Editor, Daily Nexus,

I am dismayed that the College Republicans, as exemplified by Mr. Ross Nolan, have chosen to cultivate a culture of fear, uncertainty and doubt at UCSB (“College Repubs. Question MSA’s Legitimacy,” Daily Nexus, Oct. 6). Nolan claims that the Muslim Student Association is not a legitimate cultural organization because it has failed to “drop the radical politics and speak out against terrorism of all types, including Hamas and Hezbollah.” On its face, Nolan’s request seems reasonable. A closer examination, however, reveals a sinister side to his writing — an attack meant to simultaneously discredit a valid position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to create a division between Muslim and non-Muslim Americans.

To the first charge, I challenge Nolan to say that Israel’s existence has been a smooth affair. To deny the several wars and untold hardships that have affected both the Israeli and Palestinian populations in the Middle East is laughable, and his labeling of the MSA’s efforts to shed light on these issues as “radical politics” is a sad attempt to smear a political position he opposes.

I am proud that the MSA refuses to yield to the disgraceful tactics employed by David Horowitz. Mr. Horowitz is trying to tie Hamas and Hezbollah to the MSA simply because they are all Muslims, an association shared by over a billion others on this planet. To put it pointedly, the MSA is not responsible for their actions, as neither I, nor any other UCSB student is. To ask the MSA to answer for the deeds of these terrorists because they are a group of Muslims is pure prejudice.

I have been largely silent through the multi-year campaign the College Republicans have waged on Muslim students here at UCSB. No more. They are trying to ostracize my fellow Americans, to divide us internally using an external threat. So, I implore the College Republicans and David Horowitz to stop this hatred. You cannot turn us against each other, no matter how many ads you buy or how many slimy opinion columns you run.