By BI: The student government rejected a resolution for a moment of recognition on every anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on grounds it would create an ‘unsafe’ space on campus. One student representative said holding a moment of recognition over a tragedy committed by Muslim perpetrators could increase ‘racist’ attitudes on campus. (What ‘race’ is Islam?)
CAMPUS REFORM On Tuesday, November 10, the Minnesota Student Association (MSA)–the undergraduate student government at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (UMN)– rejected a resolution for a moment of recognition on future anniversaries of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Theo Menon, the student group representative to MSA for the College Republicans (CRs) at UMN, introduced the resolution; MSA’s forum voted against it 36-23 (with three abstentions). The proposed resolution pointed to the university’s lack of any sort of commemoration regarding the attacks on 9/11. It then called for a campus-wide moment of recognition on every September 11 from now on.
This is the same generation that calls the nationwide broadcasts of remembrance of this tragedy: "9/11 porn". @campusreform
— AMERICAN Kafir™ (@FatBrando) November 13, 2015
“This resolution was non-controversial and was supported by the MSA’s President and Vice-President,” said Amundson, “However, several members, in exchanges with CRs rep Theo Menon, were militant in their opposition to it due to a perceived bias toward Muslims.”
At-large MSA representative and Director of Diversity and Inclusion David Algadi voiced severe criticism of the resolution. “The passing of this resolution might make a space that is unsafe for students on campus even more unsafe,” said Algadi, “Islamophobia and racism fueled through that are alive and well.”
Algadi added that holding a moment of recognition over a tragedy committed by non-white perpetrators could increase racist attitudes on campus, asking, “When will we start having moments of silence for all of the times white folks have done something terrible?”