Letter by Protest Organizations on Malkin

After the protest, a number of student leaders representing the groups that were present met with Sid Patel to sign off on a letter describing their position. The Daily Cal ran an edited version of this letter, and left off the group names that supported the statement. Below is the text of the letter and the campus groups which were signatories:

The united protest on Wednesday, September 8, gave students whose voices are seldom heard an opportunity to speak out against the bigotry of Michelle Malkin.

Malkin currently enjoys unopposed airtime as acommentator for Fox News with her unscholarly works and shortsighted views often left unquestioned. She is a syndicated columnist and has had two books published. She has an enormous amount of free speech- the ability to have her ideas heard on a wide scale.

On the other hand, the thousands of Arabs, Muslims, and South Asians who have been harrassed, detained and deported have had no free speech - they have been silenced by the racist policies of the War on Terror, and their protests and ideas have not been broadcast. What about their speech, their ability to speak out and spread their ideas? Malkin advocates a further silencing of their voices. That's why we protested her- to defend and speak out for the freedoms of communities under attack.

The solidarity of students from a myriad of ethnic backgrounds at the protest resurrected our voices which have been anything but free since the advent ofthe PATRIOT Act and its curtailing of basic civil liberties.

For the Berkeley College Republicans to bring this type of figure, who openly defends the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII, disrespects all those who suffered during internment, which itself was condemned by the US Government. The racist ideologies of Malkin come at a time of immense backlash against Arab, Muslim, Sikhs, and South Asian Americans. We are threatened and appalled that the issue of internment reappears favorably during a dramatic rise of xenophobia in this country.

In addition, the argument that racial profiling might be a worth while inconvenience has been thoroughly discredited. Experiences, over and over, have shown that racial profiling is ineffective - when used by the police to find criminals, when used by the US government against the Japanese, and even in the case of terrorism. The Oklahoma City bombing was perpetrated by white men - the profile doesn't holdup. Let's not repeat a historical error by using a method which is both racist and ineffective.

The current US administration has consistently incorporated racism and fear in defense of the invasion of Iraq and the so-called "war on terror." Malkin embodies the dangerous narrow-mindedness that threatens our communities.

Internment and racial profiling should never be tolerated under any circumstances; we will always stand united against racism and those who actively promote it.

Signed,
Pilipino American Alliance, Core Officers 2004-2005
Committee 4 Pilipino Studies
Asian Pacific Islander Sisterhood Alliance
Arab Student Union
Students for Justice in Palestine
Sikh Student Association
Berkeley Stop the War Coalition
International Socialist Organization

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