David Horowitz
David Horowitz, the former Marxist turned neo-Conservative and the person who funds such loathsome individuals as Robert Spencer and his Jihad Watch was at UMass where he faced strong opposition from students. He ended up calling Palestinians Nazis, said Islam is worse and more dangerous than Nazism and other crazy stuff.
Horowitz Brings Controversial Ideas to Student Union
By: Michelle Williams | February 25, 2010 |
Editor’s Note: Due to the snow day, this article will appear in the paper edition of Thursday, Feb. 25. As such, the online article has been slightly updated.
Ashley Lesperance/Collegian
On Tuesday evening, former New Left radical turned conservative pundit and author of such works as “Hating Whitey: and Other Progressive Causes,” and “Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American Left,” David Horowitz spoke in the Cape Cod Lounge in the Student Union.
Outside the Lounge two UMass Police officers were stationed at the door, with numerous law enforcement officials inside in plainclothes.
Justin Thomas, vice president of the University of Massachusetts Republican Club, the RSO which brought Horowitz to UMass, defended the heavy police presence at the event, citing previous events including Don Feder’s speech in March 2009, which was disrupted by protesters.
David Horowitz is described by the Republican Club as a well-known author and lifelong civil rights activist. He was sponsored to speak at UMass for a payment of $5,000 plus expenses, including transportation, lodging, and payment for protection.
Those protesting disagree that his speech was worth funding.
“I am here protesting because, as a UMass student attending a public university, I don’t welcome homophobia, and Islamophobia that is integrated in Horowitz’s hate speech.” said Marah DeFlavia, a junior at UMass. “I feel that bringing Horowitz to this campus was socially irresponsible, and it sends a negative message regarding our campus.”
Protesters passed out flyers labeling Horowitz a racist, citing an article he wrote which likened calling Rush Limbaugh a racist to calling minorities racial epithets.
The evening seemed a perfect test of some of Horowitz’s primary tenets, as he has asserted that liberal thinkers suppress free thought in academia in such pieces as “The Professors: 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America.”
Ultimately, this forum turned out better than last year’s contested gathering. Some protesters did speak out, and while they were asked to leave, none were forcibly removed or arrested.
The UMPD also implemented security measures, including not allowing audience members to bring backpacks with them inside. Members of the audience were also asked not to hold up signs or interrupt, though some disruption did occur.
UMass student Alex Tuffile was excited for the night’s events, having read all of Horowitz’s books. When asked his thoughts on the protesters, after viewing them quietly passing out flyers, he responded that he liked them. Citing past speeches, specifically the Don Feder speech, Tuffile said he feels the security measures are necessary.
“It was a disaster. I don’t have a problem with people when they protest, but it was ugly,” he said.
Thomas, the Republican Club vice president, gave opening remarks and thanked everyone for attending the speech, stating that Horowitz’s presence would hopefully facilitate conversation and debate.
Thomas explained why the Republican Club chose Horowitz.
“David Horowitz has been a strong proponent of free speech on campus,” he said.
Horowitz also provided an outlet for the club to display a more conservative speaker.
“You may remember Ms. Meghan McCain, who brought a more independent viewpoint [coming to campus.] Surprisingly for some, she wasn’t conservative enough,” said Thomas.
Next to speak was Derek Khanna, the president of the Republican Club. Khanna spoke of Horowitz’s lack of political correctness and the need for such in the University environment. Khanna spoke of not being able to call his country a “she,” and said, “Today, we live in a society where use of the word ‘niggardly’ requires an apology,” which the audience greeted with hissing sounds.
As he took the stage, Horowitz began his speech with an attack on liberals.
“Universities were set up to be free institutions that taxpayers pay for. It is due to out of control spending on faculty and out of control governmental loans that tuition costs are so much,” said Horowitz.
He went on to call college professors lazy, claiming they only work “nine hours a week, eight months out of the year.”
He continued to claim that professors generally represent just one side of the aisle politically. Horowitz sat in on a 90 minute civil liberties class during Tuesday’s classes, which he felt did not show multiple viewpoints on the subject.
“The professor tried to sell students on the decency of the Supreme Court, and denied them key information,” he said, furthering that he believes an educator’s job should entail “teaching you how to think, not what to think.”
Midway through his speech, Horowitz spoke on an educational department with which his views are commonly connoted. Horowitz said that women’s studies departments’ goals are to “make students into radical feminists.”
