—--Oregon Daily- - Emerald Inside: •Dance for sex, Page 2 •Food distribution, Page 3 •Entertainment, Page 5 Thursday, January 14. 1988 Eugene. Oregon Volume 89. Number 78 Muslim students protest Israeli actions in Gaza 1 I j Photo by Andre R«ni«ri Muslim Students Association members on Wednes day protested recent Israeli violence directed at Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip. By Mike Drummond Emerald Associate Editor The issue of Israeli violence directed toward Palestinians in the occupied Caza Strip came to campus Wednesday. More than a dozen members of the Muslim Student Association held signs and handed fliers to passersby in the EMU Courtyard in protest of recent Israeli actions. The occupying Israeli Army has killed about 30 Palestinians, including women and children, since rioting broke out in December. At issue is the Palestinian's demand to establish a homeland — a homeland lost when Israel defeated Egypt during the Six Days War in 1967. Carrying signs reading "Zionism is Racism," "Your tax $ are killing Palestinians,” and holding a banner stating "Israeli Army vs. Palestinian Children," the association voiced its concerns to the media and students. Ahmed Zaidan. a visual design major from Saudi Arabia, said the American news media has treated the Palestinian issue unfairly. Zaidan also questioned why Palestinians are denied homerule in their homeland. “We would like to see the Palestinians have their own identity and their own leadership. And for 40 years Israel has not given any of that." Zaidan added. Zaidan also said rock-throwing by Palestinians during recent rioting is a reaction to the Israeli govern ment's refusal to negotiate a settlement with the Palesti nian people. Turek El-Ebrashi, a political science major, said he would like to see University students become enlightened to the Palestinian issue. "This is a university: this is an intellectual place. We would like to see the students get a fair picture of both sides of the coin,” El-Ebrashi said. El-Ebrashi also drew the distinction between ludaism and Zionism. Z.ionists believe Israel has a right to exist, even if it means displacing thousands of Palestinians, he said. ludaism is the Jewish religion, and Zaidan said he has no problems having jews in the region. He noted that Jews and Arabs have coexisted in the Middle East for hundreds of centuries. Ali Alhakami, a psychology major, said a solution to the unrest lies with getting Israelis to sit down with Palestinians at the negotiating table. "The whole international community is talking about a peace conference in which the Palestinians have to be represented." Alhakami said. Stephanie Kustner. a member of the Jewish Student Union and a psychology major, said the Muslim association has a legitimate concern. However, she had problems with the literature they distributed, par ticularly the comparison of Israeli actions to those of Nazi Germany. She believes both Israel and the Palestinians deserve a homeland. Kustner said the Gaza Strip would be a logical place for the Palestinians to establish a country but doubted whether Israel and Palestine could coexist peacefully. University President Paul Olum. himself Jewish and an outspoken proponent of global peace, didn't of fer any long-range solutions to the unrest, but did say he was uncomfortable with the situation. "I am distressed with the fighting. : I’m concern ed that people are dying and I know what the Israelis are doing is in response to rioting there, hut with so many people dying there’s a serious question whether they are over-reacting." Olum said. Council seeks ordinance banning drug-ware sales By Andrew LaMar Emerald Associate Editor The Eugene City Council on Wednesday requested its staff prepare a city ordinance to ban the sale of drug paraphernalia. “In case there is any misconception. I don't believe this is the end all to the drug problem in Eugene." Mayor Brian Obie said. "While (the or dinance) may be in some eyes nothing more than a statement, it seems to be an important statement that in my mind the community wants to make.” City Councilor Cynthia Wooten asked a Eugene Police Department official how the current state law regarding drug paraphernalia is enforced. The law prohibits the sale of drug paraphernalia to people under the age of 18 years old. He said the police department only responds to complaints, and it’s a lesser priority. Dan Barkovic, a city attorney Turn fo Ordinance, Page 4 Senate favors committee for semester conversion By Paula Green Emerald Reporter The University Senate ap proved a motion Wednesday to establish a Special Semester System Curriculum Committee (SSSCC) to oversee the conver sion of the University academic calendar from a quarter to a semester system. The motion, introduced by history Professor and depart ment Chairwoman Mavis Mate, noted the entire University cur riculum (except the Law School’s) must be approved by the University Assembly and the State Board of Higher Education. The motion stipulates that a special commit tee be appointed for the time period needed to oversee the curriculum revision. Because the motion passed, the SSSCC must present the proposed revised curriculum to the University Assembly during academic year 1988-89. The committee will operate until Aug. 15, 1990 — the date the University will move to semesters. The SSSCC will screen all proposals for courses, curricula and degree requirements, and advise and assist schools and departments in planning the semester programs. The com Pre-trial puts scientists on stand By Will Holbert Emerald Associate Editor The "pre-trial” of Roger Troen became a trial of a com pletely different sort Wednes day when three University of ficials took the witness stand and answered pointed ques tions about live animal research. Troen. a 56-year-old graphic artist from Portland, is on trial for his alleged part in the Animal Liberation Front break-in at two Univer sity laboratories in October 1986. Members of the radical animal rights group broke in to the laboritories. vandalized research equipment and stole more than 150 test animals. Troen, arrested last July, was the only person ap prehended in the case. Pre-trial motions began on Tuesday. Troen’s attorney, Stephen Houze of Portland. Roger Troen plans to usd (he legally creative "choice of evils” defense to prove Troen inno cent — that Troen was justified in his actions to stop the "cruel, repetitive, and in humane" use of live animals for research. However, Lane County Cir cuit Judge Edwin E. Allen on Tuesday acted on a prosecu tion motion and ordered Houze to present his evidence before jury selection to deter mine its admissibility. The admissiblitiy of the choice of evils defense is essential to Troen's case, as it has been established he did take part in the theft of the animals. Houze’s evidence includes detailed questioning of University scientists on their use of live animal experimen tation. The questioning inten sified Wednesday when witnesses were asked to describe selected photographs from a training film on animal research and give justifica tion for the ex periments’ benefit to science and medicine. F’sychology pro fessors Richard Mar rocco. Barbara Gordon-Lickey. and University live animal research director Greg Stickrod have been called to the witness stand in the past two days. During Stickrod’s testimony, Houze wanted to know how many cats Lickey hud used and euthanized in her research during a par ticular phase of her research in the early ’80s. Stickrod testified the use of cats was in deed high during that period, and that it had, in House's terms, "reached a peak.” llouze then asked Stickrod if this meant Lickey was "at her peak in killing kittens?” Houze later questioned Lickey about her research on the cats. She testified her research concerned an aspect of "neuro-plasticity,” the ability of neurons to adapt to changes. Lickey's research in this area concerned changes in visual perception. Lickey explained her research formed a part in a larger framework of ground breaking discoveries. Toward the end of Wednes day's proceedings, Allen in terrupted Houze’s examina tion of Lickey, and angerily rebuked the defense attorney for not researching cases us ing similar strategy and testimony. The pre-trial presentation of defense witnesses is expected to continue into next week, after which Allen will decide if Houze can bring his evidence and witnesses before a jury.