GLENN BECK PROGRAM
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GLENN: Let me go first to Christian Waugh. He is the President of the Law School of Republicans of the University of Florida. And Christian, you had some sort of a program against radical Islam. Can you tell me what it was and what your intent was?
WAUGH: Yes, that's right. We showed a movie called obsession, radical Islam, war against the West and the point of showing the movie was that bringing the issue back to the forefront of discussion at the University of Florida. You know, we felt there's been a lot of talk about healthcare lately, the "Don't ask don't tell" on the CNN debates. So we wanted to get people focused on this issue and didn't want them to forget about it.
 Statement from the University of Florida No matter their original intent, the advertisements for the movie "Obsession" reinforced negative stereotypes and made many of UF's Muslim students feel unsafe. The e-mail to students was intended to promote civility, tolerance and diversity at a time when acts of hatred on college campuses such as the noose at Columbia University are making national headlines. Free speech is of paramount importance at the University of Florida. Students must have the opportunity to express themselves without fear and to debate difficult issues with their colleagues. It is an essential part of their education and their ability to develop critical thinking skills. However, students must also learn that debate is not healthy when it intimidates, frightens, or makes students feel that they are not safe on campus. |
GLENN: Yeah, it's an amazing video. It's actually what inspired my special that I ran over a year ago which was the highest rated program in the network's history, or the second highest rated program in the network's history and it's incredibly fair. It is balanced and it shows good things. It shows the people in Islam that are trying to take it back, but it's hair-raising stuff. You put out flyers that said what?
WAUGH: The flier said in big bold letters, radical Islam wants you dead, and it was that provocative statement which has set off this firestorm. The administration came out, once some people approached the administration and said that they were offended, the administration put out a campuswide e-mail to all 50,000 students and $51 that we owe the entire campus an apology.
GLENN: Are you going to apologize?
WAUGH: We made it very clear in a response that we will not apologize for the flyers.
GLENN: What was your response? Do you happen to have that there?
WAUGH: I don't have it in front of me, but I can summarize what I --
GLENN: Yeah, go ahead.
WAUGH: What we wrote was basically we will not apologize for telling the truth. We have a whole list of reasons why radical Islam does want us dead and I would challenge anyone to find a radical Islamist who wants us alive.
GLENN: All right. We called yesterday. I wanted somebody from the University of Florida to explain their statement. What a surprise they wouldn't come on the program with us. None of these liberal pinheads ever actually want to defend themselves. They never want to actually come on and say, okay, here it is, and I'm a reasonable guy, I'll listen to the other side. I'm not going to listen to propaganda.
WAUGH: Right.
GLENN: Which is exactly what most of these universities are involved in. But I'm a reasonable guy. You know, you say that -- if I find out, Christian, you guys were doing stuff that was blatantly racist or anti-Muslim then, you know, I've got a problem with you and I'll rip you to shreds as well but until I hear anything more than radical Islam wants you dead, you're right on the money. So here's what the University of Florida, they sent us a statement, quote, in lieu of an on-air interview which is exactly what I was looking for, a statement. Says that no matter their original intent -- talking about you -- the advertisements for the movie Obsession reinforced negative stereotypes.
What kind of negative stereotypes in your advertisements were there?
WAUGH: You know, the only thing on the flier that referred to Islam is that statement, radical Islam wants you dead. I'm not sure what stereotypes they mean. I don't know if they even really --
GLENN: Hang on just a second. Negative stereotypes.
WAUGH: Yeah, yeah, I don't --
GLENN: I think it's -- can we just take a vote? I think we're pretty reasonable to say that radical Islam wants us dead. If we're stereotyping, well, then yes, call me a typist and I can type 100 words a minute. It's crazy, if that's the kind of stereotyping that I do. And it is negative that they want us dead. They also said they made many -- this negative stereotype made many of the UF's Muslim students feel unsafe.
WAUGH: That's what the administration said, yeah.
GLENN: Were you guys -- because it goes on: The e-mail to students was intended to promote civility, tolerance at a time when acts of hatred on college campuses such as the noose at Columbia University are making headlines. Did you guys put nooses up or anything like that?
WAUGH: No, no, the only thing we did was put up a flier.
GLENN: No, no, the nooses, they are bringing up the nooses. Did you set an effigy of Mohammed on fire or did you threaten anybody?
WAUGH: No, no, and I think it's very curious that they say that given the problems recently at the University of Florida with all kinds of political speech. I don't know if you saw what happened with Attorney General Gonzales when he was here. You know, people jumped up onto the stage and were assaulting him. And also the (inaudible) incident, of course.
GLENN: No, I don't think these universities are out of control at all. So Christopher, I just want to make sure this is clear. You guys didn't threaten anybody?
WAUGH: No.
