This letter to the editor was published in the March 4, 2015 edition of the Times-Delphic in response to the posters mentioned in that edition’s cover story.
Recently on campus our organization has spotted several posters depicting students who work with the National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) organization as terrorists and “Jew Haters”.
MEPPA, the organization I am referring to, works closely with NSJP and we are appalled that anyone would make such a baseless and hateful claim.
This is hateful propaganda which does not reflect our views at all.
This is our official statement about the posters around campus.
“Multiple posters have been put up on Drake University’s campus by an unknown individual or group fashioning the words Students for Justice in Palestine alongside pictures of terrorism and the phrase #JewHaters.
As an organization that works with the National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) movement, the Middle Eastern Peace and Prosperity Alliance (MEPPA) strongly condemns this action. These posters are inaccurate, narrow-minded and blatantly hateful.
The goal of MEPPA is to educate individuals about Middle Eastern culture, history, and current events in the hopes of taking significant steps toward peace. Neither MEPPA nor NSJP segregates based on race, gender, physical ability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or mental ability.
As a group that emphasizes the necessity of action through non-violent means we take these posters very seriously.
Unwarranted, hateful statements like this one seen today can lead to nothing but increased tensions and the potential for harm upon student activists.
The incident has been reported to the university administration and we are confident the issue will be dealt with appropriately.”
– Ali Jandal, MEPPA
