Hope Not Hate Summit

by GEOFF JOHNSON
The Rocky Mountain Collegian
September 8, 2006

Tim Ruckh is studying biomedical engineering because it gives him the chance to help people.

“The slogan is ‘do well by doing good,’” Ruckh said on Wednesday.

In the interest of doing further good, Ruckh became the president of the CSU chapter of Americans for Informed Democracy, as well as regional director for the organization.

On Friday, he will attend an Americans for Informed Democracy conference in Washington, D.C., called “9/11 Plus Five: A Hope Not Hate Summit,” which aims to examine the state of U.S. relations with the Muslim world five years after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

In light of Sept. 11, 2001, and events since, the Summit aims to “…develop a comprehensive strategy for long-term engagement between the U.S. and the Muslim world,” according to AIDemocracy.org, “by bringing together U.S. and Muslim world leaders and young global leaders.”

Ruckh is looking forward to the conference, which will include speakers like Chris Kojm, former director of the 9/11 Discourse Project, and Slade Gordon, former U.S. senator and 9/11 Commission member.

“I’m looking forward to a huge gathering of people from all over the country asking some tough questions,” said Ruckh, a mechanical engineering graduate student. “Scare tactics and tough talk have become too commonplace, and (the speakers) are more than qualified in the area and won’t just be speaking in the interest of politics.”

“The term ‘Fascist Islam’ is thrown around in the political arena a lot, and I want some real answers about what that means, and if it’s at all accurate with reference to the groups to whom it is attributed.”

A campus remembers On campus, an observation of the day will be held, with the unveiling of a print, “Community,” created by CSU employee and local artist Don Voss.

“‘Community’ came into being and is dedicated to people everywhere who work for a better world – especially student leaders and organizations dedicated to awareness of diversity,” Voss said in a statement.

It will be shown at 3 p.m. Monday in the Transit Center.

On Thursday, three days following the five-year anniversary, Ruckh, along with the Muslim Student Association, has planned an informational session: “Islam In America: Hope Not Hate.”

The session will feature three speakers: Imam Madhi Bray, a civil and human rights activist and executive director of the Muslim American Society’s Freedom Foundation; Dr. Lori Peek, a CSU sociology professor and a research specialist in identity formation among American Muslims; and Kathy Gockel, an expert on the influence of Arab media on Islamic/American relations.

Staff Writer Geoff Johnson can be reached at news@collegian.com.

Remembering Sept. 11

Campus: 9/11 Observance 3 to 4 p.m. Monday Transit Center

“Islam In America: Hope Not Hate” 6 p.m. Thursday North Ballroom, Lory Student Center

Aurora – Freedom Walk in reflection of the lives lost on Sept. 11. The walk beings at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the future site of the Colorado Freedom Memorial, located on the northeast corner of Alameda Drive and Airport Boulevard. More than other 117 cities will host walks, including Washington, D.C., San Diego, San Antonio, Tampa and Atlanta.
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