On the issues of gender and racial hierarchies in society, Horowitz claimed such inequities do not exist in America. He also said, to much audience protest, that the women’s studies department “doesn’t actually care about women,” because of genital mutilation occurring in Islamic cultures.
Horowitz expanded on his view of education stating that “the entire liberal arts college cannot give you a good education.” The only department Horowitz felt was of value was the engineering college, because through science, he believes the department presents facts without political slant.
Horowitz also told the crowd his views on religion. He deemed Muslims radicals, citing a poll claiming ten percent of Muslims agreed with jihad, or holy war. Making numerous comparisons to Nazi Germany, Horowitz called the Islamic jihad worse.
“Islamists are worse than the Nazis, because even the Nazis did not tell the world that they want to exterminate the Jews,” he said. In another comparison to Nazis, he added, “there are good Muslims and bad Muslims just like there were good Germans and bad Germans.”
After an hour of speaking, Horowitz took questions. Numerous students asked him about the conflict between Israel and Palestine, to which Horowitz responded heatedly, “The Palestinians are Nazis. Every one of their elected officials are terrorists.”
He spoke of how the countries in the Middle East were created and had no right to the lands that now make up Israel. “The Jews were attacked. They had every right to expel every Arab from both Israel and, when they were attacked in ‘67, from the West Bank.”
Zamil Akhtar, president of the UMass Muslim Student Association, spoke of how every Muslim, himself included, did not support the jihad, and said, “You said that you had not heard Muslims condemn the jihad. I can show you hundreds of Muslim scholars that disagree.”
“You also spoke of genital mutilation,” added Akhtar, “which is not a part of the culture – of my culture – as you said.”
Horowitz asked if Akhtar would denounce Hamas, to which Akhtar responded he would, and retorted by asking Horowitz if he would denounce Ann Coulter’s Islamophobic remarks, to which he responded, “It was a very apt satire.”
On the differences between sex and gender, UMass student Ashley Lesperance tried to explain the differences between gender and sex.
“Gender is defined as socially constructed to oppress women, versus sex which is what you are born with, gender is what is in fact socially constructed,” Lesperance told Horowitz.
Horowitz retorted by referencing former Harvard President Larry Summers, who drew criticism when he claimed women had lesser scientific abilities than women.
“Women possibly have a lower aptitude for math and science than men. And that’s a gender difference. Women have a lower aptitude in mathematics than men, and that is a scientific fact,” said Horowitz.
After a 30 minute question-and-answer of agitated remarks between the protesters and Horowitz, he told audience members lined at the microphone that he was finished answering questions and was escorted out of the room by his bodyguard.
Michelle Williams can be reached at mnwillia@student.umass.edu
February 25th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
Hilarious picture.
February 25th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Horowitz is the Nazi. The guy is an opportunist really, he changes with the change in the political winds.
February 25th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Zionism in action. Zionists fund these anti-Muslim, anti-Arab racists and actively look for the next “ex-Muslim” star. You’re wondering why there are so many relatively prominent Islamophobes in the US and Europe? Zionist funding. It’s all about demonizing the predominant religion of the Palestinians by any means necessary. If there was no Israel-Palestine “conflict” (in quotes because in an actual conflict, both sides are more or less equal in blame), you wouldn’t see all this Islamophobic BS from the usual suspects.
No Zionism = Peace.
February 25th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Horowitz claims to espouse civil rights, yet arranges a heavy police presence in order to suppress legal protest. And they say Americans don’t get irony……….
February 25th, 2010 at 6:39 pm
One wonders why this chap pays for Robert Spencer when he can make himself look a loon with anyone elses help .
February 25th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
Apparently, racism is acceptable to these fools because it’s not that, it’s just being “politically incorrect”
“Today, we live in a society where use of the word ‘niggardly’ requires an apology.”
isn’t this a GOOD thing?
February 26th, 2010 at 8:15 am
I agree with Horowitz.Palestinians and Nazis share the same philosophy to exterminate the Jews-the chosen people of God.Muslims are the chosen people of Allah-the pagan god of Mohammad with vile agenda of hate against the Jews and the Christians.Find me one Muslim who does not hate the Jews.
February 26th, 2010 at 11:56 am
Lawrence I think you should move to Israel if you aren’t there already.
February 26th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
I don’t know why lawrence is allowed to post here. It’s been shown that he is a liar with his “the word love is not in the Qur’an” claim. All he does is spew anti-Muslim racism.
