Glyn O'Malley, the brave and principled playwright whose play about a Palestinian suicide attacker, Paradise, was savaged by CAIR, just sent me this message:
Dear Friends and Colleagues:I was taught to never "bury the lead," so I won't. This is a letter asking you for money. Now, please allow me to tell you why.
This last June I was privileged to be Playwright-In-Residence at Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee under the auspices of APSU President Sherry Hoppe, the Dean of the College of Arts and Letters, and Director of the Center of the Creative Arts, Dr. Jim Diehr, the Chair of the Department of Communication and Theatre, Dr. Mike Gotcher, the Theatre Coordinator in the Center of the Creative Arts, and a faculty member in the Department of Communication and Theatre, Dr. Sara Gotcher.
In creating "The 101st Project," Dr. Sara Gotcher and I initiated a highly unusual, collaborative project that could only be possible in a city like Clarksville which adjoins the home of The 101st "Screaming Eagles" Airborne Division, United States Army. After daily sessions of interviews with soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division of all ranks who went to Iraq and made it back home safely, I wrote "A Heartbeat To Baghdad." It did nothing to alter my personal feelings about the inevitable pain, horror, and contradictions of war, but it did about the integrity, self-sacrifice, extraordinary consciousness, and often very real heroism of the large cross section of American soldiers who shared pieces of their "souls" with me.
Inspired by their first hand accounts in Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as those of some their wives, widows, and families back home, the play journeys into the human world those of us not in the military rarely ever get to see, and one that is certainly underreported by the media. It was an extraordinary, moving experience for me as a playwright, and from what I have gathered, all who were involved. Prior to leaving, I mounted a Staged Reading of the first draft of the play to "shake it down" in front of an audience, and to begin to fund "The Sgt. Ariel Rico Memorial Scholarship" at APSU for the child of a slain, or disabled member of The 101st Airborne Division. While memorializing the husband of the first widow of the 101st to reach out to me, Jessica Rico, the Scholarship is intended to honor all the soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division in harm's way. With the help of Dr. Sara Gotcher and the University, it is now a reality. It just needs to grow. All monies from ticket sales to the Staged Reading went to begin to plant the first seeds for this Scholarship. I've designated that 5% of my Author's Royalty in perpetuity will assist it.
It's been my pleasure to be invited back to APSU by President Hoppe, Dean Diehr, Dr. Mike Gotcher, Theatre Department Chair, Leni Dyer, and Dr. Sara Gotcher this Sept/Oct. to mount a full production of the play that will premiere at APSU, go on to The Tennessee College Theatre Conference, and -- hopefully -- The American College Theatre Festival. I have cleared the deck of some other commitments in order to do so, as I want the play to be as useful as possible to APSU, and the Scholarship. Apart from the standard fee for the Rights to the Play, I am waiving all royalties so that "The Sgt. Ariel Rico Memorial Scholarship" will continue to grow from direct ticket sales in these venues.
Given that I am already having talks with legit theatres, and commercial producers here in NYC, and elsewhere about productions of the play, my fingers are crossed that in addition to your help, "A Heartbeat To Baghdad" will have a life substantial enough to establish a stable fifty-thousand dollar core, that will keep the Scholarship funded.
I am writing all of you because regardless of who we elect in November, the men and women of The 101st Airborne Division will continue be on the point of the sword as they were in Afghanistan and in Iraq. Regardless of who we elect, or how we personally feel about the politics of any war, they will continue to stand ready. Sons and daughters of slain or disabled soldiers will need the help and support that an education in a Major of their choice that an excellent University like APSU can provide via this Scholarship.
I ask you to join me in making this a reality with whatever your heart and wallet can provide. Checks should be made out to "The Sgt. Ariel Rico Memorial Scholarship" and sent to:
Mr. Roy Gregory
Executive Director of University Advancement
Austin Peay State University
P.O. Box 4417
Clarksville, TN 37044Needless to say, all contributions are tax-deductible, and APSU will provide you with a letter acknowledging your gift -- no matter its size -- that will honor the men and women of the 101st Airborne Division, and will change the life of a child.
Sincerely,
Glyn O'MalleyPS: Should you know of others who might be interested in helping "The Sergeant Ariel Rico Memorial Scholarship" at APSU, you have my permission to circulate this request. Thank you!
Am so sick of hearing about yet another group of
Muslims whining about their rights to scupper anything which doesn't make them look good.Of course Islam tolerates neither dissent or questioning.What are Muslims doing in the West apart from trying to hijack our institutions and
countries??GET RID OT THEM,PLEASE...
Below is a recent article on the C.I.C. webpage attempting to control the media from printing the truth about external Islamic funding to spread Shria law and Wahabism in CANADA.
When CAIR canada gets their way with letting Al-Jezeera TV into Canada,will they then be in favour of sencorship when the Saudis are caught
funding Jihadists and Sharia Law in Canada and it airs on a Al-Jezeera special.
I wonder if they're upset that it's going on,or because they got caught funding terrorism.
http://www.canadianislamiccongress.org/mc/media_communique.php?mcdate=2004-07-31
http://www.canadianislamiccongress.org/mc/media_communique.php?mcdate=2004-07-31
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Your going to love this one,my posting shown above has a link to a viscous attack at the National Post newspaper in Canada for telling the truth about Saudis financing Wahabbism in
Canada. I re-linked the article for this comment to make it easier. The Author was Mr.Mohamed Elmasry and below is a section of a op/ed he put in a Canadian Arab Paper. Seems that it must be true the Islamic leaders say one thing in the non-Muslim media and the real story to Muslims in Islamic media.
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THIS IS THE STATEMENT HE SPEWED DEFENDING THE MEDIA HE TRIES TO SILENCE.
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In a democratic society, all voices should be heard - even ones whose viewpoint some of us might oppose.My organization, the Canadian Islamic Congress (C.I.C.),disagrees with much of what is published in this newspaper, for
example. But we still support its right to publish, and the right of people to buy it.
Canadians must question the CRTC's decision to sacrifice Canadian rights of free speech to silence an Arabic-language news network whose only sin,ironically, is that it believes in the Western notion of freedom of speech.
[Dr. Mohamed Elmasry is a professor of computer engineering at the University of
Waterloo, and is national president of the Canadian Islamic Congress.]
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He was making a weak arguement to support Al-Jazeera being a DTH(direct to home) satellite
pay channel in Canada. The idiot doesn't understand that TV viewing produced outside Canada and transmitted directly to home dishes
can't be fined or brought befor a panel to explain the violations of Canada's Hate-Laws.
Elmasry loves to go on rants during debates
and one time I saw him shout down female guests
to the point the host cut to a commercial.
He throws out vague claims and then screams Islamophobia to any challenge of his assertion.
This is why Jihad must be terminated NOW and
start deporting these yahoo's that insist they live under Islamic law and not Canada's Charter and Constitution.