Student regrets photos, not bomber getup

The Penn student who appeared at a University function dressed as a terrorist says he'd do it again - at least, most of it."Looking back on it, I don't think I would've been as public, and I definitely would not have published my photos," Engineering senior Saad Saadi said.Saadi dressed as a suicide bomber and was photographed at Penn President Amy Gutmann's Halloween party last week.Saadi, who is not Muslim, wore camouflage pants and a characteristically Arab scarf, strapped fake bullets and dynamite to his body and read passages from a pocket-sized New Testament, which he pretended was the Qu'ran."We were like, 'Yeah, let's dress up as terrorists. It'll be pretty funny,'" Saadi said of his costume, which his friend from another university also wore. "I didn't realize people would get offended or angry."Saadi - who is also a Daily Pennsylvanian photographer - posted pictures on his Facebook.com site of him posing with Gutmann and University Chaplain William Gipson at the party.Some who have seen the photo of Saadi with a smiling Gutmann have criticized her for posing with him, but Gutmann has said in a statement that she did not realize what Saadi's costume was when the picture was taken.In the statement, she also said she recognized Saadi's "right to wear the costume just as" she, and others, have the "right to criticize his wearing of it."Gipson did not issue a formal public statement. Though a statement from the Penn Hillel Student Executive Committee said that Saadi's "intended joke is ... offensive to Jewish students," Gipson would not say whether he thinks he owes the Penn Jewish community an explanation or apology for posing with Saadi.Both Gutmann's assistant and Gipson have met with Hillel student representatives to talk about the matter.Saadi removed the pictures Friday afternoon after he learned that people were getting offended, and he says that his Facebook photos were only intended for the Penn community and his friends from other schools.Saadi also posted an apology on his Web site - saadsaadi.com - that afternoon."We wish to make it clear that we do not support terrorism, violence or anything that is against society. There is no agenda or statement associated with our behavior shown in these pictures," the statement read."We were just playing the role of our character," Saadi said in an interview. "People on Halloween dress in a costume and then act as that character in costume."Saadi is standing by his costume choice, saying that he, like any American citizen, has the right dress up as anything or anyone."I didn't think it wasn't OK," he said.But other student groups - like the Muslim Student Association and Penn Hillel - beg to differ."This is something that is distasteful to the whole community at Penn," said Wharton junior and MSA president Khalid Usmani.The Penn Hillel statement, issued on Friday, also condemned Saadi's actions."While some may dismiss these actions as straightforward Halloween amusement, many perceive this student to have displayed a disturbing disregard for the sensitivities of others," it said.Saadi said that he does not know whether he will contact either group about what has happened.But Muslim and Jewish students and University officials aren't the only ones responding to these photographs.The Anti-Defamation League - an organization that aims to combat acts of anti-Semitism - has approached the University to discuss the issue."No right-thinking individual ought to go around in [this] costume unless [he or she] is a suicide bomber or wants to be one," said ADL regional director Barry Morrison.

Comments (8)

We were like, 'Yeah, let's dress up as terrorists. It'll be pretty funny,' Saadi said of his costume, which his friend from another university also wore. "I didn't realize people would get offended or angry." This guy is Penn material? Barf. This will devalue the worth of a UP diploma. I also don't appreciate his sweaty forehad against the American flag.

Naturally, Saadi has the "right" to use his head for a colonoscopy, then crabwalk across the stage of wacademia asking the community to consider whether the new hat makes a fashion statement. But of course, that's not what he's doing. This isn't an issue of taste. It's a question of whether hate speech is something to celebrate in higher education. Because, let's be clear, if this were a white guy in a Klan outfit, the expulsion would be swift. Moreover, Americans have the perfect right (indeed the moral obligation) to deplore this abysmal lack of empathy and callous disregard for the very real suffering of the very real victims of terrorism-- and their loved ones in the greater campus community. There's certainly nothing remotely acceptable in being glib about rapists. Why are adults being asked to tolerate this brand of glib exhibitionism? Moreover, the Daily Penn deserves a very large measure of scorn for more broadly publishing these new images, embellished with flag desecration. Rather than rebuking the Daily Penn photographer, the editors seem content to use this obscene spectacle to increase readership-- and thus advertising revenue. I therefore would urge readers contact Daily Penn advertisers and let them know your intention to boycott their products as long as they financially support this pathetic excuse for a bird cage liner.

Ho-hum. Tempest in a teacup. For those of you enlightened enough to have pricked your ears up beyond the borders of our fine land, you will have noticed that this isn't the first time that someone from a high profile institution was caught out wearing a costume that was deemed "inappropriate," namely Prince Harry in his Nazi suit a year or two back. This situation, as with the royal, merely demonstrate the levels of tacky that we're willing to engage in. Halloween, which has assumed a sort of aura normally reserved for that once a year blow-out for some called "Carnival" and others "Mardi Gras", is merely demonstrating that, a sort of anything-goes masquerade. Ironically, you don't hear the morality police screaming bloody murder about the (definitely not complaining here- long may it continue) ultra skimpy costumes for women that get smaller and smaller with each passing year. The only reason that we're hearing about this craptastic costume is it's politically expedient to do so for Fox news and its ilk: revving up the "Fear Machine/Culture War" garbage in the week before an election, in the hopes of pandering to the basest element will "increase turnout." Now THAT is nauseating.

[QUOTE id="6d804beb-624a-4687-99f8-04f9a356601f"]Naturally, Saadi has the "right" to use his head for a colonoscopy, then crabwalk across the stage of wacademia asking the community to consider whether the new hat makes a fashion statement. But of course, that's not what he's doing. This isn't an issue of taste. It's a question of whether hate speech is something to celebrate in higher education. Because, let's be clear, if this were a white guy in a Klan outfit, the expulsion would be swift. Moreover, Americans have the perfect right (indeed the moral obligation) to deplore this abysmal lack of empathy and callous disregard for the very real suffering of the very real victims of terrorism-- and their loved ones in the greater campus community. There's certainly nothing remotely acceptable in being glib about rapists. Why are adults being asked to tolerate this brand of glib exhibitionism? Moreover, the Daily Penn deserves a very large measure of scorn for more broadly publishing these new images, embellished with flag desecration. Rather than rebuking the Daily Penn photographer, the editors seem content to use this obscene spectacle to increase readership-- and thus advertising revenue. I therefore would urge readers contact Daily Penn advertisers and let them know your intention to boycott their products as long as they financially support this pathetic excuse for a bird cage liner.[/QUOTE] Dude, Have you ever been to a Halloween party? Since you were 13?

Oversensitive is the word. How much flesh will appease the neo-conservatives or the liberals? Nevermind the idea of accepting it was an ignorant thing to do, and that anyone with a sense of humor and perspective would recognize it and shake thier head, what most are demanding consequences fit for someone who actually promotes suicide bombing! Where did these unflinching values come from? Not from any tolerant culture. Its scary to me how quickly people are demanding satisfaction and drawing lines in the sand. Its a thoughtless way to be, you'd think they'd be a lot happier, but it seems using "quick to take offense and demand fitting punishment" as an idealology only makes folks miserable. Poor folks!

In a day and age where high schools are suspending students at the drop of a hat, one would have to wonder if the rest of the content on Mr. Saadi's website http://www.saadsaadi.com/ would raise a red flag... I guess throat slashing over tip money and death passes for funny at Penn?

The current president appears to be following in the path of another Penn president who seemed to be master of the faux pas, Sheldon Hackney. I don't imagine that the picture will be used for fund raising purposes.

What a joke. I'm glad Saad has the fortitude to not apologize for a stinking Halloween costume. Everyone should lighten up and grow up.

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