Saadi: 'A controversial celebrity'

Engineering senior Saad Saadi says was looking to have a little fun - not to make a major political statement. But his decision to dress up as a suicide bomber on Halloween generated outcry from the Penn community and the international media. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian, Saadi discussed the fall-out of his decision last Tuesday night.

DP: There are pictures where people are acting out as the victims. Is that also part of the joke?

SS: We've seen this on TV and in newspapers of what terrorists do, and we were just acting the role of the costume.

DP: And you didn't foresee that people would be offended by showing a mock killing?

SS: No.

DP: What do you think of the statement that Dr. Gutmann released?

SS: I think it tells the truth. And I can tell you exactly what happened: I came up to her and said, 'Can I take the picture with you?' I gave the camera to someone there, and while the picture was about to be taken, she said to me, 'How'd they let you through security?' in a joking matter. I said, 'Oh, they just let me in.' After the picture was taken I said to her, 'Can you pose for me for another picture where I'm holding my gun at you, and then [you] have your hands up, like another one of those mock silly things?' and she said, 'No.'

DP: How have students been treating you? Any harassment?

SS: No, I've gotten all positive responses. I haven't gotten in person anything negative. Only via e-mail and Facebook.

DP: What has been the gist of the negative ones?

SS: Some were saying that 'I was offended' and 'even though you had the right, I still found it offensive.' Some were threatening, and I might report those to the police department.

DP: You say you didn't think it would offend people, but you knew it would be edgy. What's the difference?

SS: Edgy . gets attention sort of. Like extreme. Definitely didn't plan on hurting anyone by it or offending people. Jackass is edgy material. . That's an example of something edgy.

DP: Do you think a suicide bomber costume is on the same level as any other costume?

SS: It's the same as dressing up as anything scary.

DP: How do you feel about all the attention that's surrounding you?

SS: I totally didn't expect it, and I don't think it would've happened had I not taken the picture with Amy Gutmann.

DP: Do you think of yourself as a celebrity now?

SS: A controversial celebrity, maybe. Yeah. It should die down.

Online Only: The full transcript

DP: How did you decide to dress up like a terrorist?

SS: Halloween in general is when people dress up either as fictional or non-fictional characters. We decided to dress like a non-fictional character that happens to be on the news and part of current events and history. We were like 'yeah, let's dress up as terrorists. It'll be pretty funny.'

DP: Were you trying to get across a certain message?

I mentioned this on my Web site. There's no agenda or statement or anything. We're just portraying characters.

DP: Given that, did you think about what the consequences be in terms of how people would react or whether they would get offended?

SS: We knew it was going to be on the edge, but yeah, the way we looked at it was just a character and that was it. We thought 'this is a character and this is what they're dressed up as.' We didn't realize people would get offended or angry. It didn't even come across us really.

DP: How do you feel about all the attention that's surrounding you and all the controversy?

SS: I totally didn't expect it and I don't think it would've happened had I not taken the picture with Amy Gutmann. And I'm pretty sure there are many people . that dress like terrorists. I heard that Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden masks were really popular. And Osama bin laden is a leader of terrorism and it's okay to dress like Osama.

DP: Do you think it's unwarranted condemnation?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Nothing wrong with people liking it or hating it, condemning it or praising it. It's all just a matter of opinion and everyone's entitled to it.

What has been the gist of the negative [comments you've received]?

SS: Some were saying that 'I was offended' and 'even though you had the right I still found it offensive' some were threatening and I might report it to the police Dept. But I don't know if it's a big deal. They were saying 'you should be beaten up, you should be executed' things like that. Which is pretty ironic and anti-American because in America a lot of people came to this country so that they wouldn't be persecuted for freedom of expression, but people are saying that I should be persecuted. They're saying something that's anti-American.

DP: Are you fearful of any of those threats?

SS: Not really. No.

DP: What about from the University?

SS: I don't think I'll be punished for this.

DP: How come you decided to issue a formal statement on your website?

SS: Because we didn't think it would be offensive and we wanted to apologize to whomever we offended. Also we wanted to make it clear that there was no agenda or statement that we were making. We're not violent people and we don't support violent or terrorism. If I had not [posted the apology] it would've been worse for me and my friend.

DP: How come you took down the pictures from Facebook.com and when did you do that?

SS: I put the pictures up and the privacy settings were supposed to be for only my friends and Penn students. I linked my Facebook albums to my website, and for some reason, which I think is a sloppy part on Facebook, the pictures were still public for everyone to see.

DP: Did you ask your Israeli roommate to post a statement on Faceboook?

