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Arab-American Protest Leader to Speak at HFCC Feb. 9
Henry Ford Community College (HFCC) will host Osama Shabaik, who will speak on the behalf of the “Irvine 11” – a group of Arab American student protesters, eight of whom were members of the Muslim Student Union. This event takes place Thursday, Feb. 9, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Room L-14 of the HFCC Liberal Arts Building, located on the main campus.
Shabaik, who graduated as a Regent Scholar with honors from University of California Irvine (UCI), was one of the “Irvine 11,” a group of 11 Arab American students who held a non-violent act of civil disobedience at UCI on Feb. 8, 2010 during a speech made by Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren. Shabaik was the first student who stood up and spoke out during Oren’s speech.
The Orange County District Attorney filed criminal charges against the 11 students, including conspiracy to disturb a lawful meeting and the disturbance of a lawful meeting. This came as a surprise to many human rights activists and legal experts, since the 11 were already reprimanded by UCI officials. The university’s disciplinary actions included the suspension of the Muslim Student Union for an academic quarter. The 11 students were convicted on Sept. 23, 2011. All of them were sentenced to three years of probation and community service.
The purpose of Shabaik’s visit to HFCC is to discuss the Irvine 11’s plan to appeal the verdict on the ground of free speech. He will also address the political nature of the charges as well, particularly in relation to the question of Palestine.
This event is sponsored jointly by the Arab Student Union and the Arab Cultural Studies Program. It is free and open to the public. For further information, please contact Dr. Michael Daher at (313) 845-6457.
Press & Guide