Students from Northwestern’s Secular Humanists for Inquiry and Free Thought chalked stick figures representing the Prophet Muhammad on campus Sunday night.
SHIFT sketched the figures to “make a statement that we support the freedom of expression, specifically that we stand behind South Park,” said SHIFT President Cassy Byrne. SHIFT had an internal discussion about drawing the figures Sunday, which Byrne said was attended by Chaplain Timothy Stevens.
Drawing Muhammad challenges deeply held Islamic religious beliefs regarding idolatry, according to multiple news sources.
The Weinberg sophomore said the group supported the makers of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who were censored by Comedy Central in April following controversy over depicting Muhammad.
The group also posted flyers advertising a May 16 meeting titled “Should Your Beliefs Affect My Actions?” and invited students to discuss freedom of expression and political correctness.
“There should be no image that is taboo, that isn’t protected by the freedom of expression,” Byrne said.
The Muslim-cultural Students Association was aware of SHIFT’s plans Sunday, said Noreen Nasir, the group’s co-president. The Medill junior said McSA supports students’ right to freedom of speech.
“We don’t object to their right to do it,” she said. “It is hurtful to a lot of Muslims but at the same time we want to see where this goes.”
The group plans to have a discussion on the issue sometime in the future, Nasir said.
Students from Northwestern University in Qatar are visiting NU’s Evanston campus this week. Members of SHIFT said they did not realize the students would be on campus.”That might be awkward,” Byrne said.
Nasir said she visited NU-Q with other Communication and Medill students over Spring Break and said some of the students from the campus are Muslim.
“I would hope that the Northwestern students from Qatar don’t see Northwestern as a negative place,” Nasir said.
SHIFT initially planned to chalk on campus last week, but some group members expressed concern about offending Muslim students, Byrne said. Members of SHIFT, about five of whom chalked Sunday, said they were not attacking Muslim students or directing the stick figures at any particular group.
“We just feel like that’s not the message we’re representing,” said Angela Potter, SHIFT’s publicity chair. “It’s censorship through intimidation, that’s what we’re protesting.”
SHIFT member Bill Buss, WCAS ’94 and a School of Continuing Studies student, said he recently joined the group. He said the threat of censorship was increasing.
“I don’t feel immediately threatened by Islamic extremism,” he said. “But by the time I do, it’ll be too late.”
Both Nasir and Byrne said SHIFT had not contacted McSA before chalking. Nasir said she would have been open to speaking with SHIFT. McSA promotes discussion, she said.
“We would have been more than welcome to (speak with SHIFT),” Nasir said. “We would have probably preferred it. Communication-you can’t ever go wrong with that.”
