Published: April 16, 2007 11:53 pm      

Local Islamic leaders push to cancel author's talk at UPJ

Leaders of Greater Johnstown’s small Islamic community on Monday pressed Pitt-Johnstown to cancel a talk tonight by a best-selling author who they say has criticized their faith.

But the university said the address by Ayaan Hirsi Ali will go on.

Fouad ElBayly, president of the Islamic Center of Johnstown, and Mahmood A. Qazi, its founder and past president, met with Jerry Samples, Pitt-Johnstown’s vice president for academic and student affairs.

They tried to convince the school to cancel the scheduled appearance tonight of Hirsi Ali, a Dutch feminist and a New York Times best-selling author.

Hirsi Ali, described as one of Europe’s foremost critics of Islam, is scheduled to speak as part of the Frank J. and Sylvia T. Pasquerilla Lecture Series.

Her recently released book, “Infidel,” has climbed up the Times best-seller list.

She has been especially critical of what she contends is the lack of tolerance for dissenting opinions among Muslims, as well as what she says is their oppression of women.

Samples said his meeting with ElBayly and Qazi was congenial.

“They expressed their concerns and I understand their concerns,” he said.

He said the two men asked if they could come to the Richland Township campus and discuss their religion again in a public setting.

Samples said he told them he thought that was a fine idea.

Samples noted that Islam was discussed as part of several previous diversity events held at Pitt-Johnstown.

He met with ElBayly and Qazi in place of Albert Etheridge, Pitt-Johnstown’s president, who was not on campus Monday.

However, Etheridge was in touch with University of Pittsburgh officials about the concerns voiced by ElBayly and Qazi, Samples said. He added that Etheridge has visited the Islamic Center, which is in Paint Borough.

Qazi, who has resided in the region for approximately 13 years, said the Muslim community here gets along well with others.

“I don’t want this woman (Hirsi Ali) to create dissension among us,” he said. “I don’t want her to poison anyone’s mind.”

In a letter to Etheridge, Qazi said area Muslims are “enraged and deeply hurt” by the event.

Qazi said Hirsi Ali’s attacks on Islam are unjustified.

“By the same token, Christianity cannot be blamed for the atrocities being committed in (Northern) Ireland by the Irish Christians, both Catholics and Protestants, against each other,” the letter said.

Pitt-Johnstown spokeswoman Kim Miller said Hirsi Ali’s appearance tonight at the local campus remained as scheduled.

Security precautions were scheduled prior to the concerns voiced by ElBayly and Qazi and are listed on posters announcing Hirsi Ali’s UPJ appearance.