During a library shift back in 2015 one of the librarians approached me and told me that the library was sponsoring a talk, “Muslim Responses during the Holocaust” and they were worried about who might show up (rightfully so, with an emphasis on the “RIGHT”), because, although I don’t think I am intimidating, I am large. “Sure.” I brought my brother along for company. So stuff happened and then shortly thereafter a letter appeared in the paper that was very critical of the presentation, which caused me to write (maybe) my first letter to the paper. I am going to let that letter carry the story forward. Reading the letter, “No factual data provided” in your May 27, 2015 edition ran me through pretty much the whole gamut of my emotions from Anger to Zzzzzzz. I attended Dr. Adeli’s talk because the topic interested me but I was also interested to see what sort of an audience the subject would attract. I was not disappointed in either. The event was to be a lecture. That, to me, means that one person talks and the audience listens. Almost right from the start it was clear to me that this was going to be difficult to achieve and if Dr. Adeli did anything wrong it was calling on the people who raised their hands to interrupt her, attempting to treat the event as a debate. This gave them the opportunity to drag out their own agendas, most of which had nothing to do with the good doctor’s agenda. It was apparent to me that the “agenda folks” had sprinkled themselves through the audience in an all too familiar pattern, in the back corners and strong up the middle. These folks seemed to be there impress the audience with their knowledge of the topic, or at least, of some topic, and probably to impress each other and themselves as well. I found these people to be rude, disruptive, and disrespectful. Because I am interested in such things, I took a flier that was being handed out by one very prepared member of the audience. In it I discovered (and I am copying directly from it) that “There is no multiculturalism in Islam.” What does this even mean? That Malaysia, Mali and Morocco have the same culture? That Brunei, Bangladesh and Bahrain have that same culture too? The last week’s letter from Mesa ended stating (after some anti-intellectual twaddle) that Dr Adeli was “ill equipped to convince an audience . . . . …..” Wrong. She did just fine. It was these outside agitators who convinced no one of anything other than what boors they are. Carptrash (name changed to protect the guilty), Sun City Pictures of the night: https://www.flickr.com/photos/60188803@N00/albums/72157710398963642
