Page 4-Saturday, December 8, 1979-The Michigan Daily
e Micigan Ba 'I
Ninety Years of Editorial Freedom
Beware, Ayatollah! Hell hath no
fury like an American scorned
Vol. IXXXX, No. 77 -
News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
By Martin Tatuch
In the past two weeks, those showing their
solidarity with the Islamic revolutionary
government in Iran and their opposition to the
United States have been quite active. And
why shouldn't they be? Why shouldn't they
seize the opportunity to exploit the hostage
crisis in Tehran in order to enhance their own
ultra-leftist revolutionary political aims?
And where have those showing their sup-
port for the hostages, and for the Ad-
ministration's policies while protesting this
flagrant violation of international law and ac-
t of terrorism, been hiding themselves? Have
they lost interest? Have they given up? Do
they still care? Yes!
THE STUDENTS at this University are
very much concerned with the day-to-day
progress in this tense situation. Three weeks
ago, over two hundred of them took time out
and spontaneously showed their support on
the Diag. These were not highly politically
motivated students. In the climate of the
1970's, there is not much concern for
politics-unless people are sufficiently
angered. The outrageous behavior of
Ayatollah Khomeini, Foreign Minister Ghot-
bzadeh, the Revolutionary Council, and the
so-called 'students' in Tehran was certainly
enough provocation.
That demonstration was a pure form of
mass sentiment. Two groups stood up that
Friday and spoke out against the hostage-
taking. And those that were there, although
always not serious in their manner, showed
their support. Despite appearances they were
sincere. Inside, they were outraged.
We mustn't forget who else was there. A
highly-organized counter-demonstration was
quickly called by a group of revolutionary
ultra-leftists. Call them Spartacists, call them
Revolutionary Communists, call them what
you will-this small group of expert demon-
strators pull no punches when it comes to
discrediting the American government. And
after the pro-American rally, many of those
present circled the pro-Khomeinites, in-
timidating them enough so that they broke
ranks and paraded their signs elsewhere,
realizing that only a meager few supported
them in the face of the hundreds of student
showing their support for the release of the
hostages. Of course, these same professional
picketers have been back again and again,
trying in vain to stem the tide of righteous
outrage against the senselss acts of Khomeini
and his 'students.'
THE ISSUE AT stake is the hostages. Not
the Shah, not $25 billion, not anybody except
for the fifty Americans still held captive.
None of the anti-Khomeini demonstrators
condone the acts of the Shah. This man,
scared for his throne and in the last years of
his reign, did a terrible injustice to the
Iranian people, compiling an inexcusable
record. Americans will never consent to such
outrageous behavior. Yet, in his days in
power, the Shah was our ally.
Khomeini and the "students" want the
Shah. They will not get him. For too long the
United States has been abused-our em-
bassies sacked, our flag burned, our people
even killed. Before anything happens, the fif-
ty Americans somewhere in Tehran must be
freed by the Islamic government. Never in
history has a government condoned such an
outrageous and hostile action of this sort. The
world must unite to show its anger. The
A~ - Jw.deseorrepration nlan
for A
RHE ANN ARBOR school ad-
ministration is still in the process
Vof,- formulating a plan to end
Zdicrimination in the city's schools,
,arid from an informal vote of the school
board taken this week, the plan that
;eventually emer4ges may likely con-
rtdin a busing provision.
:Segregation in the city's schools is
still widespread and blatant. Ann Ar-
bor schools are still predominantly
black or white, even when racially-
identifiable schools have been
outlawed by the highest court. The
:'board of education in the city has
recognized the problem for quite some
time, but the plan to resolve this basic
'inequality has been a long time
coming.
The school administration's
meticulous pace draws from a.desire
to develop a plan that takes into ac-
count community input, while attem-
pting to resolve the causes and the
ramifications of racially-segregated
schools. System-wide busing does not
automatically balance the inferiority
of some schools. But a plan that in-
3 eludes upgrading the quality of the in-
ferior schools is a positive step that can
preserve some aspects of the neigh-
borhood system and correct the
existing inferiorities between schools
caused by segragation.
Perhaps the most vital aspect of the
eventual plan will be the time element
for racial balance and equal oppor-
tunity. A two-year deadline strictly
adhered to will be evidence of the
community's resolve to settle this long-
standing problem with a minimal
amount of outside intervention. If the
Schools
process of desegregation is delayed-if
deadlines are not set and kept-the
ultimate remedy will have to be state
or court-ordered desegregation. And
those mandated remedies only attack
the imbalance; not the result of that
imbalance.
The city .now has an opportunity to
become a model for school
desegregation, by adopting a pl'/2an
with community involvement that
takes into account both racial balance,
and school quality, educational oppor-
tunity, and individual student needs.
