Audrey Hudson at the Washington Times has a piece on the Stanislav Shmulevich Koran-dunking outrage: Koran abuse draws hate-crime charge.

A former Pace University student faces hate-crime charges for taking paperback copies of the Koran from the campus library on two occasions last fall and disposing of the Muslim holy book in toilets. Stanislav Shmulevich, a Ukrainian immigrant, was arraigned Sunday in New York Criminal Court on two charges of criminal mischief in the fourth degree as a hate crime. …

University officials filed a vandalism complaint with police after the first incident on Oct. 12, when “a copy of the Koran was found in a public toilet” at the Manhattan campus that “was covered in feces.” A second copy of the Koran was found in a toilet Nov. 21. When questioned by police, Mr. Shmulevich, 23, “admitted to committing said acts” and “that he committed the acts out of anger toward a group of Muslim students with whom he had had a recent disagreement,” the criminal complaint said.

“We reported it initially as an act of vandalism, then the police hate-crime unit came over and decided to pursue it as a hate crime,” said Chris Corey, Pace University spokesman, adding that he was “not at liberty” to discuss the investigation or how Mr. Shmulevich was implicated.

Pace University spokesman Chris Corey says the Council on American Islamic Relations had nothing to do with this:

Mr. Corey said university officials have not been contacted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations; however, the New York chapter released a statement commending the New York Police Department “for its appropriate handling of this case” and said the organization is working with the college’s Muslim Student Association and the Association of Muslim American Lawyers “to promote tolerance on the Pace campus.”

Unfortunately for Mr. Corey, the internet doesn’t forget. He denies that CAIR contacted the university—but the Council on American Islamic Relations participated in a town hall meeting on the school campus about the incident, crowed about it in a press release, and pledged to continue pressuring the school.

Maybe they did it without contacting anyone at the university? (Right.)

CAIR-NY TO TAKE PART IN MTG ON QURAN DESECRATION

(NEW YORK, NY, 10/3/06) - On Tuesday, October 3, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) will participate in a town hall meeting at Pace University to discuss a recent incident in which a Quran, Islam’s revealed text, was found in the toilet in a campus men’s room. CAIR-NY is calling on the university to treat the incident as a possible hate crime.

WHAT: Town Hall Meeting at Pace University
WHEN: Tuesday, October 3, 2006, 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: Schimmel Center, Pace University (NYC campus)

CAIR-NY sees this incident as evidence of the growing phenomenon of Islamophobia in the United States and will encourage Pace University to hold more town hall meetings for the student population in order to create a better understanding of Islam.

CONTACT: Afsheen Shamsi, CAIR-NY Communications Director

UPDATE at 7/31/07 9:34:52 am:

And here’s a press release at the school, from Mr. Corey himself (his name is apparently spelled ‘Cory’), stating outright that they held meetings with CAIR—and that CAIR contacted them: News@Pace.

Posted By: Public Information
Date: October-20-2006
News Release:
Contact: Christopher Cory, Executive Director of Public Information

Pace University President David A. Caputo today announced a new initiative, “Not On Our Watch,” to intensify the University’s extensive efforts to combat intolerance and hatred and promote understanding and acceptance of diverse groups. He said:

“Since several recent hate crime incidents, Pace University has aggressively reached out to our many student organizations and campus councils that are concerned with promoting acceptance and combating intolerance. All of them are responding with deep concern and constructive suggestions.

“We also have contacted outside organizations, and I welcome the offers of cooperation we have received from the New York office of the Council on American Islamic Relations, the Anti Defamation League, and the US Department of Justice.

“The hateful acts against our community are rare in the history of this university, but they are intolerable acts against individuals and groups of individuals who are valued, respected and welcome members of our university community, and they are attacks against the very foundation of the University itself.

“I have asked all faculty and staff members and students to unequivocally condemn these actions and reach out to all members of our community with understanding, acceptance and compassion.

“I also announced a fresh anti-hate effort, building on our long tradition of campus activities against intolerance and for understanding and acceptance. This is being led by our Affirmative Action Officer, Lisa Miles JD. Since Monday this team has requested or held consultations and meetings with

* The New York office of the Council on American Islamic Relations

…

(Hat tip: WriterMom.)

UPDATE at 7/31/07 9:54:06 am:

Another problem for Mr. Cory: he says the school reported it as vandalism, and that the NYPD decided to pursue “hate crime” charges. However, previous news reports say the University “reversed themselves and referred the incident to the NYPD hate crimes unit:”

The school was accused by Muslim students of not taking the incident seriously enough at first. Pace classified the first desecration of the holy book as an act of vandalism, but university officials later reversed themselves and referred the incident to the New York Police Department’s hate crimes unit.