Peaceful protests and proper audience decorum made Wednesday night’s speech by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf a tame event. In fact, it felt too tame.
We’re thankful that those opposed to Rauf exhibited appropriate behavior. In that sense, the tameness of the event was a relief. And overall, the event was informative and intriguing.
Yet, in spite of sharp points of disagreement among audience members, by the end of the night almost no one in the audience had the opportunity to engage him. It felt like a lost opportunity.
The night began at 7 p.m. with short remarks by Rauf, followed by conversation between him and Hodding Carter, professor of leadership and public policy. Following their conversation, the floor was supposed to be open to the audience.
The calm attitude in the hall during Rauf’s remarks completely belied the dissent among audience members. The audience was civil — fitting for a discussion of ideas at a university.
But it was nearly 9 p.m. before anyone in the audience was allowed to ask a question. The first three questioners were pre-selected: Student Body President Hogan Medlin, John Hood, president of the John Locke Foundation and sociology professor Dr. Charles Kurzman.
No one in the audience had the chance to pose an original question until the evening was supposed to be over.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t an indictment of Rauf. He seemed honest and candid.
But the night left the distinct impression that organizers wanted to keep audience members’ queries to a minimum.
It’s especially sad because many people who had strong points of disagreement with Rauf sat patiently just to have the opportunity to do the very thing they were prevented from doing.