SS: Not at all. He took a picture with me and it was up on Facebook. We went out together after Amy Gutmann's party. My roommate's an exchange student from Israel-Yotam Harchol. When I showed him my costume, he told me that on Purim in Israel people do the same thing. They dress as Sama and Nasrallah and terrorists?

DP: What were you thinking when you went to take pictures with Gutmann and the Penn Chaplain William Gipson?

SS: My friend and I went to parties on Friday and Saturday and we took pictures and people liked our costume and posed with us. Some were SWAT team taking us down and they have photos on their albums. It was all fun and we got such positive feedback, although there were some people that said they didn't like it. If I had to give an estimate based on Friday and Saturday, I'd say 90% liked and 10% didn't, but of course people who don't like the costume are less likely to approach you. The feedback we got on Friday and Saturday made it look okay. So I went to the [Tuesday] Halloween party and it seemed okay based on that response.

DP: There are pictures where people are acting out as the victims. Is that also part of the joke?

SS: On Halloween in general if someone dresses up as a ghost, he's going to go up to you and say 'boo.' A mime will pretend he or she is in an invisible shrinking box. People on Halloween dress in a costume and then act as characters in costume. We've seen this on TV and in newspapers of what terrorists do and we were just acting the role of the costume.

DP: What's your religious background?

I was born in Syria and on my dad's side it's Christian-Syrian-Orthodox. And on my mom's side I'm Armenian. I'm Christian.

DP: I heard you were also reading passages from the Koran?

SS: No. That was the New Testament that a lot of people were giving out on campus. It was not the Koran. It was green and pocket-sized so we pretended it was the Koran.

DP: Have your parents or family caught wind of any of this?

SS: So far I have not gotten any bad responses from anyone I know. My parents know what's going on.

DP: What were you thinking when you took pictures with Gutmann and the chaplain?

I took pictures with them just like anyone else.

DP: Has anyone from the University administration contacted you?

SS: No. I went up to them [since] and talked to some people on my own volition. I don't want to name people. I talked to one university official. Not Amy Gutmann.

DP: Have you felt any need to approach either the Muslim Student Association or Hillel and touch base with them or give some sort of explanation?

SS: This happened so fast and everything's been so overwhelming that I haven't really had the chance to really consider what to do.

DP: Do you plan on doing anything like that?

SS: I don't know.

DP: Has anyone from either of those 2 groups contacted you?

SS: No.

DP: If you had to do it again, would you still do everything the same?

SS: Let me think about this. It's an important question. I guess since I offended people I either would have been either less public or stayed within the confines of private parties with people I know and that know me and would understand that I have no intention of offending people. Looking back on it, I don't think I would've been as public and I definitely would not have published my photos.

DP: But you'd still dress up as a suicide bomber?

SS: Yes.

DP: Have you been paying attention to the articles that have emerged on the blogs? Have you been following them?

SS: I can't follow all of it-it's impossible.

DP: You should google your name, by the way.

SS: I did.

DP: What do you think of the articles?

SS: Some are good, some are bad. I guess the neo-conservatives are the most angry. I think they were the most vocal in terms of things that are in condemnation. Some are saying [it's] not a big deal. Other people are freaking out.

DP: Have you found that any of the articles have any sort of agenda?

SS: Oh yes. Especially the neo-conservatives. Their big statement is 'look what's going on at the liberal elite Ivy League schools.'

DP: Do you think that this has all been one huge overreaction and one huge attempt on the media part to find a story?

SS: I think it's to frame Gutmann. If I had not taken the picture with her, it would have not gotten attention like this. It's evident because all headlines are saying that. The attack [is] on Gutmann and less on me.

DP: Do you think the Penn community is overreacting?

SS: People that are offended by it are more vocal.

DP: Do you think they represent the majority?

SS: I definitely think it's an overreaction. I think overall it's hard to tell because the people that are most affected, whether positive or negative, are going to say something. The people who don't care aren't going to say anything.

DP: Do you consider anything you've done in this is anti-Israel or anti-Semitic?

SS: On Purim they do the same thing. I'm Semitic, so I can't be anti-Semitic.

DP: Do you follow what goes on in Israel with suicide bombers? Are you aware of the political reality that exists there now?

SS: I know what it is but I'm politically apathetic.I know it happens. Again, I didn't expect for it to be offense because . I'm portraying a scary person and that's it.

It's the same as dressing up as anything scary.

When I bought the costume I wasn't thinking that there were limits and boundaries and what's wrong and what's right. It's a matter of freedom. Everyone has the right to dress up like whatever he wants.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.