Marty Caivano Mariam Ayers-Frawan of Aurora stands with a sign Saturday evening outside the University Memorial Center, waiting to hear former Palestinian Liberation Organization spokeswoman Hanan Ashrawi speak.

Speech inspires fervent responses

Packed house at CU hears controversial Palestinian speaker

By Katy Human, Camera Staff Writer
September 15, 2002

Loud arguments, a few physical, broke out on the patio of the University of Colorado's University Memorial Center on Saturday night following a talk by a controversial Palestinian leader.

Hanan Ashrawi, once a spokeswoman for the Palestinian Liberation Organization, discussed her view of problems in the Middle East and the role of the United States there. More than 1,000 people crowded into the Glenn Miller Ballroom on Saturday night to listen, most of them supporters.

Ashrawi drew loud applause by thanking members of the student organization that invited her for their strength "withstanding attempts at coercion ... attempts at silencing."

Several CU regents opposed the choice of Ashrawi, given the closeness of her visit to Sept. 11 and the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur.

Ashrawi mildly condemned suicide bombers in her talk, but argued that Israeli occupation and mistreatment of Palestinians pushes young people toward violence.

"Curfews, assaults, shelling, assassinations," she said. "It's obscene."

"She is so inspiring!" said Salwa, who would only give her first name, after the talk. "She is a woman of peace."

Some audience members did not support Ashrawi, remaining sitting during ovations or frowning and shaking their heads.

When Ashrawi accused Israel of ethnic cleansing, Murray Richtel put his head in his hands and groaned.

The Boulder resident and retired judge, who spends part of each year in Israel, said he rejects Ashrawi's "relativist" arguments.

"There is no moral equivalent of suicide bombing," Richtel said. "The Israelis do not target citizens."

Outside the ballroom, disagreements became violent.

Barry Mehlman of Highlands Ranch carried a sign calling Ashrawi a "Voice of Terror."

"You think you're tough?" he yelled at a man carrying a sign reading "Occupation is terrorism." The two men began pushing each other until security officers separated them.

Mehlman accused the other man of racism and threatening to throw all Jewish people out of Palestine.

Ibrahim Dahleh saw the altercation differently. "They accuse all of us of being terrorists," Dahleh said. "The only way out of this is we have to start respecting each other."

Jolene Wallace, student coordinator of the cultural events board, said she voted to invite Ashrawi.

"We wanted to engage good dialogue," Wallace said, "and we felt that she would be able to represent a side that is not always well represented."