The University of Southern California has cancelled a scheduled commencement speech by Asna Tabassum, citing unnamed security concerns after her selection as valedictorian was met with a wave of online attacks directed at her pro-Palestinian views.
“I am not surprised by those who attempt to propagate hatred. I am surprised that my own university - my home for four years - has abandoned me,” Tabassum said in a statement shared online.
On 6 April, USC announced that Tabassum was selected as valedictorian, a student with the highest academic achievements in her year, for the graduating class of 2024.
After the announcement was published on social media, Tabassum began receiving online attacks from an account named, “We Are Tov”, a group that describes itself as “dedicated to combating antisemitism”.
The university released a statement on Monday, saying that Tabassum would retain her position as valedictorian, but would not be allowed to give her commencement speech. The school said that the move was made to maintain safety on campus.
I’m not arguing that, but a graduation isn’t a place to create the risk.
I mean universities are exactly the place where freedom of thought and expression should be protected. Protecting a speaker and an audience isn’t something USC has never had to handle. They do it all the time at football games.
Where is the right place? You seem to have a strong view of where the wrong places are, so surely you know the right one.
Her commencement speech isn’t even known to mention Israel at all, so you mostly seem to be concerned with who she is (an Arab woman standing up against genocide on her own time) and not what her speech will contain (currently unknown).
I have no real interest in any of the stuff going on around Isreal and think the US should butt out of so many other countries affairs unless they’re ready to do the carpet bombing themselves.
The “right place” would be anywhere that people weren’t forced, or nearly forced to be at. Especially when it’s a place that isn’t supposed to be any sort of political or religious etc event.
You shouldn’t have to but yourself at an unnecessarily heightened risk of harm just to go to your (or your friend/relatives) graduation.
While not universal, graduation speeches are often political. This idea that it’s not the time or place for politics is just hogwash.
Take a look at this list, at least half are political in nature. Although, to be fair, a lot of them are pretty safe political positions.
Make no mistake about it, they aren’t banning this speech because of safety concerns, that’s just a good excuse. Regardless of how you try and justify it. They are banning the speech because they don’t want to deal with the political fallout of letting someone who is anti-Israel speak. It’s much easier to deal with the much weaker bloc of pro-Palestine people.
This will blow over, angering the politically and economically powerful group has much longer-term consequences.