Related video Jewish Berkeley dean speaks after graduation dinner at his home was disrupted by pro-Palestinian student I am surprised that my own university – my home for four years – has abandoned me.”Īs tensions in the Middle East rage on, Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza has yielded a dire humanitarian crisis while stoking angst across the world as supporters of Israel and Palestinians advocate online and in the streets, many in support of a ceasefire. “I am not surprised by those who attempt to propagate hatred. “I am both shocked by this decision and profoundly disappointed that the University is succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice,” Tabassum said in an online statement she released via the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Los Angeles. It’s an honor Tabassum is no stranger to: She was named valedictorian of her high school in May 2020 but due to the pandemic, she never got to deliver a speech, she told CNN on Tuesday.Īnd it’s an accolade Tabassum calls “an honor of a lifetime,” one her parents consider “a report card,” “evidence of their tireless work, love, support and the values and the characteristics that they’ve instilled in me for 21 years.” Tabassum, a first-generation South Asian-American Muslim, would have delivered her speech at the graduation ceremony on May 10. “The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement.” “Over the past several days, discussion relating to the selection of our valedictorian has taken on an alarming tenor,” USC Provost Andrew Guzman said in an online campus-wide letter.

Related article CAIR says it received more than 8,000 complaints of anti-Muslim bias in 2023 – a 56% increase over previous year American Muslims holding banners and Palestinian flags, gather in front of New York City Hall to stage a demonstration in support of Palestinians after performing Friday prayers in New York, United States on October 20, 2023.

Atext to speech