I just got word that my Chicago-friend Wafaa Bilal who has been teaching at the Rochester Polytechnic Institute was accused of being a terrorist, had his art show, Virtual Jihadi shut down, and was locked out of the university because of the accusations of an on-campus group of Republicans. When The Sanctuary of Independent Media decided to show his work, that space was shut down by the city government of Troy. When artists are targeted as terrorists, we are sorely losing our basic freedoms of expression that insure civil discourse, the basic foundation of Democracy.
According to a Wikipedia article, "In "The Night of Bush Capturing: A Virtual Jihadi," Bilal casts himself as a suicide-bomber in the game. After learning of the real-life death of his brother in the war, he is recruited by Al Qaeda to join the hunt for Bush."
When society and government repress the free exercise of fantasy, creative expressions of rage, and artistic catharsis, they create a scenario where acts of terror replace acts of cultural expression.
Wafaa, we stand in solidarity with you and your right to express your rage. To those who seek to stifle freedom of expression, you beg for violence and shame the very notion of Democracy.
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