The ideal plan will combine elements
of each, achieving desegregation
painlessly and with a minimal amount
of the kind of friction that has plagued
other cities where segregation has
been "forced" or mandated from
above.
The school board also endorsed (in-
formally) a proposal to adopt training
programs for students, staff, teachers,
and the general community. This is
another positive, innovative, measure
that could not only ease the
desegregation process, but actually
garner support for the eventual plan
before it is even formulated. The key to
successful implementation will be
community support, and if the com-
munity is properly educated in the
inherent dangers of racial imbalan-
ced-and if the community is then
allowed a key role in developing the
plan to end that imbalance-Ann Arbor
will be able to show Boston, Chicago,
and Detroit that school desegregation
can be done smoothly, swiftly, and
with the general support of the com-
munity.
United Nations has already spoken out, as has
many individual nations. But the Iranian
government pays no attention to the world.
Let's get our priorities straight here. There
will be no negotiation at gunpoint, under in-
timidation. Only when the hostages arefreed
will the United States talk to iran about
anything. But not until then. Is it justice that
fifty hostages are taken? Is this how things
are doge between nations? Does this action
coincide with the teachings of -Islam that
Khomeini stands for? Of course not.
KHOMEINI SAYS we are "Satan", that
Americans will not do anything. The
Ayatollah is mistaken, and should be wary of'
an outraged American people. He should take
care so that this incident he provoked does not
backfire on him.
The American people have nothing against
the people of Iran. But when they see their
fellow countrymen (or rather are unable to
see) bound and held in their embassy,
soverign territory, and when they see Iranian
students protest against the country in which
they are a guest, it is hard not to feel anger.
The process of deporting those few Iranian
students who have abused their rights is a
sign to show our feelings. Nobody talks about
those students who are assured their rights to
stay here, though.
Let's not become like those fanatics in
Tehran. Let's show Iran and the world what
kind of people we are. Threatening Iranian
students here is a petty action condescending
to the level of°a 'student'-terrorist in Tehran.
Instead, let's show our vocal aupport of our
government in their peaceful, legal efforts to
win the just release of the fifty in Tehran.
Let's use every means in our power-both the
American people and the United States
government-to expedite the release of our
countrymen.
We must not rest until all our people are
safely home. Show your support for them and
for your country!
-Martin B. Tatuch
Martin Tatuch of O.P.A.K., the
Organization Protesting Against
Khomeini. Tatuch submitted this article
"in the interests of responsible jour-
nalism, equal time, etc."
Spacey Jane
~/
I
'J r
By Tom Stevens
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(2fj
Letters to the Daily
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To the Daily:
The article by Mr. H. Scott
Prosterman on Israel is so full of
outright lies and obvious PLO
propaganda, it is difficult to an-
swer all of them in one reply, but
I would like to try and highlight
the most obvious. He quotes a Ms.
Ryan, who describes the "Israel
reign of terror in South
Lebanon". As any recent
historian aware of the facts
realizes, the unfortunate country
of Lebanon was set upon by the
Palestinian Liberation
Organization after King Hussein
of Jordan in September, 1970,
succeeded in driving them out of
homes with thousands being
killed. These Christians have
retreated to portions of South
Len)banon where they have been
shielded by the Israeli army and
able to take a stance against their
total annihilation. Israel has
aided these Christian Arabs by
destroying centers of PLO
terrorism and bases of attack'
against Israel and the Christians.
Robert A. Basil, president of
the American Lebanese League,
testified on August 16, 1978,
before the United States Senate
Committee of Foreign Relations
about the terrifying destruction
the Palestinians and their allies
Lebanon and they were main-
tained as "refugees" ever since
as a result of Arab determination
to use them as a political weapon
against Israel. Mr. Basil said
"Soviet weapons were delivered
to the PLO through Syria and
Lybia. Gradually their camps
became fortresses with their own
laws, discipline, organization and
security. Democratic Lebanon
was destroyed by Lybia and
Syria, Communist countries, and
the silence of the Western
World".
The U.S.A. is now understan-
dably up in arms over sixty odd
Americans taken as hostages by
the Iranians. Israel has suffered
with terrorists such as this for the
last thirty years. The PLO over
six continents in the ten years
to as a "Social
Organization"!
Service
-J. S. Kaufman, D.O.
To the Daily:
The recent visitation of U.S.
Immigration officials on campus
to investigate Iranian students'
papers and visas strangely
echoes the similar experience of
Jews under foreign rule
throughout history. As concerned
citizens, we strongly protest the
U.S. government's concern for
the propriety of Iranian student
documents, while ignoring all
other nationalties. While we un-
derstand that illegal entries
ha ffii