Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Religious Terrorism Strikes Chapel Hill
Human Events ^ | 3/3/2006 | Jillian Bandes

Posted on 03/04/2006 7:06:50 AM PST by Pyro7480

Religious Terrorism Strikes Chapel Hill

by Jillian Bandes
Posted Mar 04, 2006

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- With backpacks as physical shields, University of North Carolina students are now called to defend themselves against religious terrorism while they walk the halls of their school.

Earlier today, just before high noon, Mohammed Reza Taheriazar, 22, bulldozed the center of UNC's main campus with a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee -- the biggest SUV he could find -- in order to retaliate against treatment of Muslims around the world, he said.   Taheriazar, a recent graduate, sent six to the hospital with injuries and hit three others in what is not only a tragedy for the Chapel Hill community but an sad example of an ideological difference digressing into violent conflict.

Hundreds of students gathered to see what happened in what was first deemed a freak accident.  Then, reports came in that a bomb squad, state and federal Bureaus of Investigation, and local Carrboro police were surrounding what is believed to be Taheriazar's apartment.

A bomb threat had been made to his residence in the University Commons complex Friday afternoon, a popular apartment complex for students.  Forces entered the Building D at approximately 5:28 p.m., and a booming noise was heard in the surrounding area.  No explosion was observed.

Though his connection to the bomb threat remained uncertain as of this writing, Taheriazar’s intentions with his Jeep Grand Cherokee were made chillingly clear after authorities questioned him. He said his goals were to inflict maximum damage to the students of UNC in order to seek retribution for the treatment of Muslims around the world.

This claim is sickeningly fitting given recent events on the UNC campus.

In the wake of the Danish cartoon controversy, UNC's school newspaper, the Daily Tar Heel, ran a knockoff cartoon picturing the prophet Muhammad wrestling with the question of what Islam truly stands for and how it is represented in the media. The cartoon, printed on February 9, elicited wide criticism from the Muslim Student Association and the group Student Action with Workers, which staged a sit-in on the Daily Tar Heel’s offices demanding an apology from the paper. Opinion Editor Chris Cameron and Editor in Chief Ryan Tuck refused to submit to their demands.

Months prior, I was dismissed from my position as weekly columnist after writing in support of racial profiling of Arabs in airports around the anniversary of 9/11. National media descended on the school and letters to the editor papered the walls of the Daily Tar Heel's offices twice over, and the local Muslim community was outraged. Despite my denials, the Daily Tar Heel leadership maintains I was dismissed for quoting Arab students out of context.

In an official statement, the Muslim Student Association called the decision to print the Daily Tar Heel cartoon a misuse of freedom of the press to "offend and further only intolerance and disrespect," and that "such actions undermine the environment of diversity and multiculturalism" otherwise promoted at UNC's liberal campus.

Sarah Shields, associate professor of history and one of UNC's most prominent scholars on the Middle East, described the situation as this over the Progressive Faculty List serve: "In the past, I have reassured Muslim parents and applicants that the climate at UNC is very supportive. I can't do that any more."

Friday, it can only be guessed that Taheriazar took matters into his own hands.

"I heard the engine rev as he came through the Pit," said junior Tyler Daluz. "He didn't stop at all."

This horrific event has come in the wake of another tragedy in which two UNC students fell from the third story of a campus dormitory after rough playing. Keith Shawn Smith, 20, died from the fall while 19-year-old freshman Tyler Downey remains in the hospital in fair condition.

"We are still in the grieving process for our fallen student," wrote Chancellor James Moeser, and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Peggy Jablonski over the campus-wide list serve.

This is a tragedy of a distinctly different tune, however. Rare is it that an independent actor creates such a tragedy based on religious or ethnic grounds inside the U.S., not to mention on a campus full of young people.

Protests by College Republicans and others are planned for classes on Monday.

"I think what happened today shows the need for us all to unite and combat the ugly face of extremism," said Kris Wampler, a representative for UNC's Student Congress. "It especially has an effect on us because it's so close to him. It’s where we live, where we go to school, where we are every single day."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; US: North Carolina; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: blamethesuvnothim; carolina; chapelhill; domesticterrorism; iranian; islam; muhammad; muslim; rop; student; suv; taheriazar; unc; uncch
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-60 next last
To: Pyro7480

Peace through submission, through submission. Submit or die infidel dogs. That is how peace is achieved.


21 posted on 03/04/2006 7:42:25 AM PST by vpintheak (Liberal = The antithesis of Freedom and Patriotism)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480

I guess he was too anxious to wait for the explosives for the Jeep.


22 posted on 03/04/2006 7:46:36 AM PST by blam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dsc

"Kris Wanker needs to buy a clue. What we need to unite and combat is Islam."

Islam/Extremism

6 of one half dozen of the other.


23 posted on 03/04/2006 7:51:36 AM PST by Leatherneck_MT (An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: econjack; Pyro7480
Given what he said, I hope they nail his sorry @ss for attempted murder.

What I wanna know is what the hell has NC sunk to such that the punishment/trial/charges of this guy is even under debate? How did he make it out of the car alive with a crowd around there? Even Richard Reid got a little "Airplane" roughup treatment.

