Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

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1. 

   As someone who produced dozens of nativity plays as a teacher and a Sunday School leader, that title ‘A Gay…

2. 

   The defence of a Christian view never seems to be settled by debate: exchange of facts, reference to historical events.…

3. 

   But …… Rwanda is a safe place: Parliament says so.https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/8/contentsSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 S 2 Safety…

4. 

   Religion can survive only on the most unquestionable assumptions. The statements made on Sundays on the BBC as if they…

5. 

   Yes, if I’ve got anything remotely like a phobia, as an ex-fundy, its bibles, churches, tracts etc. I like to…

BACK in February, a banner belonging to a campus Palestinian rights group was stolen, leaving students and police puzzled as who would do such a thing. Days later the anwer was provided by the culprit himself: Orthodox rabbi Alexander Popivker, above, who used Instagram to confess.

He wrote:

As an act of civil disobedience I have removed the terrorist banner that erases the jewish state that was displayed at the Cleveland State University Student Center. This incitement to annihilation of Israel should have never been permitted at CSU. Pan Arab Nazi flag is designated as a terrorist symbol by Israel. Is the CSU really in solidarity with this?

The banner, which belonged to the student group Palestinian Human Rights Organization, read “CSU Solidarity for Palestinian Rights” and was illustrated with an outline of Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip collectively emblazoned in the Palestinian flag. A dove holding an olive branch appeared on top of the image.

The confession led to the arrest of Popivker, 46, and this week the rabbi—who has a long history of protesting at the university and harrassing staff and students, especially Muslims—was sentenced to ten days in jail and 18 months of probation.

Popivker’s jail time will be suspended, which generally means he won’t have to serve it until after his probationary period is over, and may see it removed with good behavior.

He is also required to attend anger management classes.

Alexander Popivker protests outside the Cleveland Justice Center, where he was sentencing for stealing the banner. Image via Facebook.

Popivker has frequently compared Palestinians to Nazis, and some students have accused him of harrassing visibly Muslim people, which he denies.

One major theme of his protests is that “Palestinians and Nazis are the same thing.”

When Popivker first began his protests, the university felt he was exercising his right to free expression, even though he sometimes used swastika-emblazoned props. He was even given police protection.

But then he got banned when a law student fell victim to on-line harrassment. The student filed an order of protection against Popivker last year. The order was supported by a prominent Jewish dean at the university.

Popivker promptly violated the order by returning to campus.

Cleveland State, whose police force had made the initial arrest of Popivker, declined to comment on the sentence. A university spokesperson had previously told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that Popivker “was not banned for the content of his speech, but how he chose to exercise it.” 

The pro-Palestinian student group had previously celebrated the school’s decision to ban Popivker from campus, issuing a statement via the local Council on American-Islamic Relations chapter in February. It said:

We are still deeply disturbed by the events of harassment against the Arab, Muslim, and specifically Palestinian community, but are relieved to know that our students and communities are safe on campus for now.

On Wednesday, Popivker told JTA that the sentence was “severe and unreasonable” and was “prompted by false claims by the university that I targeted Muslims for harassment and am Islamophobic.”

He added that the ruling against him was a curtailing of his “First Amendment right to advocate at a public university.” 

And he blames his poor campus reputation on “Palestinian organizations, professors and students,” whom he says “are brainwashed with demonizing slander against the state of Israel.”

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