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SEWANEE: University refuses to allow 'unsafe' 9/11 memorial poster showing terrorist acts to be displayed
By WILLIAM NARDI
http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/29004/
Sept. 13, 2016
Campus leaders at Sewanee: The University of the South have refused to allow the institution's College Republicans to hang a poster depicting various terrorists acts as part of a "Never Forget" memorial for 9/11.
"The university does not shy away from content that might make viewers feel uncomfortable; our students will not be shielded from discomforting ideas once they leave Sewanee. However, the university will not promote content that might make members of the community unsafe, rather than merely uncomfortable," campus spokeswoman Laurie Saxton said in an email Tuesday to The College Fix.
The poster, created by Young America's Foundation to be displayed along with 2,977 small American flags as part of the conservative organization's annual Never Forget project, was hung at many campuses across the country in recent weeks by various student clubs, including College Republicans and Young Americans for Freedom chapters. The flags represent the death toll on 9/11.
But at Sewanee, the request to hang the posters was denied. Amir Kamrani, president of the Sewanee College Republicans, told The College Fix he was advised by a campus leader a few days before Sept. 11 that the posters were denied because they "invoked hate towards Muslims."
The College Republicans reached out for clarification, but did not receive a response, Kamrani said. With that, the College Republicans went ahead and held the memorial Sunday, without permission, hanging two posters in the university dining hall and planting the flags in honor of the victims.
As a result of their defiance, the club was suspended.
"The University of the South requires that all student posters be approved before they can be hung on campus. Students did request approval of the poster in question, and it was denied," Saxton told The Fix. "One or more members of the College Republicans put up the poster following the disapproval, leading to the club's suspension for failure to comply with the policy. The Office of the Dean of Students is continuing to look into the matter, however, and has reinstated the club during that process."
In an email he wrote to campus administration defending his group's actions, Kamrani stated:
... not having the chance to appeal this decision -- it came September 11, a day that we had planned to use to shine a light on the tragedies that our nation has faced as a result of terrorist attacks conducted by Islamic extremists. On this day we went ahead and posted two posters in the McClurg dining hall.
The 9/11 never forget posters were not graphic. They did not promote hate or violence against any religion, country, or group, except terrorists who had conducted such hideous acts.
As a result of posting these posters against the administration's will to censor us, you have notified us that our College Republicans chapter will be suspended. This is a clear example of punishing a student organization for not giving up to the university administration's attempt to censor its students.
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