Oleg Atbashian is
an artist, activist, and former Soviet dissident. He hung up posters and
stickers on the George Mason University campus in protest of the school hosting
a “Students for Justice in Palestine” conference.
SJP is an
anti-Semitic organization that opposes Israel and spreads misinformation in
order to demonize Israel in the minds of students. Atbashian’s poster campaign
was conducted with the support of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, with the
goal of using startling imagery to show people what SJP really stands for.
Campus police arrested Atbashian and charged him with felony
destruction of property, despite the fact that no property was destroyed.
To George Mason University:
Atbashian is being unjustly punished for expressing his anti-terrorism views on campus. The posters represent his opinion, but they do not represent a threat to campus safety.
The school police grossly inflated the charges against him. No damage was done to school property – in fact, he took the extra step of using biodegradable adhesive to ensure that the artwork could be cleanly removed.
If the highly controversial and anti-Israeli group Students for Justice in Palestine is given your approval to speak on campus, the least you can do is tolerate the opposing viewpoint.
Atbashian fled the USSR’s repressive regime after he was targeted as a dissident. Now that he is a U.S. citizen, he should be able to fully enjoy his right to free speech.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
