Below are letters to the Chronicle’s editorial board from both Secular Humanists for Inquiry and Free Thought (SHIFT) and the Muslim-cultural Student Association (McSA) in response to the Muhammad chalk incident last week.

SHIFT:

The recent events concerning self-censorship and Islam from the Salman Rushdie protests, the Danish cartoon incident, and the assassination of Theo Van Gogh to the South Park controversy, and the chalkings at UIUC and UW-Madison have resulted in the depiction of the Islamic prophet Muhammad becoming a widely recognized symbol of free speech. While this may not seem “politically correct,” it is central to understand if you wish to know the nature of SHIFT’s protest last week.

We have already stated on various occasions that the Muslims here on campus clearly have no control over the threats Islamic fundamentalist groups issue to cartoonists, writers, and filmmakers. That being said, we can all agree that this act was clearly not a condemnation of the Muslims on campus. We are all equal participants in this community, and no individual group was the “target” of our statement. In the media frenzy and ill-informed argument that followed this event, the idea of “SHIFT vs. McSA” sprung up, but this was never the objective. The statement was for everyone, hence the campus-wide accessibility of our drawings and flyers. The portrayal of Muhammad as a stick figure was purposeful; it was meant to shift the focus away from religion and back toward free speech. It is true that the figures concern religion, but they are not reprehensive of it. Rather, they are neutral.

We understand that, in the wake of September 11th, those of Middle Eastern descent have faced significant discrimination in this country. Thus, much of the opposition to our chalkings seems to stem from the idea that we alienated an already thoroughly victimized group. While this argument resonates with us, we still maintain that our statement was not about religious (nor racial, nor cultural) differences. Rather, it was about the culture we all share. American values do not condone the widespread fear and self-imposed silence we have witnessed recently.

Again, we feel the need to reiterate: our chalkings were not about the validity of religious claims. They were not about the death threats from Islamic fundamentalists. They were not even about the actions on the part of Comedy Central. The recent South Park debacle was merely reflective of a broader, more deep-seated problem: our society has allowed itself to be persuaded into self-censorship by fear and intimidation. Allowing the death threats of a small, extremist minority of Muslims to determine our actions only serves to further empower the intimidating group, as well as to advance the misconception that Muslims are all violent, which we all know to be false.

This is why we feel that it is our duty, as secular humanists, to safeguard the freedom of expression, regardless of the chances that our actions might offend. Free speech would not be free if there were such regulations on it.

- SHIFT (Secular Humanists for Inquiry and Free Thought)

McSA:

Muslims consider the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) a model of excellence. He embodies the characteristics of what Islam considers to be the ideal human being, and is therefore extremely dear and beloved to us. While we know not all people share our beliefs, we do hope they respect the beliefs of others so that we can maintain a community that is diverse and inclusive.

We encourage everyone to speak with Muslims on campus and learn more about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and why he is such a revered figure for Muslims. McSA invites everyone to attend an upcoming lecture on the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), his life and his legacy. Look out for details on the event in the next few weeks and please contact us at numcsa@gmail.com for any additional questions.

-The Muslim-cultural Students Association

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