RPI (university) suspends 'Virtual Jihadi'

[Newsjock]

Source: Albany Times Union

RPI has suspended a visiting artist's exhibition because of concerns it suggests violence against President Bush and may be based on the work of terrorists, a top administrator said Thursday.

The move capped a chain of events -- including claims the FBI was eyeing the artist -- that began last month when the College Republicans blasted the arts department as "a terrorist safe haven."

The work that provoked that attack is Wafaa Bilal's "Virtual Jihadi." It's the latest piece by a Chicago-based video artist who is testing the limits of academic freedom in a time of war at a Troy school that receives millions in Pentagon research funding.

"It feels like a military camp, not an educational institution," Bilal, 41, said Thursday night.

The origin of his work is a video game called "Quest for Saddam." The game, where players target the ex-Iraqi leader, prompted what RPI's Web site describes as an al-Qaida spin-off called "The Night of Bush Capturing."


Read more: http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=669934&category=RENSSELAER&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=3/7/2008

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New this afternoon:
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=670076&category=&BCCode=&newsdate=3/7/2008
The Sanctuary for Independent Media on Monday will display an exhibition dropped by RPI over concerns it might be based on the work of terrorists.

[Posteritatis]

1. "Based on?"

Really now. I thought they were pushing the whole "links with (whoever)" a bit too far before, but that's ridiculous. What are they going to do next, get on peoples' cases if their artwork has kaffiyehs in it?

[DBoon]

2. Bush capture?

How hard could that be?

Just leave out an open bottle of Johnny Walker.

Kind of like capturing garden snails with beer in a pie tin.

[NashVegas]

3. I Can't Wait to See What Metroland Will Have to Say About This

Metroland is one of the great alternative weeklies that hasn't sold out to Village Voice.

http://metroland.net/