Two things I’d note here. First is that I’m suspicious of all religious extremes. I’m particularly against the strain of Islam that oppresses women, but am quick to note the Islamic people I’ve met, including in Jordan, were kind and hospitable people. Second, free speech is a crucial right in a democracy. It is clear that some speech while allowed, we might feel it ought not be. The problem is there is no standard judges can employ to conclude that the First Amendment ought to be modified to prohibit some speech. (In fact there are some exceptions, such as the famos yelling fire in a crowded theater. I’ve no doubt, if they could, each side would prohibit some speech. They’d radically differ in what speech they’d prohibit, though.
As lawyers have pointed out in the past, the First Amendment's teeth is really a restraint on government, not the culture. I remember an America growing up where people also sought to honor this "spirit of the First Amendment" by "strongly disagreeing with what you have to say, but fighting like Hell for your right to say it." This "fighting like Hell for your right to say it" typically included a cultural restraint element. It suggested people typically shouldn't be ostracized for their opinions. That attitude has gone by the wayside these days and such cultural privileges especially shouldn't be afforded towards people who want to crap all over them. All of that said, as a country, we need to move back to that attitude honoring "the spirit of the First Amendment."
I think you miss my point: speech can be hateful (to varying degrees, thus, remotely) no matter who it’s directed at.
I wasn’t saying giving the mic to a Yemeni national is comparable to a neo-Nazi per-se. I was speaking more to the reactions. Plenty on the right were citing “Free Speech” when they actually were hosting neo-Nazi groups. Not “like Neo-Nazi’s” - but actual neo-Nazi’s who are re-branded themselves as alt-right. So how can anyone who defended all that craziness now be lambasting this school for “allowing” this speech? Makes no sense. While the school and students might have been aware of this woman’s background, it’s not like being a Yemini national automatically makes her anti-Semitic, and her social justice activism would tend to lead one far away from anti-semitism. She may simply have some conflicted views between her legal/academic ideals and her cultural passions (seeing Israel as the oppressor). Kind of like that congresswoman Omar who occasionally slips up. But you know what? I’ve heard Omar apologize when she slips up, I don’t know much about her but I can respect that.
"Zionist" is a euphemism for "Jew." If you drop the word "zionist" on a white nationalist website, there would be no confusion who you mean: All Jews whether they openly support Israel or not. It's not much different than using "Jihadist" and then saying, oh I only meant the Muslims who wage Jihad.
I'm not attacking the school and frankly I don't know who is. Omar has said absolutely terrible things repeatedly, has made it clear that those are her views by repeating the same tropes and messaging, and refuses to condemn anti-semitism unless it's lumped in with something else. She's not a good person. She's just the type that does a half-baked apology when threatened with some kind of cost. I'm not going to judge people who vote for her because it's a binary choice at the ballot box, but I really question the motives of anyone who tries propping her up as this leader in the Democratic Party. It's not like I hear she has this unique tax policy that people like, or she has a way of getting things done by bringing the party together. The identity politics stuff is central to her appeal when it should be the biggest red flag.
That is actually and ironically incorrect. Social justice under the modern standard leads one away from anti-semitism until Jewish people (as a marginalized group) are juxtaposed with a militant Muslim or Palestinian group. Under the standards of social justice, you need to be "empathetic" towards the most marginalized group, which really means you can't act like you know the experience of being Palestinian or Muslim unless you are one, which really means the Palestinian or Muslim is right because they're Palestinian or Muslim. They're the "oppressed" and the "Zionists" are the "oppressors." And all of a sudden, you find yourself agreeing that Israel doesn't have a right to exist, and you're at least on the road to anti-semitism, many would say you're already there. While some Jews would characterize anti-Israeli sentiment as anti-semitism, I don't know if I'd go that far, but it requires so much mental gymnastics to justify that position that you're on your way to anti-semitism. Today, it's "Israel is bad because the Palestinians were there first (which is debatable)" tomorrow it's "Israel is bad because the Jews are bad."
Zionist is not necessarily a euphemism for Jew. I am a Jew, and I don't consider myself a Zionist (with regard to how the term is used today). I know of other American Jews who feel the same way. Might some white supremacists use the term that way? Maybe. But the fact is that Ms. Muhammed's Jewish classmates issued a statement supporting her, so I'll trust their instincts about her instead of assuming the worst.
