As an ardent secularist, as a devout humanist, as an enthusiast of inquiry, and as a proponent of free-thought, I am proud to have helped found SHIFT, and I am proud of my service as one of its board members. I am not, however, proud of the actions that SHIFT undertook earlier this week. SHIFT believes that it is advocating free-speech; I have never felt that my speech at Northwestern has been restricted. I do try however to be considerate with my own speech. As all who live in a diverse community should, I try to be considerate of the beliefs and values of others, even if I do not agree with them. What I find most saddening, however, is SHIFT’s unwillingness to engage in a constructive dialogue with those students who it knew would be offended by its actions. My knowledge of Islam is rather limited, and as such I do not pretend to understand the complexities of the issue over depicting Muhammad. Yet I do not believe that very many members of SHIFT, if any at all, have a better understanding. I proposed to the other members of SHIFT that before undertaking any course of action, we meet with members of McSA, who, as Muslims, might have a better understanding of this issue. My proposal was rejected. It seems that SHIFT has forgotten that the ‘I’ in its name stands for “Inquiry,” as it failed to engage in any before chalking offensive images on campus. It is a crucial part of SHIFT’s mission to encourage others to think about their faith; walking all over it is not.

Avi Emanuel

WCAS 2010

 Print This Post