LETTERS
Not black and white
I note that the Emerald contin
ues to publish the biased vitriol
of M. Reza Behnam, a man who,
until he was exposed several
years ago, used to write op-ed
pieces to the Register-Guard
claiming to be director of the ut
terly fictitious Institute for Ad
vanced Middle Eastern Studies
(he still carries on that masquer
ade from time to time in the
pages of The Oregonian).
Your readers should be aware
of this history as they consider
comments like those published in
his letter in the April 22 Emerald.
According to him, the issues of
war, peace and justice in Israel are
all black and white: the Israelis
are completely at fault, the Pales
tinians are completely innocent.
I submit that any reasonable
person will conclude that there is
right and wrong on both sides —
that both sides have been and
continue to be guilty of injustice
and atrocities. The Emerald does
not need another one-sided view
of the Middle East such as the
one Behnam tirelessly offers.
Jeffrey Hurwit
Art History
Respect Israel
In his April 22 letter to the edi
tor, Reza Behnam came up with
yet another masterpiece of anti-Is
raeli fanaticism. It took me a while
to realize that Mr. Behnam actual
ly considers human bombing a
heroic act. I always considered
that unnecessary human sacrifice,
especially while Yassir Arafat
claims that he’s firmly set on find
ing a peaceful solution to the
“Palestinian Question. ”
Let’s consider the facts that ac
tually have something to do with
Reza Behnam’s laments. He calls
the Palestinians the “natives” of
the land. Obviously he never
heard about the historically fa
mous Muslim conquests of the
middle ages when the natives of
the Arabian Peninsula took over
vast areas of the Middle East, Eu
rope, India and even China within
less than a century. Most of that
area is still populated by the de
scendants of those people and is
known as the Arab World.
On the other hand, an area
roughly the size of Lane County
was legally purchased by the
Rothchild family .early in the
twentieth century and is now
known as Israel. The reason for
that was to bring the only surviv
ing natives of that area—the Jews
(the Scythians, the Persians, and
other such peoples having long
since moved on or gone extinct)—
back to their homeland, which
was denied to them for centuries.
Grasp the difference?
Now, we may disagree with the
Israeli methods of gaining recog
nition from the Arab countries,
but let’s call things by their own
names. Israel is surrounded by na
tions which are really unfriendly
toward it. It is pretty much a won
der how it has lasted so long, hav
ing such unstable supporters as
the United States (remember Iran
Contra?)
Yassir Arafat and his friends
will not sleep, eat or drink until
the last Jew is kicked out of the
Middle East. Israel is not “expand
ing and prospering,” it’s fighting
for survival. So let’s have some re
spect for Israel, Mr. Behnam. If
anything, Israel deserves respect.
Artem Y. Lyubimov
Biology
Rape awareness
I am a proud member of the
greek system and also a concerned
student at the University. In con
junction with our social policies,
all greeks are required to attend
“social issues seminars.”
Last evening, my chapter host
ed a presentation by the Sexual
Assault Support Services of Lane
County. In light of recent events,
such a seminar has special value.
This letter is not a defense of the
greek system, nor a damnation,
but rather an admission of igno
rance. Our ignorance of the Amer
ican rape culture is shared though,
and most students are subject to it.
The representative who spoke
to my chapter was insightful, per
suasive and disturbing. Disturbing
in that her persuasive insight re
vealed how deeply rooted accep
tance of rape has been construct
ed.
So deep that when we are con
scious of sexual assault and rape
incidents, we are still blind to the
millions of women {and men) who
suffer because sexual assault and
rape are so easily questioned and
dismissed.
The deconstruction of our con
structed ignorance can only come
through education. Rape is a prob
lem at this University that is not
limited to any specific group. I
hope that such seminars like that
which I attended can have an equal
impact on other greek members,
but I do not think that they should
be limited to greek members.
As of now, the University only
requires the greek system to offer
informative seminars. I contend
that the safety of all students at
this University relies on all stu
dents actively participating in
such education.
Many students have been un
willing to attend “open” seminars
at student residencies, the EMU,
etc. I challenge these students, and
moreover the University, to make
rape, alcohol abuse and other pre
ventative seminars mandatory.
Joseph Perko
Comparative Literature
Where’s the money
I read an article in the April 21
Emerald that outlined all of the
new buildings and additions that
the University is planning to
build. These include a new indoor
workout facility at Autzen stadi
um, a new law complex, a new
recreation center near the
Esslinger building and four other
projects.
In other articles in the Emerald
there has been speculation about
building a new basketball stadium
because the one we have now is
ugly. In the mail this week I re
ceived the proposed student bud
get for an out-of-state student.
Next year will cost $20,025 to go
to school. Two years ago when I
enrolled here it was $17,713.
Since that time a big deal has been
made about the fact that Oregon
voters do not believe in funding
higher education and that the en
tire school must make cut backs.
I would like to know exactly
what this school is cutting back
on. Every year tuition gets more
expensive and the administration
does nothing to help us, the stu
dents. The majority of these new
buildings come from us.
I can’t see how the University
can think of taking on so many ex
pensive projects in the next few
years when the students can’t af
ford school now. I don’t want to
continue paying out more money
every year for athletic buildings.
I don’t want to pay more money
for any reason. In three years, I
have accumulated over $22,000 in
debt and I know there are may stu
dents who have it worse off than
me. So if any administrators care
about us, the students, they
should consider acting in our in
terests and try to bring the tuition
down to a reasonable sum.
Adam Moule
Chemistry
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