I asked that back on page one where I posted the actual speech. Still waiting. Here is the transcript front YouTube Introduction hello everyone thank you Dean study for that introduction I want to start by greeting you all with the greeting I know best may peace and blessings be upon you all my name is and I come to you all from the rich soil of Yemen raised by The Humble streets of Queens [Applause] it is my honor and I'm humbled to be standing before you all as a selected class speaker daytime speaker of the class of 2023. [Applause] to all our loved ones our parents grandparents siblings partners and Friends our comrades aunts and uncles and all the little kids in the crowd those who made it and those who couldn't we wouldn't be here without you thank you for your unwavering love my mom's crying so that means answering thank you for your unwavering love and support the celebration is yours this is a moment for those who paved the way for us to be here those who wipe down our tears those who are waiting ahead and to those we now must open the doors and now to the graduating class of 2023 before I begin I want to tell you all that my grandparents are in Yemen right now and they assured me that there are fireworks lighting up the city of Adam in celebration of all of us so just know that oceans away there's a whole city on the other end of the Earth it feels like celebrating you all [Applause] to the class of 2023 the moment we have all been waiting for is finally here the class that began this journey during a season of grief a season where ambulance trucks were the only noise in town and our neighborhoods became sort of ghost towns where we watched our immigrant parents keep the city on its feet as they saw bodies packed into refrigerated morgue trucks the class that saw nothing but black Zoom square boxes for the first two years there's a lot I can say about the loss and the pain we've all endured over the last three years but I am reminded of France fannin's words things get bad for all of us almost continually and what we do Under the constant stress reveals who and what we are and so I'm here to celebrate who and what we are who you are like many of you I chose CUNY school of law for its articulated mission to be law in the service of human needs one of very few legal institutions created Calls out Law as being "White Supremacy" to recognize that the law is a manifestation of white supremacy that continues to oppress and suppress people in this nation and around the world we joined this institution we joined this institution to be equipped with the necessary legal skills to protect our communities to protect the organizers fighting endlessly day in and out with no accolades No cameras no votes no PhD grants working to lift the facade of legal neutrality and confront the systems of Oppression that wreck violence on them systems of Oppression created to feed an Empire with a ravenous Appetite for Destruction and violence institutions created to intimidate bully and censor and stifle the voices of those who resist In This Moment [Applause] in this moment of celebrating who we are I want to celebrate CUNY law as one of the few if not the only law school to make a public statement defending the right of its students to organize and speak out against Israeli settler colonialism Calls out Israel [Applause] that this hmm that this is the law school that passed and endorsed beds on a student and faculty level [Music] recognizing that absent a critical imperialism settler colonialism lens our work and this school's mission statement is void of value that as Israel continues to indiscriminately Reign bullets and bombs on worshipers murdering the old the young attacking even funerals and graveyards as it encourages lynch mobs to Target Palestinian homes and businesses as it imprisons its children as it continues its project of settler colonialism expelling Palestinians from their homes carrying the ongoing nakba that are silent is no that are silence is no longer acceptable [Applause] we are [Applause] we are the student body and faculty that fought back when investor focused admin attempted to cross the BDS picket line saying loud and clear that Palestine can no longer be the exception to our pursuit of justice that our morality will not be purchased by investors we are the class we are the class that fought for incarcerated clients and zealously filed for their clemency applications with nearly zero institutional support we are the class that fought for cut for clients to get Asylum that went to court to reunite families torn apart by ACS in the family surveillance we are the class that organized against using Lexus a legal research company contracted with ice and we did all of this in spite of the racism in spite of the selective activism the self-serving interests of CUNY Central an institution that continues to fill us that continues to train and cooperate with the fascist NYPD the military that continues to train IDF soldiers to carry out that same violence globally a larger institution committed to its donors not to its students I am here to remind us all that our existence on its own today in this room is revolutionary that as we embark on our legal careers we must practice a discipline of Truth and courage and hold ourselves true to the mission statement we came to the school for so today I celebrate the courage and bravery that got us here and I celebrate every moment of resilience that sets us apart as the number one leading public interest School in this nation thank you I see I see before my eyes brilliant future public defenders I see brilliant immigration attorneys housing attorneys business attorneys civil rights attorneys and movement lawyers I see professors and Librarians ICB for me future practitioners who will work on contracts to end Partnerships with ice and not intellectual property contracts to secure designs for the newest drone technology murdering children I see future lawyers who will defend tenants in court and not those that dispossess dispossess our communities from their homes I see future attorneys who will protect the communities terrorized by the surveillance State and not protect the Agents of Oppression that carry out that Terror future lawyers who will fight to keep families together and not tear them apart I see future lawyers who will work to make this world a better place one person one movement at a time I see a class to be rejoiced a class to be celebrated a class to be remembered today and in the years ahead and as we celebrate