Sanctuary for Independent Media closed; "Art, Freedom, Democracy Series" linked to terrorism

My Chicago associate here Wafaa Bilal's been doing a residency at RPI. As an Iraqi-born political artist, his work attracts a fair amount of attention. But his most recent project, a videogame called Virtual Jihad, was shut down TWICE (the second time got our friends at the Sancutary for Independent Media cited for specious code violations, that you can hear if you visit their site.; they've also had a hand in a wiki which gives a fairly balanced account of how things have been going.)

Here's the email from Bilal:

Dear friends,

With great sadness I am informing you that RPI, Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute has permanently shut down the Virtual Jihidi show. RPI
statement determine that "the video game was derived from a product
created by a terrorist organization…" They asked the chair of the
Arts department to dismantle the show at the end of day, Monday March
10, 2008. What a SAD DAY…

The story did not end there. After many concern had risen about the
freedom of speech by student, faculty of RPI and Troy community, the
show was moved off-campus to the Sanctuary for Independent Media for
the second opening on Monday of March 10, 2008.

Unfortunately that did not go well with some official in Troy. So one
day after the second opening the City of troy had closed the sanctuary
due to "code volition." Clearly the move was political especially
after the city Public Works Commissioner Bob Mirch and others held a
protest outside the Sixth Avenue site condemning the exhibit. It is a
very sad day in America when an artist and a citizen of this nation
cannot project his point of view because it is different…

I ask you please to visit my site, Wafaabilal.com and show your
support either by writer letter to Shirley Jackson president of RPI
(email: president@rpi.edu). Also could write your opinion in the
chat room. I look forward to your support.
Yours truly,
Wafaa Bilal