Over the Edge + September 22, 2010 Nn Controversy Over Qur'an burning Freedom of Speach or Biggotry? HANNA PETERSEN NEWS EDITOR To commemorate the 9'" anniversary of the September 11" attack on the World Trade Centers a Gainesville, Florida, pastor threatened to burn copies of the Qur’an. The threats uttered by Pastor Terry Jones have created much controversy and debate even though he eventually called off the burning. No real harm can be done over debate regarding a person’s religious freedom; however, the pastor’s comments sparked a fury of protest in the Middle East and Indonesia. Unfortunately a protest by approximately 600 people in Eastern Logar Province in Afghanistan turned violent, resulting in one death and six injuries. The violence occurred as Afghan security open fired to prevent protestors from entering governor offices. The pastor’s plans were condemned by many authorities. Prime Minister Stephen Harper commented on the situation, stating: “We all enjoy freedom of religion and that freedom of religion comes from a tolerant spirit.” Defence Minister Peter Mackay further commented that the plan by the Florida minister and his church, the World Outreach Center, would put soldiers from Canada and other countries at risk in Afghanistan. One could argue that the onus of such a violent and dangerous outcome over Terry Jones’ folly lies equally with Jones himself and the media sources that spread the story around the world. A story of this nature is, of course, fuel for extremist propaganda. Pastor Terry Jones called off the burning because he was promised a meeting with Iman Muhamaad Musri, an intermediary between Jones and Feisal Abdul Rauf. Rauf is one of the people behind the plans to build an Islamic cultural centre near ground zero. Rauf plans to build a $100 million dollar, 13 storey, cultural centre and mosque two blocks from ground zero. The same proposed cultural centre also sparked a fury of protest from angry Americans in late August; a few hundred people gathered near the area to protest the project. Scenes included waving American flags, signs with the world “Sharia” written in blood, and supporters yelling out anti-islamic sentiments. Protestors also blared Bruce Springsteen’s classic song, “Born in the U.S.A.” Supporters of the centre and Muslim faith noted that many Muslim people lost their lives in the September 11" attacks as well. As election season is inching closer, US President Barak Obama simply commented that the Muslims have the right to build the centre at the proposed site. These stories reveal that Islamophobia has been rearing its ugly head in America. As tension in the US is rising it seems that the Muslim population is being made a scapegoat. On a more positive note, the tremendous outrage voiced from around the world at such blatant displays of ignorance demonstrates that tolerance and religious freedom have not been entirely forgotten. ONLINE SOURCE Islam is one of the world’s oldest rel- gions right next to Christianity. NUGSS Newsletter Find out what your student society can do for you KALEIGH MILINAZZO CONTRIBUTOR The pulse on campus this first week back has been great! Orientation 2010 was a huge success, thanks to the hard work of all the Orientation volunteers, and on Friday night Bedouin Soundclash and Daniel Wesley rocked the campus at Backyard BBQ VX! In addition to being amazingly talented, they both were exceptionally humble and gracious to NUGSS staff. Are you looking for something to do this week? Check out the Alumni Homecoming events. Put on by the Alumni Association of UNBC, Alumni Homecoming is a chance to celebrate the accomplishments of UNBC and its graduates, as well as to network with some UNBC Alumni. It’s always great to see what others have done with their UNBC degrees! Highlights of Alumni Homecoming include a talk from UNBC Alumni of the Year, James Adamson, who has been part of the Haitian relief efforts, an Evening of Tapas & Jazz, an Alumni-T-Wolves basketball game, and the Alumni and Friends pub night. Check out the UNBC homepage for information — last year’s event was a sold-out success! NUGSS is always looking for student input into how we can make UNBC a better place to be, so this month the first person to email me at nugss- president@unbc.ca with a solid suggestion for improving student life on campus wins a prize! It could be you! As a supplement to this edition’s NUGSS Newsletter, NUGSS’s Associate Director of Campus Sustainability, Alexie Stevens, brings you a list of local Prince George businesses offering student discounts, as well as a rationale for supporting local businesses. Take it away Alexie: Support Your Local Businesses: the Importance of Shopping Local! Shopping local is a great way to go green, while boosting the local economy and helping the local business owners in Prince George. An easy way of understanding this relationship is through comparing dollars to voting. Think of every dollar as a vote, every time you spend money you are casting a vote for that business or service. ‘Voting’ for any service or business shows that the customer is supporting every aspect of that business, and encourages the business to continue their services. Thinking in these terms can influence how individuals spend their money and where. Shopping (or voting) locally is a great way to show local businesses that you support what they are doing. Shopping locally keeps money circulating within a community, and ensures that the local economy remains resilient. Another perk to supporting local businesses is the relationships that are built. By patronizing local businesses you have a better opportunity to get to know the shop owner and/or the workers which will often lead to better customer service and, perhaps in the long run, personal discounts. The relationship established between business owner and client becomes part of a local network and helps to build community. Environmentally, shopping locally can sometimes mean that products are transported less distance to get to the consumer. Consuming products that that are produced as locally as possible is a great way to cut down on your personal carbon footprint. NUGSS is committed to serving the students of UNBC. As part of this commitment, we have worked with numerous local businesses to offer students discounts. Start voting locally at the following businesses who are pleased to support students with the following discounts (see page 7). It’s time we started voting local! (You) Create Jobs Shop Local Stronger Economy Puschasing locally helps your community grow ONLINE SOURCE Finger Scan is Out, The “Chip” is in: Changes at the Northern Sport Centre Just one less obstacle between you and your physical health ECATERINA CIUGUREANU CONTRIBUTOR | made my way to the gym to work on my fitness and noticed that my arch-nemesis, the finger scan, is GONE. Although it looked like it belonged in a James Bond movie this is a change which myself and many other individuals with apparently defective finger tips are welcoming with open arms. The employees seem to be down with this change also. When asked if her life is easier now that the finger scan is out the window, the blonde, who chose to remain anonymous, responded, “Yes. Hugely. We don’t have to type in people’s names anymore. When it’s cold out in the wintertime, the finger scan would not read fingertips well.” Another controversial issue about the finger scan also touched on the freedom of information act and privacy of identity. Either way, gear up for the chip (FOB) — a proximity key. So, who do we have to thank for this advancement? Aaron LeBlanc, the new manager of NSC. With approximately a thousand new members every year and a system that wasn’t doing its job, he made a new sign-in system a workout. priority. The chip guarantees 100% consumer protection, as it insures no lurker will creep his/her way into our work out facilities (track, weight rooms) without the magical chip. Starting with September 20", members will need their chips (FOBs) for access, so get that 10 dollar refundable deposit ready. Yes, we do have to cough up ten extra bucks for that thing, as it’s fairly pricey to distribute, track, etc. But here is a fashion tip from Aaron himself: put your chip on your shoelaces instead of your key-chain to pop the doors open without even occupying your hands. Pretty cool, eh? Some other exciting changes that Aaron is initiated in our humble sports centre include free training programs (workout routines) and a revamped track for a more convenient full-body ONLINE SOURCE Going to the gym is easier than ever now that you don't have to wait to sign in.