Posted on 10/17/2001 4:30:52 PM PDT by Travis McGee
10/17/01
Conversation of three Saudi students about Sept. 11 events overheard in library
By Jason Williams
Managing Editor
On Saturday, Sept. 22, Zewdalem Kebede, a political science senior and native Ethiopian, was studying in the Reserve Book Room in Love Library. Nearby, a group of Saudi Arabian students sat talking in Arabic -- a language Kebede speaks fluently, having learned it in his native country.
He was attracted to their conversation when the topic shifted to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"They started talking about the Sept. 11 action," he said. "And with that action they were very pleased. They were happy. And they were regretting of missing the 'Big House.'
"It was a long chitchat."
Kebede tried to continue studying, attempting to ignore the students, but finally he approached their table and spoke to them.
"Guys, what you are talking is unfair. How do you feel happy when those 5 to 6,000 people are buried in two or three buildings?" Kebede said. "They are under the rubble or they became ash.
"And you are talking about the action of bin Laden and his group. You are proud of them. You should have to feel shame."
Kebede spoke to the students in Arabic so as not to disturb others studying in the library.
"I didn't want to spread it," he said. "I didn't want the rest of students to hear it."
Another Saudi student approached from a nearby table and spoke to Kebede in English, asking if he had a problem with the other students speaking in Arabic.
A heated exchange took place.
Kebede told him there was no problem, and the man asked if Kebede was going to threaten them, to which he replied he was not and returned to his table.
After about 30 minutes, two university police officers approached Kebede and asked to speak with him. Kebede related his story of what had occurred.
The officers informed Kebede that he should have reported the incident to them rather than get involved.
"I thought to report it to the police, in order that they follow it and so on, but they would hear my words only, so it is useless," Kebede said.
"It was upsetting. Very upsetting."
University Police said both parties involved in the disturbance were cautioned and statements were taken from one of the Saudi Arabian men and Kebede.
Because the Saudi students are listed as victims in the report and the case is non-criminal, their names cannot be released.
The police report states that University Police responded to a disturbance involving Arab students, that Kebede was contacted and that he understood Arabic.
No specific mention was made in the report regarding what Kebede heard the Saudi students saying.
University Police Crime Prevention Specialist Marc Fox said that it basically boils down to "a free speech issue."
"It's horrific, yet legal," Fox said.
All agencies are operating at a "heightened state" since the Sept. 11 attacks, Fox said, and a background investigation is conducted in any instances resembling a threat to see if a statement was "more than just rhetoric."
Fox said the university routinely networks with off-campus law enforcement, and that this case was passed on to "other agencies," though he could not identify them specifically.
"This case was looked at further," Fox said. "It was not dropped. Let's put it that way."
The case is no longer active with University Police.
On Sept. 27, The Daily Aztec printed a crime brief detailing the verbal harassment of four Saudi Arabian men in the Love Library Reserve Book Room. In the brief, Kebede was described as a "foreign national" who accused the men of being connected to the Sept. 11 attacks.
Shortly before the publication of this brief, Kebede related his experience in the library to his History 514 class during a discussion about the terrorist attacks. Students from the class contacted The Daily Aztec about the inconsistency.
Kebede received a letter from the university's Center for Student Rights, dated Sept. 25, requesting that he set up a meeting to discuss his conduct in the Reserve Book Room. The letter stated that he had allegedly been "verbally abusive to other students" and that he had three days to respond or else face possible sanctions.
The letter also stated that "any student of a campus may be expelled, suspended, placed on probation or given a lesser sanction for: Abusive behavior directed toward, or hazing of, a member of the campus community."
Kebede said he met with University Judicial Officer Antionette Jones on Oct. 3.
"What she had heard previously and what I said to her when I went to give my statement according to the summons is different. She told me what the police officer reported. It was not proper or accurate what she had heard," Kebede said.
Cases handled by the Center for Student Rights are considered private and not made available to the public.
"What have I done to these Arab guys? I have done nothing," Kebede said. "How can they be happy when innocent people just perished? Vanished by the cruel actions of their own brothers.
"It's sad, that's what I told them. Of this am I going to be charged and penalized with a warning or a probation or expelling from school? No, damn. No one would do that.
"I haven't committed any wrong."
In numerous addresses, President George W. Bush has made clear that the war on terrorism is not a war on the Muslim people nor the Islamic faith, stating that Americans should be tolerant and not treat Muslims different than any other American.
Across the nation there have been episodes of hate, some deadly.
University President Stephen Weber entreated students not to give in to and propagate a backlash against international students on campus in an address at the Sept. 13 memorial for those lost in the attacks.
Muslim Student Association President Omar Behnawa has been watching for the backlash on campus, and has yet to see any episodes of hate or anti-U.S. sentiment.
"I have no reason to doubt that it happened," Behnawa said about Kebede's experience. "I'm saying that it's a very sick thing. But I could possibly see that happening."