February 26th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Lawrence shouldnt move to Israel: he should move to the nearest mental hospital.
ps. God=Allah in arabic…
February 26th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Lawrence:
I am a Muslim. I don’t hate the Jews. And I can find millions more that don’t hate the Jews. Niot only that, I can find JEWS who oppose israeli occupation of Palestine. How many Muslims have you PERSONALLY interacted with? I doubt u have any SERIOUS connections with Muslims. Also, ur argument about Jews are the chosen ppl of god etc… Basically ur implying that the Jewish god is better then the Muslim god, and since Jews are the chosen ppl of god, then Jews are also better then Muslims. So let’s compare ur argument with Nazism. They also thought that Germans were the master race overall, especially the Jews. That sounds pretty similar to ur argument.
Also, as the chosen ppl of god, the Jews of Israel have 300-something Jewish only settlement on palestinian land. Surely, since the Jewish god is better then the Muslim god, this couldn’t be acceptable! But it is! Suddenly thr Jewish god seems pretty hateful, like the Muslim god.
February 26th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
Um, Lawrence, the name Allah is the name Arabic speaking Christrians call God. If you’re going to make an argument make one you can win.
February 26th, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Today, we live in a society where use of the word ‘niggardly’ requires an apology.”
isn’t this a GOOD thing?
——————————-
The controversy is that the word niggardly means stingy or miserly. It has nothing to do with the n-word though it appear related on a superficial level. PC going too far type a thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversies_about_the_word_%22niggardly%22
February 26th, 2010 at 10:54 pm
@ lawrence
Thanks for proving to us that Zionists such as yourself have nothing but hatred inside of you. Now get a life.
February 27th, 2010 at 12:07 am
@lawrence,
It may be Hamas’ mission to exterminate the Jews, but the same can’t be said for all the Palestinians. Your arguments are nothing but sweeping generalizations.
Although naturally we think that the Jews and Christians are at fault with their beliefs, that doesn’t give us an excuse to kill them. In fact, the Koran clearly states not to harm others through hatred.
If you want to know what Muslims think of the Jews, just ask them.
February 27th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Great article. Thanks. It really shows how vile the godfather of JihadWatch is, believing that ethnic cleansing is justifiable.
On a side note, however, the article is flawed in that it seems to imply that Jihad is intrinsically unacceptable. Many Muslims believe that Jihad is a part of their religion (it certainly is), but they believe it is the same thing as the just war theory that exists in Christianity.
Sincerely,
Danios.
February 28th, 2010 at 12:25 am
@ TYO:
I didn’t know that. Thx for telling me lol
March 1st, 2010 at 8:15 am
@Ahmed while I don’t agree with lawrence point of view, your argument is not a strong one.
by the same principle one could argue that since not all germans in ww2 were nazis, or supported extermination of jews, then calling germans who lived during ww2 nazis would be a generalization.
Hamas got elected in 2006 44.1%.
the Nazi party got elected in 1932 37.8%.
also,a nice example of a generalization would be @KnowingTheTruth comment regarding Zionists.
the arab world and Palestinians has been flooded with anti jewish propoganda dating back to ww2, while obviously not all arabs are affected by this propaganda, you cannot say it is null, as it is with anti arab propaganda present in israel.
the word “jew” is still a synonymous to unloyal/enemy in the arab world.
the word “arab” is still a synonymous to unloyal/enemy in israel.
I would consider anyone who has an over simplified view of the conflict as a “loon”, that is anyone who sees one side as complete evil and the other complete good.
March 7th, 2010 at 9:36 am
If Hamas is pro-Nazi, why do they refer to their Zionist enemies as “this despicable Nazi-Tatar invasion” in their charter? Since Hamas is an Islamist group, not a secular leftist group like the PLO, I don’t expect they wrote their charter for a Western audience…
March 8th, 2010 at 4:30 am
I think the picture of David Horowitz is in bad taste. I tend to think of this site as better than that. I would leave it to the loons to focus on filth.
David Horowitz’s ugly utterances speak for themselves.
Among other things, he is blinded by his own privilege. He is a well-to-do straight male who belongs to the dominant ethnic group. Nevertheless, he is absolutely certain that racism and sexism are no longer a problem in US society. He apparently does not ask himself whether he merely does not see these things because such discrimination is simply never aimed at him personally.
If someone says extremely ignorant things like “women’s studies departments’ goals are to “make students into radical feminists,” this shows that they are indeed sexist. If he knew anything about Gender Studies departments, he would know that their goals are quite different. Then again, most hardcore reactionaries consider any opinion about gender other than their own either radical feminist, misandric or perverted.
