Students fired over making a video that mimics a Middle Eastern hostage-taking

[Muscletang]

Students apologize for hostage video

MINEOLA, N.Y. - Five college students stripped of residence hall duties for making a video that mimics a Middle Eastern hostage-taking apologized Friday but demanded their jobs back, saying the 2-minute video was never intended to be offensive.

An attorney for the students also announced the filing of a lawsuit against Long Island University and its C.W. Post College in Brookville.

In the video, five figures in ski masks speak in crude Middle Eastern accents as they threaten their captive, a rubber duck that serves as the mascot of a residence hall.

The "hostage takers" invoke the Prophet Muhammad and mention "jihad" and "infidels" as they ask for a payment of doughnuts and pastries in exchange for the duck's release.

The students say the video was a parody inspired by the animated film "Team America: World Police."

"We would all like to apologize, to use this moment now as our public forum to say that we are sorry if we offended anyone," said William McDermott, 21, a senior criminal justice/pre-law major from Snow Hill, Md. "That was not our intention."

The students' attorney, Frederick Brewington, complained that a group of female residence hall assistants who made a similar video were only suspended. He said he filed a lawsuit in state court against the college, claiming discrimination.

C.W. Post spokeswoman Rita Langdon declined to comment, citing the lawsuit.

Provost Joseph Shenker said in a statement earlier this week the college takes "seriously our obligation to create a campus environment that is free of prejudice and intolerance ... We don't find anything about terrorism and hostage-taking to be humorous."

The five students said they would like to visit the Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury to discuss issues of tolerance. The episode has drawn criticism from Muslim leaders.

"I think it's not a prank. ... Campuses are for enlightenment and for teaching us to get along, to respect each other, to know how to live together," said Ghazi Khankan of Long Beach, a member of the board of the American Muslim Alliance.

Somebody get some tampons.

[TexasF355F1]

And yet, if it were muslims making fun of catholics or pretending to be catholic priest child molesters it would have been showed on the 5 o'clock news.

More PC B.S.

[taranaki]

Should have expelled the little shitheads, clearly they're not worth wasting an education on.

[whttrshpunk]

We have to put a stop to this!
Next thing you know people will be saying what they think! Or maybe even, dare I say it, making fun of other people! My God, what will we do if they start using stereotypes to create humor?! This is terrible.

[MonsterBengt]

Originally Posted by whttrshpunk

We have to put a stop to this!
Next thing you know people will be saying what they think! Or maybe even, dare I say it, making fun of other people! My God, what will we do if they start using stereotypes to create humor?! This is terrible.

Almost sounds like ancient communist China. Or Nazi Germany.

Two words: South Park

[03cavPA]

"I think it's not a prank. ... Campuses are for enlightenment and for teaching us to get along, to respect each other, to know how to live together," said Ghazi Khankan of Long Beach, a member of the board of the American Muslim Alliance.

Hey, this guy has a promising future conducting group therapy sessions between Shiites and Sunnis in Iraq.

I say we sign him up; he's wasting his time in Long Beach.

[fredjacksonsan]

It was art!

[Muscletang]

Originally Posted by taranaki

Should have expelled the little shitheads, clearly they're not worth wasting an education on.

So you're against any form of expression but for censorship?

[turtlecrxsi]

I guess if they get kicked out they can always work for Turner Network...

This PC is pretty scary. I used to be a pretty outgoing person and would crack jokes about the inane behavior of others. But I refrain from doing so in public these days. Sometimes I feel like my sense of humor is private or only allowed to be expressed in the privacy of a select few. Laughter in public is simply uncalled for. Somebody may get the wrong idea and actually smile. We can't have that...

[YogsVR4]

[socialist] You just can't make fun of the followers of Allah. Its just not allowed! Mock a Catholic if you must but not Muslims! [\socialist]

Yup, they're all for freedom of expression as long as its used to mock those they disagree with.

[tenguzero]

Ah, crazy college kids.

