Event sparks hostility
Arab, Moslem student groups clash
By MARK CRAEMER
04 Ota Emaratd
Although foreign students at
the University come from a large
number of countries with many
differences, there is little visible
friction between them, says
Tom Mills, director of the
University office of international
studies
Except for disagreements on
the Khomeini regime in Iran
The groups (Moslem
organizations) are trying to get
campus and newspaper
support," Mills says, explaining
that political differences among
foreign students from the
Middle East are evident
A fight between members of
the Organization of Arab
Students and the Moslem
Student Association in the EMU
lobby Oct 9 was an uncommon
occurrence, but represents a
larger controversy between
groups
According to Khader Hamide,
a member of the OAS. the
incident occurred at a table
where information about the
Arabic world was being
distributed Two members of the
MSA approached the table,
insulted him, and began
throwing literature from the
table, he says
When he asked them to leave
the area if they could not
discuss their differences with
"cool heads," three MSA
members began hitting him and
a fellow OAS member, Hamide
says
Ahmed Altwaijri, a
spokesman for fhe MSA will
identify only one of the three
aggressors as a Eugene MSA
member The man, Jamal Naas,
has been unavailable for
comment, but according to
Altwaijri, was acting coordinator
of the MSA before the
appointment of a president last
week
Hamide says MSA members
are religious fanatics who are
unwilling to discuss different
opinions in a logical manner
"As a spokesman, I would be
more than willing to sit down
with anyone who wants to
discuss the issues,” Altwaijri
says in response to Hamide’s
charge
The MSA, funded by the
Incidental Fee Committee,
operates independently of the
Foreign Student Organization
The purpose of the
organization is to give
Americans "correct ideas"
about Islam, newly appointed
MSA president Abdulaziz Harthi
says
"Islam is a way of life. There is
no distinction between church
and state," Harthi says
"If it (a fight) happens with
one or two members, it is not
representative of the whole
group, he says The people
who were in the fight may or
may not have been MSA
members, Harthi adds
However, some MSA
members who do commit violent
acts do not identify themselves
as part of that group in order to
Reagan policy spurs coalition
Protesting what they call the
Reagan administration's pro
business and anti-labor bent,
the Coalition for Social Justice
plans a march and rally
Saturday to promote funding for
human needs, not war "
We plan to show people that
Reagan s policies are actually
hurting a majority of Americans
Big business is getting all the
breaks the rest of us get layoffs
and cutbacks That has to
change, says Charlie Aker a
coalition organizer
Human rights strengthening
social programs and redirecting
the military budget will be
among the topics addressed by
rally speakers Irv Fletcher,
Oregon AFL-CIO president, Ron
Herndon. Portland s Black Unit
ed Front president State Rep
Margie Hendriksen, D-Eugene
and Stella Nowicki, a labor
organizer since the 1930s
Marchers will meet at 11 a m
at 12th Avenue and Hilyard
Street or at 11 30 a m at
Seventh Avenue and Oak
Street The rally is slated for
12:30 pm when the marchers
arrive at Second Avenue and
Jefferson Street, under the
freeway overpass
Coalition organizers Merle
Carl and Sharon Claeyssens say
sponsors are optimistic about
turnout for the march and rally,
expecting at least 3,000 people
to participate
Sponsors include at least 35
local and state organizations
The University chapter of the
American Federation of
Teachers. Clergy and Laity
Concerned, Lane County
Democratic Party, Eugene
Council for Human Rights in
Latin America, and the Oregon
Women's Political Caucus are a
few of the groups sponsoring or
endorsing the coalition's goals -
Business leader visits college
Monford Orloff, chairman of
the board and president of
Evans Products Co will be the
executive-m-residence Nov
10-12 at the University College
of Business Administration
The executive-in-residence
program, now in its fourth year,
brings important business
leaders to the University twice
each term to provide students
with an opportunity to learn
about business operations from
the inside
During his visit, Orloff — the
second executive-in-residence
for fall term — will participate in
business and law school
courses and speak on mergers
and acquisitions at 7 p m
Wednesday in Room 338,
Gilbert Hall He will also meet
with business faculty members,
students and University
officials
A resident of Portland, Orloff
graduated from Stanford
University in 1937 He also has a
degree from Harvard Law
School Orloff has also held
directorships in various
businesses and organizations
Among these are the University
Health Sciences Center (now
the Oregon Health Sciences
University) and Pacwest
Bancorp In addition, he has
been a board member of the
Oregon Graduate Center,
president and trustee of the
Oregon Community
Foundation, and vice-chairman
of Reed College Board of
Trustees
Orloff has also served as a
trustee of the Portland Art
Association and director of the
Oregon Symphony Society
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protect the MSA's reputation,
says Mehran, a member of the
Moslem Student Society He
can use only his first name
because of possible retaliation
against family members, he
says
The MSA is largely funded by
Khomeini's regime and is
reporting names of people who
oppose the Iranian leader,
Mehran adds
There is no feud between the
MSA and any foreign student
organization, Altwaijri says.
However, his organization has
lodged complaints for verbal
harassment against the Iranian
Student Organization and
Moslem Student Society for
incidents occurring at MSA
information tables.
“We don’t hold these acts as
representative of organizational
attacks but as merely individual
attacks,” Altwaijri says. "We are
not bothered by this "
Iranian Student Association
and MSS membership is limited
to Iranians The OAS is open to
all Arab students, and the MSA
is open to all Arabs and
Iranians.
‘‘Our enemies are anti
Islams," Harthi says.
Anyone who does not fully
support Khomeini is an enemy
of the MSA, Hamide says.
"Khomeini’s regime fights
without any logic just like those
fanatics fight student
organizations,” Mehran says.
“This is absolutely not true,”
Harthi says. “The MSA supports
it (Khomeini’s regime) to a
certain extent, but no more.”
The MSA is funded soley by
the IFC, membership fees, and
fund raising efforts, Harthi
emphasizes.
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