LET'S ALL DO THE INTIFADA, IT'S THE LATEST CAMPUS CODE WORD

What does intifada mean? More important, what has it come to mean?

In Arabic the literal meaning of intifada is a shaking off or shivering because of fear or illness. It also means abrupt and sudden waking up from sleep or unconcerned status.

The Palestinian (pre-PLO) spontaneous uprising in 1987 became known in the popular language as THE Intifada. The Intifada initiated in 2000 has been a "violent" shaking off. And as time goes by the definition of intifada has evolved so that now it means a violent shaking off; "the sudden waking up from sleep or unconcerned status" involved every act of violence imaginable"; car bombings, suicide bombings, armed mob violence and murder. The "shaking off" has become a "code word" for violence. We are used to code words in this country. Residential zoning frequently means "keep Blacks out". Environmental Protection frequently means stealing land from normal people so that rich people can build a ski resort for themselves. And we all know what the words "by any means necessary" mean when said by Blacks and Left Wing nuts.

Intifada now being urged by university professors, American Muslims, and Palestinians can mean whatever they want it to mean. We have to watch this word because many of us "feel" that it means violence. A code word. When pushed up against the wall in public the college professors, the smart anti--Semites and the college "kids", all pretend that they really mean a "Non violent intifada". This "non-violence" as now practiced includes e-mail attacks on non-conforming students and professors, anybody they decide to attack, and massive publicity against racism.

I don't believe it really means non-violent for a second, but this is the USA and I guess we have to wait for the body count.