Ohio State Students Mobilize Against Freedom Center Ad

by Sami Kishawi

[This article is reprinted from SMPalestine. The full Freedom Center advertisement can be seen below this article.]

Outraged students at the Ohio State University have mobilized after The Lantern, the campus’s official student-run newspaper, published what they say is a discriminatory advertisement linking the Muslim Student Association to international terrorism.

Titled “Former leaders of the Muslim Student Association (MSA)”, the advertisement asks “Where are they now?” and lists nine MSA co-founders and former Presidents as having ties to alleged terrorist groups. One such listing describes Jamal Barzini as both a co-founder of the MSA and a close associate of Hamas.

The advertisement was paid for by FrontPage Magazine, an online publication funded by the David Horowitz Freedom Center, a national institution recognized for its harsh and derogatory stance against Islam.
The advertisement, printed on page 2 of the newspaper, drew immediate criticism for its direct assault on Muslim representation on American college campuses. According to Jana Al-Akhras, a 2nd year student and member of the university’s MSA, “it’s a blatant attempt at reinforcing stereotypes and causing widespread fear of Muslims on campus.”

Students across campus have already begun to protest the advertisement. “We are writing a letter to the editor,” said Nadia Ismail, a 1st year undergraduate at OSU, and “will be in touch with groups on and off campus” to stand against what Al-Akhras calls a blanket statement labeling Muslim students as security threats. OSU’s MSA is currently planning a course of action.