A decision on the case has since been made, and Kebede will face no penalties at this time, though he was warned in a letter received Oct. 9 that future involvement in "confronting members of the campus community in a manner that is found to be aggressive or abusive" will result in severe disciplinary sanctions.
The letter also stated: "You are admonished to conduct yourself as a responsible member of the campus community in the future."
"I'm naturalized American. I have taken an oath to live to protect this country, so that is my part to do -- for that I am happy," Kebede said. "I am an honest citizen for this country. I showed those guys that there are people who love America, who defend America. That's what I showed.
"Is that a crime?"
Here is one for you: Afghan Christians Being Threatened and Harassed in North America (it was taken off of breaking news for some reason--I continue to fail to understand the FR criteria for such decisions--and has therefore not recieved much attention). I guess I should have put it on the FrontPage section instead.
Also, check out the link in post #243.
Now when are we going to pull our heads out of our @$$ and get these Middle Eastern bums out of the country.
People who have mothers and brothers and sisters back in the old country who are subject to execution or torture can be coerced into providing safehouses, documents, "rides" ("you must drive this man to L.A. tonight.") and so on.
See also Kebede Thread Oct. 20.
___________________________________
The San Diego Union-Tribune
October 20, 2001
HEADLINE: Student defending America is admonished
BYLINE: Michael Stetz; STAFF WRITER
BODY:
Zewdalem Kebede thought he was being a good, patriotic American.
He believed he would even be applauded for scolding three San Diego State University students, whom he says he overheard sounding gleeful when speaking recently in Arabic of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Instead, Kebede was admonished. The university has warned the SDSU senior not to lose his cool again or he could be disciplined for violating students' rights. University police also were called at the time of the Sept. 22 incident in the Reserve Book Room of Love Library. They questioned Kebede before deciding not to pursue charges.
"I'm very proud of what I have done," he said.
Kebede is from Ethiopia, where he learned Arabic. He said he believes that the Arab students assumed that no one nearby would be able to get the gist of what they were saying, so they spoke freely.
"I tried to control myself," he said. "But I couldn't. They sounded happy. I told them they should be ashamed."
According to Kebede, the students said, among other things, that they admired the hijackers' "courage and precision."
The episode is causing a stir on campus, with Arab students saying that Kebede got the conversation wrong, lost control and then went public with his side of the story to garner sympathy and support.
Meanwhile, others wonder why Kebede, a political science major, is being bashed for speaking his mind and sticking up for America.
"The story is completely false," said Badr Al-Doweesh, the historian for the Muslim Student Association on campus. "There's no proof or evidence that any of this was said by the students." [um, Mr. Kebede says so--that's "evidence"]
The Arab students have not come forward, but the university said they have denied making any statements in support of the attacks. SDSU won't release the name of the student who called campus police. The police would not release the incident report nor make public the name either.
SDSU police said they fear that releasing the name would endanger that person.
Al-Doweesh said he spoke with one of the Arab students involved, who said Kebede misunderstood the conversation. The student, a Sudanese, said the students were merely talking about whether they had encountered any backlash from Americans because of the attacks.
The student told Al-Doweesh that Kebede came onto him in an "aggressive fashion."
It's common for Arab students to speak in their native language when together, Al-Doweesh said. He also said the students were speaking some slang, which may have confused Kebede.
Al-Doweesh said he knows of no Arab students on campus who harbor anti-American views. "They love America. Otherwise they wouldn't be here."
Of the four material witnesses arrested in San Diego County in connection with the terrorist attacks, one, Mohdar Abdallah, is a San Diego State University student.
Earlier this week, Abdallah was charged with lying on an application for political asylum in the United States, federal authorities said. He is being held in New York.
Kebede, a Christian, maintains that he is certain he didn't mistake what the Arab students said. His first wife is an Arab and a Muslim, and he knows the Arabic language well, he said. He is not anti-Muslim, he added, saying he listened for a half an hour before approaching the students.
He maintains that he threatened no one.
At least one of the Arab students felt concerned enough by Kebede's actions, however, to call campus police. The officers questioned him, left, and Kebede thought that was the end of it.
It was not.
Even though the SDSU police dropped the matter, such incidents, as a matter of policy, are forwarded to the university's Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities, an internal policing body, SDSU said.
Within days, Kebede received a letter saying that he had to meet with the university judicial officer to discuss what happened.
That officer determined that Kebede violated the university's code of conduct, said SDSU spokesman Jack Beresford. The Arab student felt threatened, Beresford said.
"There's a fine line between aggression and debate. In the eyes of the university, he may have crossed that line," Beresford said.
Kebede was not formally disciplined, but was warned that a second such episode could result in disciplinary action, such as suspension, expulsion or being placed on probation.
Kebede, who came to America in 1992 to flee a civil war, said he became a U.S. citizen in 1996.
And he takes the oath he recited seriously, he said.
"I don't care if the government sends me to jail tomorrow. This is my country, and I defend it."
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