who we are today let us actively fight against the collective Amnesia and cognitive dissonance that limits our understanding of the world to what is only directly before our eyes [Applause] let us remember let us remember that just this week has been bombed with a world watching that daily brown and black men are being murdered by the state at Rikers that there are Palestinian political prisoners like HLF in U.S prisons that there are refugees at the southern border still locked up that yesterday March one year since the murder of U.S journalists and that the murder of black men like Jordan Neely by a white man on a on the MTA is dignified by politicians like Eric Adams and Senator Chuck tumor we leave our classes and we leave the school to a world that so desperately needs us to stand alongside those who have given up for the sake of Liberation far more than we could imagine so may the joy and excitement that fills the auditorium here May the rage that fills this Auditorium dance in the hallways of our elementary schools in our home Villages and Haiti Puerto Rico and the Philippines may be rejoiced in the corners of our New York City bedroom apartments and dining tables may it be the fuel for the fight against capitalism racism imperialism and Zionism around the world and we'll save the world no single movement will Liberate the masses those who brunt the ferocity of the violence those who carry the revolution the people the masses those who brought the ferocity of the violence those who need our protection they will carry this revolution the revolution that lives so loudly despite not being televised no longer are we going to capitulate to oppressors no longer are we going to put our hope in their depraved Consciousness and as the as the great Malcolm X said we declare our right on this Earth to be a man to be a human being to be respected as a human being to be given the rights of a human being in this Society on this Earth in this day which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary [Applause] so when client at a time on case at a time when hearing at a time we will show up for our communities we will show up for ourselves and we will protect the fight that brings us all closer to the fall of all oppressive institution a reality that is only myopic and unrealistic to the oppressors but is the inevitable future for the oppressed for oppressed people everywhere for greater empires of Destruction have fallen before and so will these so to the class of 2023 the fight begins now Professors and Students Clapping
Appreciate that, but four paragraphs and a link please. that said, there’s probably a reason no one would point out her racist comments, right?
Well. That’s a problem cuz you have to click on the YouTube link and enable transcript yourself, it’s not printed anywhere. Maybe in a bit I can upload a pdf to a host site and link.
You claimed earlier that she made racist comments in her speech. I asked what they were, and I don't believe you answered. So what were they?
With respect I never said the racist comments were I her speech. She’s made them in the past and sure sounds anti-semitic based on what another poster quoted. Claiming that Zionist isn’t the same as being Jewish is a weak attempt to defend her.
Calling out continued Zionist expansion efforts and oppression of Palestinians isn’t anti-Semitic. The first include Jewish people, but it’s the act that is being condemned, not their ethnicity or religion. Would be like calling someone anti-Anglo for calling out racial oppression committed by white people.
She literally said that Zionists should not be in the same areas of the school as Palestinian studies and said there should be no Zionist professors. The strictest definition is Zionist is someone who wants a State of Israel. Anti-Zionist speech is often considered “coded speech” for anti Jew “The UK Labour Party has been at the centre of a row over anti-Semitism, including its relationship to anti-Zionism. What do these terms actually mean? Anti-Semitism is "hostility and prejudice directed against Jewish people" (OED). Zionism refers to the movement to create a Jewish state in the Middle East, roughly corresponding to the historical land of Israel, and thus support for the modern state of Israel. Anti-Zionism opposes that. But some say "Zionist" can be used as a coded attack on Jews, while others say the Israeli government and its supporters are deliberately confusing anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism to avoid criticism. Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone was suspended from Labour following a series of remarks about Israel, including the suggestion that Hitler supported Zionism before the Holocaust. It follows the suspension of Bradford West MP Naz Shah after it emerged she had once suggested, among other things, that Israel should be moved to the United States. The new president of the National Union of Students, Malia Bouattia, has also been heavily criticised for remarks she made about Zionists. Many in the Jewish community say the use of "Zionist" as a term of abuse reflects a rising tide of bigotry and racism directed at Jews” What's the difference between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism? I don’t see much difference to when Trump said there are a lot of illegals that are drug dealers and rapists coming into the country and the left screamed that was racist towards “brown people.
No it isn't, if you support the Israeli state, you are a Zionist. There are anti-Zionist Jews. That other people misuse or appropriate words doesn't make it true of people who use them accurately. Idiots call Democrats who aren't socialists socialists, but that doesn't make it a synonym for democrats, even though some idiots use it that way. Many people who support the Israeli state want it to be synonymous for obvious reasons, but Israel doesnt represent Judaism. Its a right-wing apartheid state, and lots of Jews want nothing to do with it.
Center for Constitutional Rights Condemns Chancellor’s and Board of Trustees’ Dangerous Attack on CUNY Law Student Over Graduation Speech
Yes. It is. And I said "euphemism" not "synonym." Many if not most pejorative terms have a non-pejorative usage. There is a difference between a jewish person identifying as a zionist or distancing themselves from it, as the case may be, and someone issuing a polemic against these zionists. And I don't believe there is a global industry dedicated to exposing and combatting the hidden plans of the Democratic party.
