Posted on 10/23/2001 8:14:39 AM PDT by AmericanInTokyo
"Admonishment of Ethiopian (American) Student Was 'Standard Procedure'"
By Jason Williams
Daily SDSU Aztec Managing Editor
October 23, 2001
University officials have responded to claims made by an Ethiopian student (AIT note: this should read "American" as he is naturalized citzen) that he overheard three Saudi Arabian students praise the Sept. 11 attacks by saying the campus handled the situation with a "standard procedure."
In a statement released on Oct. 18, Vice President of Student Affairs James Kitchen addressed the verbal confrontation that took place in the Love Library Sept. 22 and the subsequent investigation of the case by the university.
The university's statement comes as the campus has been inundated with media requests in response to the story printed in The Daily Aztec last Wednesday, which has garnered national attention -- largely as a result of it being posted on The Wall Street Journal's Web site.
University Spokesman Jack Beresford said the Saudi students have since come forward to "university officials" and denied making the comments.
"They've denied it, and that doesn't necessarily mean that it is an indication that we believe everything they've said, nor do we believe or doubt everything that Mr. Kebede said," Kitchen said.
The university has not released the names of the Saudi students involved in the Sept. 22 incident, stating only that they are "known" to university officials through the International Student Center and that they are "very conscientious young people."
However, one of the Saudi students has contacted The Aztec and expressed interest in relating his perspective, but declined to comment at this time. He would not release his name.
In the university statement, Kitchen said that since the Saudi student registered a complaint against Kebede with University Police, the university followed "standard procedure" when Kebede met with Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities Judicial Officer Antionette Jones on Oct. 3.
No disciplinary action has been taken against Kebede at this time, and he was notified in a letter. The letter warned Kebede that future involvement in "aggressive or abusive" confrontations with people on campus would result in severe disciplinary sanctions.
"Mr. Kebede has not been disciplined, he has been sent a letter," Beresford said. "In terms of that being considered a disciplinary action, no, that's not a disciplinary action." Beresford said the Center had a range of options that could have included probation or suspension.
"In this case, this is the least stringent of all those measures, which is send him a letter with what is some essentially good advice for any student," Beresford said. University Police has sent a copy of the report to the FBI for further scrutiny, according to Beresford.
Beresford also expressed doubts about the credibility of Kebede's statement based on interviews conducted by University Police and the Center for Student Rights. "It was really their determination that his testimony, his side of the story was not entirely credible in the circumstance," Beresford said. "There were some inconsistencies in terms of his story that led us to doubt the credibility of what he was saying."
Beresford would not elaborate on the specifics behind the university's doubt, saying that it is "very unusual" for university officials to make comments on the cases that go before the Center for Student Rights. "(Kebede) is the one who's really subject to inquiry here, not the Saudi students," Beresford said.
Beresford said the case is one of he said/she said, with the position of the Saudi students conflicting with the account of Kebede. There are no witnesses to this incident and the university cannot take a side in the matter. "What isn't subject to question is that he did approach them in a hostile manner, in a loud voice that they certainly felt was a threat," Beresford said. "What's a threat and what's not a threat is really based on the individual that is involved."
Kebede maintains that his response was that of any American in a similar situation.
"My response was against their bad language against the victims and the situation because they were happy of the action that was taken," Kebede said to The Aztec last week. "If they hate America that much, they shouldn't have to be here.
"That's logic."
However, Beresford said the issue is not what was said or who said it, but the behavior of Kebede.
"The real germane issue here is how he reacted and how he conducted himself," Beresford said. "If you're to believe his interpretation, you can understand his reaction. At the same time, we can't have students taking aggressive action against others under any circumstance. They can't go take the law into their own hands, go and make threats or be aggressive toward other students.
"That's not acceptable behavior."
The Daily Aztec also runs a online story today of how the SDSU school administrators apparantly went crying to the local San Diego police becomes of an national outpouring of many hateful 'threatening' and 'angry' e- mails they have been getting over their politically correct decision to penalize an American student who took some independent patriotic actions and spoke up, over the issue of Saudi non-US nationals rejoicing in Arabic (fluently understood by the American) in the university library over the terrorist attacks.
The Founding Fathers must be rolling over in their graves.
The idiots won't see the error of their ways until the same Saudi students that this kid was reprimanding see fit to try and kill someone on campus.
If the "university" is receiving any federal funds the granting of those funds should be re-evaluated.
the U.N
Oh! They spin him into an outlaw to boot. This stinks big time.
Police probe
By Susan Haine
Senior Staff Writer threatening e-mails
University Police are investigating several threatening e-mails sent to university administrators and the International Student Center in light of an article printed in The Daily Aztec last week.
