Mattera, the national spokesman of the Young America's Foundation, to talk about the incident. Check out the clip on YouTube here.

Since the fliers were hung, the campus has been swarming with anti-hate events. Monday night, a peace forum was held with the GW community – the leaders of the Young America’s Foundation as well as leaders from many student organizations, the Student association and the Multicultural student center, SAC, and the president’s office.

In a statement released by President Knapp, he said the university "will not tolerate, the dissemination of fliers or other documents that vilify any religious, ethnic, or racial group," and that "an investigation was launched to determine who was responsible for creating and posting [the fliers]."

It has not yet been determined what, if any, action will be brought to these students.

-Mallory Thompson

"Hate Poster" found in GW Dorms, Buildings

When GW students woke up yesterday morning, posters full of anti-Muslim sentiment adorned many of the residence halls and academic building hallways. The poster picturing a Muslim man pointing out crude characteristics shouted the words, “Hate Muslims? So Do We!!!”

The posters featured a link to the Terrorism Awareness Project and were attributed to GW student organization, the Young America’s Foundation. The organization sent out a press release earlier today claiming no involvement in the fliers.

The posters also contained the GW logo, what Tim Miller, the executive director of the Student Activities Center, said was a requirement for all approved student posters hung around campus.

“No one would have approved this poster,” he said. “…It was obvious to me that it would be read as anti-Muslim.”

Miller, along with UPD and the help of GW housing programs took down most of the posters before 8am.

In a statement released by President Knapp, he said the university "will not tolerate, the dissemination of fliers or other documents that vilify any religious, ethnic, or racial group," and that "an investigation was launched to determine who was responsible for creating and posting [the fliers]."

- Mallory Thompson