Irvine Upholds Punishment for Muslim Group

The University of California at Irvine has upheld its decision to suspend the Muslim Student Union on the campus as punishment for organizing heckling during a February speech by Israel's ambassador to the United States, but the suspension time has been reduced to a quarter, not a full year. The original suspension was based on evidence that the heckling was not just a series of individual acts, but a planned strategy to make it more difficult for the ambassador to speak. The Muslim organization had called for the suspension to be lifted, but a statement from the university said: "This process has been exhaustive and detailed. The sanctions described above reflect the need for appropriate discipline following violations of campus policy while recognizing the role of the university in educating students in and outside the classroom." At a press conference Friday, Muslim students denounced the suspension as an unfair collective punishment, the Los Angeles Times reported.