GLENN: You guys just said that radical Islam wants you dead, yet the Muslim students complained saying that acts of hatred on college campuses such as the noose at Columbia University are making national headlines and the Muslim students now feel unsafe. Oh, oh, my gosh. You know what, Chris? We've completely misunderstood this. Oh, my gosh. I just understood this statement. The Muslim students feel unsafe because they're not radical Muslims and they're thinking that radical Muslims want them dead and so they're afraid of the radical Muslims. Is that a possibility that that's what they --
WAUGH: Well, given the actions taken by Al-Qaeda in Iraq, I guess that could be a possibility.
GLENN: Maybe that's what it is. My gosh, oh, my gosh, I feel so bad for the Muslims on campus now because they are unsafe. They truly are unsafe. They are just as unsafe as anybody else who speaks out against radical Islam and for them to go and attend this movie. How many of the Muslims did you have there attend the Obsession thing?
WAUGH: We had several, and they engaged in a dialogue with us, I mean a decent dialogue and talked about the issues. Those who complained did not attend.
GLENN: Right. Okay. So there were a lot of good Muslims that attended this and had a good dialogue. So maybe it's those Muslim students that are feeling unsafe because they are speaking out against radical Islam.
WAUGH: Yeah. You know, makes sense to me.
GLENN: Yeah, yeah. Well, that's the only thing that could possibly make sense, unless it was just propaganda, a liberal agenda and political correctness happening at the university, and we know that would never happen. They continue in their statement to say free speech is of paramount importance at the University of Florida. I had a hard time reading that one with a straight face. "Students must have the opportunity to express themselves without fear and to debate difficult issues with their colleagues. It is an essential part of their education and the ability to develop critical thinking skills." Well, that explains why they were jumping up on stage with Alberto Gonzales. "However, students must also not debate when it intimidates." Wait a minute. This could be a reference. Maybe they got this in the wrong memo. Maybe this was to the students that were jumping up on stage. "Students must learn debates are not healthy when it intimidates, frightens or makes students feel that they are not safe on campus." Wow. Chris...
WAUGH: I don't think they issued a statement about the Alberto Gonzales thing, either. I mean, double standards are great as long as they are the ones taking advantage of them.
GLENN: No, hang on just a second. Some would say, and I've said relentlessly on this program that no society ever becomes more tolerant. It just changes targets, but that's irrelevant. I think the reason why they didn't issue a statement on the Alberto Gonzales is because they were busy writing this one and maybe this one to us was just, you know, was just trying to, without saying, was just trying to cover that Alberto Gonzales thing.
WAUGH: It is a pretty long letter.
GLENN: Yeah, it's almost two paragraphs.
WAUGH: Oh, you got the short version.
GLENN: Yeah.
WAUGH: The whole campus got an eight paragraph, you know, song about how we divided the campus unnecessarily and how we need to be accurate information, that we use accurate information.
GLENN: Really? I've got to tell ya that stuff got through the censors of CNN and if it can pass the censors of CNN, good God almighty, it can pass anybody's censors. That's really weird that that's inaccurate information that you were presenting in that but, hey, I'm sure you don't feel intimidated, you know, by the university. I'm sure you feel perfectly comfortable and welcome to offer another side.
WAUGH: That's the problem with this. It really is chilling free speech. It makes it far less likely for students to speak out against this thing because of the administration's response.
GLENN: You should write them a return memo about the inaccurate information on global warming that I'm sure is being jammed down your throat.
WAUGH: I think what we need to fight is the global cooling thing. If this planet cools 3 degrees, we lose all the wildlife here in Florida.
GLENN: All right, my friend, thank you very much, Chris.
WAUGH: Thank you.
GLENN: That was the president of the law school Republicans, the University of Florida. Yesterday after the stage show here in Toledo, Ohio, a woman walked right up to me and she said, I want to show you what my son is being taught in school and it is a two-page assignment. The first, these are all, remember, right in cursive and complete sentences. These are the instructions from the teacher. First question, who is Mohammed? Second question, what was Mohammed's occupation before he had a vision. Number three, what decision did Mohammed make after the Angel Gabriel appeared before him. Number four is what kind of city was Mecca before Mohammed began to preach. Number five, what did the leaders of Mecca fear that beliefs would harm. Number 6 is why do you think Mohammed destroyed the statues of gods and goddesses in the Kaaba. Number seven, what are the five pillars of Islam. What is one way in which Mohammed's teachings and practices of Muslims sometimes differ. Nine, what are the two holy cities of Islam. Ten, what is the pilgrimage. Eleven, give two ways that Christianity and Islam are similar. And eleven, what continent is Mecca on.
So I think that's fabulous and, you know, if this holy season of the year for Christians, I'm just wondering if the Toledo school districts are also having a twelve-page essay on Jesus Christ. I'll wait for that one to arrive in the mail.
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