Officials say the e-mails stem from the story of Ethiopian student Zewdalem Kebede, who confronted a group of Saudi Arabian students allegedly making comments supporting the Sept. 11 attacks on America in Love Library on Sept. 22.
Kebede's story has garnered a national spotlight -- several media organizations, including the The Wall Street Journal's Web site, have reported on the story.
Ever since the article was published Oct. 17, University President Stephen Weber, the University Police, and numerous officials have received several threatening e-mails from people who either believe the university is victimizing Kebede for standing up for America or because they take what Kebede said as absolute truth, and want officials to punish the other students.
However, no disciplinary action has been taken against Kebede. He met with Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities Judicial Officer Antionette Jones on Oct. 3 and received a letter warning that future "aggressive or abusive" confrontations would result in disciplinary sanctions.
Many e-mails sent to the university claim that by sending a letter of warning to Kebede about the conflict in the library, the university is limiting his freedom of speech.
However, Supreme Court precedents allow the university to control the time and location of speech. The Free Speech Steps in Aztec Center is the spot on campus where speech is unregulated.
The e-mails directed toward officials were strongly worded and laced with expletives. Most of them were very negative toward the university itself, Marc Fox, university crime prevention specialist, said.
"I don't want it to be perceived that we're supporting terrorist activity as the hundreds of e-mails we've got have indicated," said Vice President for Student Affairs James Kitchen.
The e-mails are being investigated to determine if any constitute a threat and potential crime.
Student: Attack praised
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?"
They are supporting terrorism by not investigating and taking action against Saudi guest students who are national security risks.
Oh well. Every society has it's 'Benedict Arnold's'. Every society also has it's 'Paul Reveres'.
Hooray for the Paul Revere's out there.
It takes guts to allow free speech, patriotism on campus
I have heard through a forwarded e-mail that a student by the name of Kebede has been threatened with disciplinary action for speaking his patriotic views on the war against the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan.("Student: Attack praised," Jason Williams, Oct. 17.)
While not protesting to know all the facts in Mr. Kebede's case or what the ruckus is all about, I pray that SDSU has the intestinal fortitude to allow students to exercise their 1st amendment right to free speech AND their patriotic duty to our country.
--Phil San Filippo
San Diego, Calif.
Blaming Kebede is blaming the victim
As an alumnus of S.D. State (class of 1979 - Telecommunications and Film), I have several questions and comments for President Weber, Crime Prevention Specialist Marc Fox, and the Center for Student Rights regarding the Zewdalem Kebede incident. ("Student: Attack praised," Jason Williams, Oct. 17.)
If a group of American students (preferably white males) were publicly celebrating the murder of thousands of innocent people, would that be considered "a free speech issue?" More likely, wouldn't they be the ones summoned to the Center for Student Rights to discuss their conduct, and admonished to conduct themselves as responsible members of the campus community?
The dogma of zero-tolerance PC speech codes has reached an absurd level. The connection between harassment and speech has been made so relentlessly over the years that disagreement is now depicted as a form of assault. For the Saudi students to pose as victims was cowardly and perverse. The real victim in this travesty is Zewdalem Kebede. I applaud and thank Mr. Kebede for his bravery in standing up to true hate speech.
--Steve Provost
Roseville, Calif.
kebede fiasco reason for sdsu 'roasting'
Did I really just hear on the news that an Ethiopian San Diego State University student overheard a group of Saudi students discussing how happy they were about the terrorists attacks? And that they were upset that they missed the "big house." And that, and this part CAN'T be true, the ETHIOPIAN is now in trouble with the university? Say it isn't so.
And if it is true and your university expels a kid for shaming those people, then do me a personal favor (as a former managing editor of the Purdue Student paper, the Exponent) let your administration know how wrong they truly are. And let them know that they should resign for even suggesting this, if it is indeed true. (In other words, open a can of Whoop-Ass on these a**holes for being so stupid!)
Please show the rest of this country that you have the balls to roast these ridiculous a**holes in your paper. This is your first real test as journalists. The great ones had the courage to scream at the top of their lungs when they saw injustice. Otherwise I fear your school, your city and even your state will never be forgiven.
It sounds melodramatic, but I assure you, it is not. My brother lives across the street from the twin towers and I live in Chicago. How many people that died in that building or live in NYC have ties to your city and your school? You have an obligation to defend this student. I'm sick to my stomach over this as you can tell by the long e-mail. Make the USA proud!
--Scott Brown
Chicago, Ill.
Free speech is a two-way street
The Kebede Case, as reported in The Daily Aztec ("Student: Attack praised," Jason Williams, Oct. 17) and now in the on-line source, the Opinion Journal (www.opinionjournal.com), raises many serious questions about free speech.
