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‘Taking seriously the threat of radical Islam is not discrimination,’ Daily Wire D.C. bureau chief tells The Fix
The George Washington University student government has passed a resolution “condemning Islamophobia” and pledging to reject any funding request from Turning Point USA for screening The Daily Wire’s latest film “Run, Hide, Fight: Infidels.”
The fictional movie, which centers on a radical Islamic terrorist cell commandeering a college campus, prompting students and a Delta Force veteran to defend their school, was screened by TPUSA earlier this week at the Washington D.C.-based institution.
In response, the Student Government Association unanimously passed a resolution against the movie and the student group, the GW Hatchet student newspaper reported.
The resolution argues that the film portrays Islamic religious identity as “directly associated with terrorism, violent religious domination, executions, and the destruction of American society.”
Reached for comment by The College Fix, Tim Rice, D.C. bureau chief for the The Daily Wire, said: “Making a movie with Islamist villains is not Islamophobic, and taking seriously the threat of radical Islam is not discrimination.”
“I would encourage the students who voted to condemn the film to take some time to watch it,” Rice said. “They may be able to learn something from a tale of sheltered college kids who come face to face with the terrorists they glamorize.”
The GWU resolution also accuses the conservative student club of hanging an “unauthorized” flyer under the Farsi welcome sign in the student government office.
The resolution called on campus clubs to “exercise responsibility and consideration for the impact that their programming and rhetoric may have.”
It goes on to state the student government will never fund “discriminatory” events — adding that if a request for financial co-sponsorship of the screening comes in, “the Legislative Budget Office is hereby instructed to deny such request, immediately.”
The College Fix reached out to the GWU Student Government Association for comment regarding the resolution and its definition of “discriminatory,” but did not receive a response.
The George Washington University SGA website states that it allocates more than $1.3 million dollars to over 600 different student organizations. It also claims to use “a tier system” to ensure fair, consistent treatment among organizations to meet their independent needs.
At the Monday meeting, Finance Chair Sen. Anya Srivastava said the student government “has the responsibility to ensure that student fees are used in a way that represents our commitment to an inclusive campus community and does not contribute to the mistreatment or marginalization of other students,” as reported by the GW Hatchet.
However, the SGA is not the only group on campus to condemn “Run, Hide, Fight: Infidels.”
Students for Justice in Palestine at GWU reposted a message calling the screening an Islamophobic and Zionist attempt that “grossly paints Islam as a violent religion.” The group frames the screening as the latest attempt to discriminate against the school’s Arab and Muslim populations, connecting it to the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East.
A GWU campus spokesperson also did not respond to a request for comment.
While GWU may present the most backlash to the film, it is not the only school holding screenings.
The Daily Wire has promoted its newest movie at college campuses across the country in the hopes of informing Leftist students of the hypocritical, naive opinions they may hold, according to Rice.
MORE: Univ. of Michigan cancels ‘American Sniper’ screening: ‘Made students feel unsafe’