March 8th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
My fellow friends and i attend a muslim school in america and everyday, notice all the little racist injustices that occur on a daily basis. When i see what is going on other countries, i am simply disgusted. Not at the jews, (because i refuse to be against religions and i respect them all) but at the horrific and saddening and sadistic and barbaric and merciless actions that zionist Jews impose on INNNOCENT CIVILIANS living in Palestine. What would you do? answer the question simply. What would you do if a Jewish soldier came and pointed a gun on your begging son, husband, wife, little brother, sister aunt grandmother or even yourself. And what would you do if after begging and screaming they still pressed the trigger and in front of your own eyes, a little girl falls to the ground. dead. ??!?!!
April 17th, 2010 at 9:53 am
Ben, the following is ingenious: “by the same principle one could argue that since not all germans in ww2 were nazis, or supported extermination of jews”. This indiscates that there *is* a worldwide muslim plan to exterminate jews, and that it is comparable to the plans of the third reich. Its a cheap rhetorical ploy, even Ahmadinejad doesnt talk about destroying jews but about the “political entity Israel”.
Its true that there is a strong anti-semitic trend in the middle east, though. Just as it is a strong racist element in Israel, especially among the settlers. All that is needed for evil to conquer is for good folks to do nothing. Thats why I applaud Loonwatch, they do good.
(And FYI, im a norwegian expunk anarchist who write a lot w US veterans, not a muslim.)
April 29th, 2010 at 10:38 am
Fringe loon Chelene Nightingale for governor 2010…just say no!
August 1st, 2010 at 5:37 pm
Horowitz is right on the mark. How ironic that you call him a loon. Pan Arabists and the Nazis were allies; the Mufti of Jerusalem was at Hitler’s side during the war and visited the extermination camps.
Palestinians and Hamas want Jews exterminated. YOU are the Nazis. Accept the Nazi banner proudly as you all just really hate Jews. Loonwatch…how ironically appropriate.
August 2nd, 2010 at 4:50 pm
1.Maybe you should read about Cesare Vincenzo Orsenigo and look at this pic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-H26878,_Berlin,_Neujahrsempfang_in_der_neuen_Reichskanzlei.jpg
ohhhh wait who is that guy on his left he looks at wait that cant me its ADOLF……..This is the same as the Mufti meeting with nazi
2.In regards to Pan Arabists and the Nazis were allies; the Mufti of Jerusalem
they might add these photos of India’s Congress Party leader Subhas Chandra Bose visiting Germany. He was in Berlin at the same time as the mufti, and for the same reason: to rid his nation of British colonialism
Pic
http://bharat-baid.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/08/rare-pictures-of-netaji-subhash-chandra-bose.htm
If you can understand the “enemy of my enemy is my friend” concept understand the historical context of British colonial subjects looking for help from Germany, however foolish and immoral it can appear to us
A number of present-day political parties found inspiration of one sort or another in the Nazis, including India’s Hindu nationalist BJP party. The party that’s the present-day BJP sent missions to Germany thru the 1930s. Yet it’s the BJP that tightened relations with Israel in 2003, when Ariel Sharon visited Delhi.
Israeli embassies may also wish to slip in info about Pierre Gemayel, a personal guest of Hitler in 1936 who, inspired, then founded the Lebanese Phalange. But that might not be so good either…. Israel aligned itself with the Phalange during its invasion of Lebanon, and in 1982 inserted Pierre’s son, Bashir, as Israel’s hand-picked president!
I suppose the BJP and the Gemayels are forgiven for their Nazi past because of alliances with Israel (and “anti-terror” rhetoric), while Palestinians as a population get demonized because they resist dispossession. So what’s Israel really concerned about–what happened in WWII, or maintaining domination over the land?
3.Palestinians and Jews were liveing in peace for years untill Zionist nationalists came and wanted to cause trouble so they can split
Jews In Palestine
Year Jews %
1922 83,790
1925 121,725
1929 156,481
1934 253,700
1936 370,483
1937 386,084
March 12th, 2011 at 5:12 pm
So many of the comments here against Mr Horowitz only show that this man speaks the truth.
March 12th, 2011 at 6:44 pm
So many comments against the Prophet Muhammad not just on Islamophobic sites today but for the past 1400 years in the West proves that he spoke the truth. Do you accept that statement? I used the exact same logic that you did.
By the way, William, do you intend on actually responding to the claims in this article or are just going to make stupid statements.
March 12th, 2011 at 9:12 pm
LOL@William’s comment. David Whorowitz couldn’t speak the truth even if he tried.