NEVADA — A controversial column is being reprinted in today’sissue of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas’ student paper after aboutone-third of the 3,000 copies of the March 10 issue were stolen Tuesday.
The papers were stolen from the main newspaper racks on campus and dumpedinto recycling bins. UNLV recycling center officials informed The RebelYell staff Tuesday afternoon they found the papers in two large garbagebags. The recovered papers were not redistributed, Rebel Yell Editor inChief Nur Kausar said.
The column, titled “Attack shocks, doesn’t surprise” and written by OpinionEditor Sharief Ali, commented on last week’s shooting at a Jewish seminary inJerusalem and criticized Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip. Kausar saidshe believes the papers were stolen because the column drew some heatedresponses from students. The paper decided to reprint the column today, alongwith reactions from readers and a news story about the theft.
“We try to be as balanced as possible when it comes to opinion,” Kausarsaid. “It’s kind of disturbing that someone would go that far when there wasother avenues they could’ve taken.”
One issue of the paper, which is published twice a week, costs between $800and $1,000 to print, Kausar said. The paper plans to report the theft to UNLVpolice.