An Open Letter to the Clemson Forum

Dear Clemson Forum,

After reading the letter to the editor in The Tiger, written by our Student Body President, and our Undergraduate Senate President, I too want to say, I am sorry. I am sorry that they failed to note the difference between factual reporting, and irresponsible journalism.

The article in The Observer was an article in which someone used their misinterpretation of the facts to promote their prejudices. And yes I am sorry, not that they printed it, but the fact that someone in our generation can be so blatantly bigoted.

As for The Forum, yes some were offended. Honestly I was offended, but not by the Forum’s decision to print it. These “cartoons” are pictures that should cause outrage among anyone who sees them, but they must be seen. We cannot say “take our word for it, be offended.” If we want our generation to stand up against injustice, they must see these injustices for themselves. If The Forum simply instructs us on how we should feel, then what stops the Observer from saying “take our word for it, Islam is a religion of violence and murder?” The Forum was not “flexing the muscles of the First Amendment.” They were saying that above all free speech should be absolute. It is a shame, no, a disgrace that these cartoons were created, that these cartoons incite violence, but it is even worse that we have not stood up and proclaimed that we will not tolerate such prejudices. No we would rather believe that if we do not see them, they do not exist. We have been blind for too long.

Who am I to say this? What do I know? I feel so strongly about this not because I am a minority, but because half of my family is Muslim. I was born in Nigeria; I have grown up under the shroud of a Muslim state, surrounded by reverent Muslims. This upbringing has not shown me a religion of violence and blood shed, but one of community and love. The Islam I have seen is devout and peaceful. One that shows that tolerance IS a family value. What The Observer did was take a few radical Islamists and have them represent all of Islam. I do not look at all conservatives and see bigoted racists. I do not let the views of the Observer prejudice me against all whom they claim to represent. The views of a few radical Islamists do not represent all of Islam, just like the views of the Observer do not represent all conservatives.

The letter addressed to The Tiger simply enforces why it is necessary for us to view these images, so we can come to our own conclusions. The letter simply addressed the images, (yes they were offensive), it did not come close to addressing the messages of the journalists. What must be judged is the message. And in the words of our Student Government leaders, I am sorry. I am sorry that they saw the cartoons and could not see anything else. I am sorry that they failed to realize that the problem lies in the message of the Observer rather than images of the Forum. I am sorry that they lumped The Forum with The Observer, in the same way that radical Islamists are lumped with Islam as a whole. I am sorry that they would rather have this injustice hidden, than addressed. I am sorry that the negative press Clemson received is more important than educating our students. I am sorry that they took such a general, rather than informed stance. To my fellow students, our faculty, our administration, our respected alumni, our Board of Trustees, our visitors, our fellow South Carolinians and Americans—I am truly, truly sorry.