Opinion Editor
The Koala is at it again, and so are its opponents. As usual, the anti-Koala forces are at a disadvantage, appearing alternately as impotent whiners and radical extremists.
Shortly before spring quarter ended, some Koala staffers got together and published “”Jizzlam: an entertainment magazine for the Islamic man.”” “”Jizzlam”” was obscene, portraying Islam and Muslims in the worst possible light. We’ve come to expect nothing less from the Koala.
After the release of “”Jizzlam,”” members of the Muslim Student Association and the Student Affirmative Action Committee spent an hour at an A.S. Council meeting explaining why “”Jizzlam”” is offensive. After much rehashed debate, they successfully convinced a reluctant A.S. Council to pass a non-binding, watered-down resolution supporting “”diversity programming.”” The resolution’s only noticeable effect was to consume the council’s time. We’ve come to expect nothing less from SAAC and A.S.
Not to be outdone, Vice Chancellor Joe Watson fired off a campus-wide e-mail reminding us that “”Jizzlam”” is bad and offensive, but UCSD is still a warm and friendly place. With three condemnations of the Koala in the past two years, we’ve come to expect nothing less from Watson.
Add to this the emerging reports of stolen “”Jizzlam”” issues and intimidation of Koala editors and it becomes apparent that UCSD has another Koala-related problem on its hands. The solution isn’t to take further “”action”” against the Koala, suspend its funding, or even pressure it to stop publishing offensive material.
The solution is to ignore the Koala and go about your business.
If the MSA had left well enough alone, the controversy would’ve blown over quickly. It would’ve been just another issue of the Koala, picked up by a few hundred students, flipped through with mild interest, and then tossed aside. Instead, the MSA courted the media, the administration, and the student government – all of which have now seen “”Jizzlam”” when they might not have before. The Guardian has run three articles and counting about the publication and the San Diego Union-Tribune and local television news have covered it as well. The rumored theft of “”Jizzlam”” has made existing copies more desirable. The Koala’s Web site, http://www.thekoala.org, will get more hits as students download “”Jizzlam”” to see what the fuss is about. The Koala thrives on this sort of exposure, readership will increase, and the Koala staff will revel in its renewed infamy.
And while “”Jizzlam”” is obviously offensive to Muslims, its existence should actually help the MSA’s cause. If the MSA wants to disseminate information about Islam, this provides the perfect opportunity. Strange as it may seem to the MSA, the “”Jizzlam”” issue speaks aloud the questions about Muslim culture that others may be too afraid to voice: are women really stoned alive for infidelity in Middle Eastern countries? Are Muslim children really raised to be terrorists? Since the Sept. 11 attacks, some Americans, rightfully or not, have been asking these questions. If the MSA was unaware that these questions are already being posed and that some people have unfavorable opinions of Islam, then “”Jizzlam”” actually accomplished something in showing the MSA what some people really think. The MSA should simply redouble its efforts to educate UCSD about Islam. The fact that “”Jizzlam”” was taken so seriously by the MSA and others shows just how far they still need to go in educating UCSD. If the campus knew enough about Islam to dismiss “”Jizzlam”” as sophomoric humor, the uproar would be unnecessary.
“”Jizzlam”” has served to increase discussion of Islam among UCSD students. It’s offensive as well, but then so is everything the Koala prints. Whenever the Koala releases material, the campus undergoes a period of Koala-induced trauma. The cycle begins with outrage and tears as the offended students approach the A.S. Council and demand three things: an apology from the Koala, a funding cut for the Koala, and a resolution from the student government. The council usually consents to the third demand, powerless to act on the first two. Then the students ask the administrators for a redress of grievances, which they too are powerless to give. At this point the administration may choose to prosecute the Koala on trumped-up charges, which eventually culminates in a Koala victory. We’re halfway through the third cycle right now, when the administration is undoubtedly preparing trumped-up charges to level against the Koala. The cycle repeats itself every few months, so look for a Koala victory in the weeks to come.