24 posted on 03/04/2006 7:52:57 AM PST by sam_paine (X .................................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480
Rare is it that an independent actor creates such a tragedy based on religious or ethnic grounds inside the U.S., not to mention on a campus full of young people.

At the moment it's rare, but if we don't face the truth about the nature of this war, it will become all too common in the future.
25 posted on 03/04/2006 8:03:07 AM PST by Deo volente (Not all Muslims are dangerous... just a few hundred million.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480
There was a laptop in the front seat of the car, which has been impounded.

Hope they come out with details on this, but I won't hold my breath.

26 posted on 03/04/2006 8:06:11 AM PST by MarMema (Buy Danish, support freedom)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480
Sarah Shields, associate professor of history and one of UNC's most prominent scholars on the Middle East, described the situation as this over the Progressive Faculty List serve: "In the past, I have reassured Muslim parents and applicants that the climate at UNC is very supportive. I can't do that any more."

Huh? Sarah, you're pulling my leg, right?

27 posted on 03/04/2006 8:07:45 AM PST by texasbluebell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480
This man graduated - why is still in the U.S. Is he a citizen? Or on a student visa from Iran? Have not seen that addressed. My guess is he is here illegally, that his student visa ran out long ago.

Another screw-up by the government who refuses to enforce our border laws.

28 posted on 03/04/2006 8:13:32 AM PST by PLK
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480

I find it very interesting that all the links in this article work except for the "Progressive Faculty List serve." How quickly certain libs must want to disassociate themselves from this story.


29 posted on 03/04/2006 8:19:22 AM PST by Socratic (Tell the libs: Beating a dead horse is not the same as tenderizing a steak.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480; Constitution Day
Earlier today, just before high noon, Mohammed Reza Taheriazar, 22, bulldozed the center of UNC's main campus with a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee -- the biggest SUV he could find -- in order to retaliate against treatment of Muslims around the world, he said.

Disaffected Muslim yoot in a SportYoot.

30 posted on 03/04/2006 8:19:35 AM PST by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: vpintheak
That is how peace is achieved.

Yes, indeeeed.  Death is verrrry peacefulll ...

31 posted on 03/04/2006 8:20:08 AM PST by Celtman (It's never right to do wrong to do right.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: MarMema
There was a laptop in the front seat of the car, which has been impounded. Hope they come out with details on this, but I won't hold my breath.

Maybe they'll find links to Al Qaeda or Hamas on that guy's laptop...BING! TERRORIST! LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE! BUH BYE!!!

32 posted on 03/04/2006 8:26:08 AM PST by TampaDude (If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the PROBLEM!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: TampaDude
Perhaps after a few more "incidents" like this in America -- the "perps" won't be able to achieve "prisoner status"...

Islamists must KNOW they face certain and immediate death when they pull that lunatic cult $hit in this country....

If the State won't "deal" with them sufficently to deter them, the citizens must.

Main Entry: vig·i·lan·te
Pronunciation: "vi-j&-'lan-tE
Function: noun
Etymology: Spanish, watchman, guard, from vigilante
vigilant, from Latin vigilant-, vigilans:
a member of a volunteer committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily (as when the processes of law appear inadequate; broadly : a self-appointed doer of justice); - vig·i·lan·tism /-'lan-"ti-z&m/ noun

Semper Fi

33 posted on 03/04/2006 8:44:14 AM PST by river rat (You may turn the other cheek, but I prefer to look into my enemy's vacant dead eyes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480

Religion of Peace El Presidente?



Liar.


34 posted on 03/04/2006 8:44:50 AM PST by trubluolyguy (Islam, Religion of Peace and they'll kill you to prove it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TampaDude
It's interesting how MSM tries to sanitize or ignore things like this. Last night it was on Fox News, ABC News and MSNBC websites. Today, it's only on the (surprise) CNN website.

Yet, a three-day old story about a West Virginia sheriff refusing to give a homo mouth-to-mouth respiration is still on most of them.
35 posted on 03/04/2006 8:45:04 AM PST by BW2221
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480

At least the guy wasn't white, straight, and Christian - we have enough hate crimes as it is.


36 posted on 03/04/2006 8:49:41 AM PST by AD from SpringBay (We have the government we allow and deserve.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: backhoe

 911 TRIBUTE - PRESIDENT BUSH & ANY GRANT 




37 posted on 03/04/2006 9:04:21 AM PST by devolve ( (refresh-updated-graphix - Photobucket Imagecave)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: devolve

Never, ever, forget.


38 posted on 03/04/2006 9:11:29 AM PST by backhoe (-30-)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: AD from SpringBay

Just as I was starting to complain that the national media is silent about this, Tony Snow came on FoxNews and covered it.


39 posted on 03/04/2006 9:13:25 AM PST by kcar ( TROP in NC!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480
We better get use to seeing this type of violence.I don't look forward to the day when the muslum population is three times the size that it is today.
40 posted on 03/04/2006 9:28:20 AM PST by rdcorso (There Is No Such Thing As A Neutral Person During A War With Radical Islam.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-60 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson