Leila Khaled
The city’s Sandton Drive is home to the U.S. consulate.
Head of Palestinian American lobby group joins conference with terror-group members
Osama Abuirshaid has openly expressed anti-Semitic views in the past; has close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood; and has voiced support for Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.
In letters to Zoom and UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz, the organization notes that the event featuring Leila Khaled could violate federal law by providing material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization.
“There is a word for someone who has ‘taken part’ in two plane hijackings. That word is not ‘activist,’ ” tweets American Jewish Committee.
It stated that social-media censorship went against the principle of academic freedom.
“We determined that this event is in violation of one or more of [our] policies and have let the host[s] know that they may not use [our platform] for this particular event,” stated a spokesperson.
The Oct. 23 event, “We Will Not Be Silenced: The Case of Khaled and Solidarity from Hawaii to Palestine,” will take place via Zoom.
In response, San Francisco State University Professor Rabab Abdulhadi posted on social media: “We are not accepting Zoom’s caving in to Zionist and racist pressures. SFSU has an obligation to protect our classes.”
The Lawfare Project warned that by permitting a documented terrorist to use its platform to communicate directly to U.S. college students, Zoom could possibly violate federal law.
“[D]oes academic freedom protect faculty who intentionally use their classrooms not to educate their students, but to indoctrinate them with propaganda consistent with their own political causes?”
A university spokesperson told JNS that “an invitation to a public figure to speak to a class should not be construed as an endorsement of point of view.”
“I find the poster personally offensive,” said Women’s March Chicago co-organizer Harlene Ellin. “But I respect the right of the [people] carrying it to voice their opinion.”