First, freedom of speech must be applied to both parties. If the Arab students have the right to talk glowingly about a terrorist attack on the United States, Mr. Kebede also has the right to tell these students that their words are offensive.
Mr. Kebede wasn't aggressive. Had he wanted to make a scene, he would have confronted these students and addressed them in English so that everyone in the library could have heard what was going on.
Instead, as the Daily Aztec reported, Mr. Kebede spoke to the other students "in Arabic so as not to disturb others studying in the library."
Quite frankly, Mr. Kebede, as a citizen of the United States, had every right to confront these students.
Quite frankly, I think Mr. Kebede showed great courage in standing up for his homeland. Mr. Kebede clearly takes his role as a citizen very seriously. Remember, the definition of citizen includes responsibilities, as well as rights.
I believe the University should reconsider its position and restore Mr. Kebede's good name and record.
While I clearly understand that the four Saudi students should not have been arrested for stating their opinion, no matter how offensive, neither should Mr. Kebede be taken to task for exercising his same 1st Amendment rights.
--Sue Ferrara, Ph.D.
Princeton, NJ
kebede deserves praise, Saudis not victims
I would just like to say that I am appalled at the treatment of Zewdalem Kebede at San Diego State University.
First of all, I think he should be praised for having the courage to stand up to the two individuals who were praising the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, not punished. Right now, all people who consider themselves Americans have a duty to report and confront those who support the terrorists who killed over 5,000 people.
Sure, it probably was not appropriate for this young man to confront them like that, alone. First off, I would have made sure everyone in that library knew what these two Saudi students were saying, by addressing them in English just for the sake of having witnesses on my side.
It also was a mistake for him to not report these individuals to the police and FBI on the spot. But however ill-advised his conduct was, the spirit in which he did this important and should not be ignored. It seems to me that this kid is only guilty of being young and inexperienced.
Those two Saudi students are not the victims, they were only lucky. I don't care if their statements can be construed as merely "rhetoric," this kind of talk is no different than the statements that people in a certain Florida bar heard the night of September 10.
I do not support any kind of racial profiling against Arabic or muslim citizens in this country, but for the sake of our security, statements like the ones that Mr. Kebede heard should be taken seriously and considered a clear and present danger to the security of those around them whether they are made in English or any other language. It sets a bad example for students that made those terrible statements to be treated as victims. The First Amendment must be protected but not at the cost of our security.
--Tina Leone
Washington, DC
Kebede was threatened by a 'PC' university
(Dr. Kitchen's) implication that student Zewdalem Kebede was not harassed is ridiculous. A letter stating "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" is threatening by any common interpretation.
It saddens me that the PC industry may be as established in my daughter's alma mater as it is in mine (UC-Berkeley). Is this naive?
--Frank Barley, Ph.D.
Clayton, Calif.
I say this is an "overt act," as defined in Article III, Section 3 of the United States Consitution.
After all, this is what the President and Attorney General has asked ALL Americans to do. i.e. Report Suspicious Behavior.
Saudi students who are not citizens relishing the fact of a terrorist attack in public conversation are suspicious individuals.
We need to also query SDSU administrators, "during the current War State our country is in, what is your precise policy and what action would you have taken in this case if the American student had reported the contents of this Arabic-language discussion in the library, to you?"
Dear Sirs:
If there is any way possible for you to forward this e-mail to the so-called administrators of your school, please feel free to do so with my address, etc. attached. I can not imagine a larger group of spineless cretins as this group of bureaucrats who punished the AMERICAN student of Ethiopian extraction for confronting another group of spineless cretins for their “insensitive” behavior. I thought the left coast had reached new lows of political correctness, but obviously I am sadly deluded. This is the lowest and all for the purpose of maintaining the mighty dollar. I am sure several idiotic Saudi students, spending big bucks to attend the university (note I do not capitalize) far outweighs the money spent by one lone AMERICAN student patriot. However, I am sure that was never a consideration of these bureaucratic cretins. No, I am sure it was solely to protect these Saudi idiots from having to feel shame for taking our beneficence and then spitting in our face. But there I go assuming again – that these Saudi idiots could possibly feel shame.
As many others out here in Bush country, we strongly and loudly applaud the intestinal fortitude of that lone AMERICAN student and if he requires any assistance in arranging enrollment in a real American institution of higher learning, all he need do is call.
So were the Hitler Youth conscientious.
Obviously the PC admin of this "university" would rather kill the messenger than read the message.
Of course these Muslims lied. We're only Kafir after all, not quite human to them.
Today Roger Hedgecock takes his radio program for KOGO to SDSU!
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.