On May 12, City University of New York (CUNY) Law student Fatima Mohammed boldly spoke out against Israeli crimes against Palestinians. At first, a video of her speech received little notoriety but shortly went viral after news outlets and pro-Israel politicians took notice. The New York Post published a front-page story on the speech with the headline “Stark Raving Grad.” Since then, she has been subject to backlash from figures as powerful as mayor of New York City Eric Adams, Democratic Representative Ritchie Torres, and Republican Senator Ted Cruz.
Following the backlash, Mohammed’s alma mater removed her speech from Youtube and condemned her words as “hate speech.”
“Israel continues to indiscriminately rain bullets and bombs on worshippers, murdering the old, the young, attacking even funerals and graveyards as it encourages lynch mobs to target Palestinian homes and businesses,” Mohammed said in her speech. During the holy month of Ramadan, Israeli occupation forces had indeed attacked worshippers inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Last year they attacked the funeral procession of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who’s killing has been established as intentional by the Israeli state.
Supporters of Palestine are continually persecuted for exercising their free speech rights in the United States, especially in academia. Professors, such as Steven Salaita, have lost their jobs for speaking out against Israel. The infamous website Canary Mission exists to surveil and defame students that are organizing in support of Palestinian liberation. The US has several laws on the books that explicitly ban boycotts against Israel.
Mohammed also criticized CUNY for collaborating with what she called the “fascist” New York City Police Department, leading to former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly slandering her on FOX News.
At this same commencement, students booed and turned their guests on surprise guest speaker Eric Adams, who was once an NYPD officer himself. The mayor has come under fire for several policy choices that will negatively affect poor New Yorkers, such as homeless encampment sweeps and cutting funds for schools. “In a shocking lack of transparency, the student body was not informed about Adam’s presence prior to his arrival, and he was rightfully met with resounding boos as he attempted to deliver a self-aggrandizing apologia for police violence disguised as a speech,” read a statement authored by Within Our Lifetime, a NYC-based Palestinian liberation organization.
The Palestinian Youth Movement, a transnational organization of Palestinian and Arab youth in the diaspora, declared that they stand with Fatima and “all those facing repression for speaking up & organizing against the Zionist entity. This backlash continues to prove the fragile position of Zionism in this country.”