I'm all for stuff like this. There's a reason South Park won the same award that has been bestowed upon such prestigious shows as Sesame Street -- these kind of parodies and satires are just what society needs. I have no problem bagging on racial groups, religious groups, and other such institutions because it's funny. Chris Rock is a funny guy. The Jerky Boys have produced some hilarious stuff in their day.

If you can't take charged humor, then shut the hell up and don't listen to it. Keep sticking to whatever ignorant little viewpoint works for you -- but don't try to physically attack someone else for how they choose to express their own viewpoint (as long as they're adhering to the same rules.)

If I want to rag on some ethnic or religious group I should be able to. Maybe if people would just develop a thicker skin, there wouldn't be all these dumbasses whining about stupid comic strips and college film productions.

Muslim interest groups, gay alliance groups, extremist ACLU practices, Jessie Jackson and his stupid Rainbow Coalition... shove your politically correct BS up your ass and move on, I say.

[taranaki]

Should have expelled the little shitheads, clearly they're not worth wasting an education on.

Originally Posted by Muscletang

So you're against any form of expression but for censorship?

By Christ, you say some stupid things, Muscletang! Don't you recognise parody when you see it?

Perhaps I should try functioning at your level, just for fun......

here goes!


So, Muscletang, you're okay with kids acting like dickheads as long as they only ridicule the people that you have an irrational fear of?

No doubt if thety had been censured for ridiculing the President,Muscletang and every knuckle-scraping nationalist like him would be posting someting similar to what I posted. The difference is that he'd genuinely beluieve it.

[blindside.AMG]

Originally Posted by taranaki

By Christ, you say some stupid things, Muscletang! Don't you recognise parody when you see it?

Perhaps I should try functioning at your level, just for fun......

here goes!


So, Muscletang, you're okay with kids acting like dickheads as long as they only ridicule the people that you have an irrational fear of?

No doubt if thety had been censured for ridiculing the President,Muscletang and every knuckle-scraping nationalist like him would be posting someting similar to what I posted. The difference is that he'd genuinely beluieve it.

This is the second time you've personally attacked Muscletang on here. Where in the AF Guidelines does it say that moderators can attack another member in an attempt to belittle them??

Please crawl back to your hole. Or at least try to grow a pair and argue like a real man.

[taranaki]

Originally Posted by blindside.AMG

This is the second time you've personally attacked Muscletang on here. Where in the AF Guidelines does it say that moderators can attack another member in an attempt to belittle them??

Please crawl back to your hole. Or at least try to grow a pair and argue like a real man.

One.....I'm not a moderator.
Two...let me show you an example of how to argue like 'a real man'

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...5&postcount=10

I dropped out of AF for a while, didn't stop that spineless little git from belittling me.

3. Blindsde= dickhead.I care not what his opinions are.

[Shpyder]

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

[socialist] You just can't make fun of the followers of Allah. Its just not allowed! Mock a Catholic if you must but not Muslims! [\socialist]

I'm not sure where you got that from, if I'm reading that correctly. I think the reaction of the University had little to do with religion specific criticism from the Islamic heads, and was more of a general PR and PC stunt to suspend those students than anything else. Much like the GM commercial of the suicidal robot that was pulled off the air, and that Snickers advert with the two men kissing. Any time something like this happens, you'll have some group or the other with a problem. I don't see how this is any different. Actually, if I was ever PC, I would see this stunt as more of an insult to the families of folks who were butchered by the terrorist b@stards, than an insult to any follower of Allah.

Provost Joseph Shenker said in a statement earlier this week the college takes "seriously our obligation to create a campus environment that is free of prejudice and intolerance ... We don't find anything about terrorism and hostage-taking to be humorous."

The last line there sums it up for me. I just don't understand how your socialist rant fits in there though. What I'm trying to say here is, I don't see socialists frowning upon the mockery of the followers of Allah any more than they scowl at a percieved infringement on gay rights (Snickers) or the suicide hotline (GM robot).