In a world that emphasizes political correctness, Nonie Darwish is not afraid to speak her mind - even if the ideas she expresses put her life in danger.
Last night, as part of Penn Israel Coalition's Israel Advocacy Night in Huntsman Hall, Darwish spoke about what she sees as the threat of radical Islam.
Darwish opened the event by stressing she was not there to offend any Muslim or the religion of Islam but to speak out against what she felt was a religion taken over by extremists who preached only hatred.
For expressing her controversial views, several death threats have recently been made against Darwish, and it is not safe for her to travel to the Middle East.
Born a Muslim in Egypt, Darwish grew up in Gaza and is no stranger to the tragedy of Islamic terrorism: Her father, head of the Egyptian Fedayeen, a military group sponsored by then-Egyptian president Abdel Nasser to launch terrorist attacks against Israel, was the first person killed in a targeted assassination attempt by Israel. She was only eight at the time.
"My father was never a hate-monger; he never taught us hate," Darwish said.
Going to school in Gaza, Darwish said she "was never taught peace . as a value," and that the educational system taught children to aspire to martyrdom as participants of jihad.
"Those who wanted peace were looked upon as traitors," she said.
Darwish, who no longer practices Islam, has since devoted her life to speaking out against the radical religion she grew up with, criticizing such practices as Sharia law, which she says makes Muslim women second-class citizens.
Darwish said she is especially appalled at Muslims who blame Israel for Sept. 11th.
"Conspiracy theories about Jews being behind 9/11 have to end - it's an embarrassment. Lying about Jewish people has to end," she said.
Darwish said she can foresee peace between Israelis and Arabs. However, "the problem is, the whole [Muslim] culture, the media, is promoting hate. Stop the hate speech."
"It was eye-opening into what's going on from someone who's been there firsthand," said College junior Michelle Tandler, the campus outreach coordinator for the Penn Israel Coalition.
"She emphasizes the renunciation of religiously fostered violence and hate in favor of humanitarianism and respect," said Wharton and the College freshman Danny Cohen.
