Critics take aim after U-M cancels 'American Sniper' showing

Out with soldiers. In with teddy bears.

The University of Michigan, under pressure from Muslim and Arab students, yanked a scheduled Friday night showing of the Iraq War movie "American Sniper." In it's place, the university will run a cuddly kid feature "Paddington."

Lamees Mekkaoui led the drive to get "American Sniper" tossed. She questioned why the school would play a movie that makes her uncomfortable and promotes what she and others have said are anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiments.

A drive she led that included a letter signed by a couple of hundred fellow students led the university's Center for Campus Involvement to pull the film from its lineup of UMix events.

But when word of the movie showing being canceled out, a backlash quickly developed, with a second petition making its rounds through U-M's campus on Wednesday, accusing the university of censorship.

"The movie American Sniper is not about a racist mass murderer or a criminal," that petition said. "If the University prevents a movie like this from being shown, it promotes intolerance and stifles dialogue and debate on the subject and goes directly against the atmosphere UMix purports to provide. As adults at a public university, we should have the option to view this movie if we so choose and have the opportunity to engage on the topics it presents to come to our own conclusions on the subjects. Students should be trusted to interact responsibly on a movie no different than any other film depicting the lives of the troops at war, such as Saving Private Ryan."

Just after 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, university spokesman Rick Fitzgerald told the Free Press the university would be rescheduling the movie at a yet-to-be-determined date with "an appropriate educational panel discussion."

The film, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper, is based on a true story. It is the autobiography of U.S. Navy Seal Chris Kyle who served in Iraq and has the most confirmed kills as a sniper in U.S. military history.

It was a major hit at the box office, but drew all kinds of controversy over its depiction of the prolonged war.

Mekkaoui, a sophomore at U-M, said she's seen the movie.



"I felt uncomfortable during it," she told the Free Press. "As a student who identifies as an Arab and Middle Eastern student, I feel that 'American Sniper' condones a lot of anti-Middle Eastern and North African propaganda,"

She wrote one letter to the university's Center for Campus Involvement, asking for it to be pulled from the schedule of Friday's UMix event.

"I like those events," Mekkaoui said. "I don't think this film fits that event, which is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. I think it should be played, but not at this event."

She sent a second letter signed by a couple of hundred students, including some from the Muslim Student Association. Mekkaoui is a member of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality and the Middle Eastern and Arab Network at U-M.

"Student reactions have clearly articulated that this is neither the venue nor the time to show this movie," the Center for Campus involvement said in a statement it posted on Facebook and Twitter. "We deeply regret causing harm to members of our community, and appreciate the thoughtful feedback provided to us by students.



"We... did not intend to exclude any students or communities on campus throughshowing this film. Nevertheless, as we know, intent and impact can be very different things. While our intent was to show a film, the impact of the content was harmful, and made students feel unsafe and unwelcome at our program."

On campus Wednesday, many students said they didn't have a problem with the film being shown.



"I think you can show it and if it offends you, than just don't go," said junior Mary Coles, 21, of East Grand Rapids, said. "It wasn't like it was mandatory to go. It was just an optional event you could go to if you wanted to. Pretty easy to skip if you don't like what they are showing."

Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj