The USC valedictorian, who was barred from speaking at a university ceremony, has said she stands by her views after being criticized for anti-Semitic posts.
Asna Tabassum, from Chino Hills, California, was selected as this year’s valedictorian at the University of Southern California.
Pro-Israel groups criticized her selection after it emerged she had posted posts questioning the conflict between Israel and Hamas, with links promoting anti-Semitism.
The council removed Tabassum, a Muslim, from their lineup, declaring that “tradition must give way to security.”
For the first time since her gag order, Tabassum told ABC7 that she stands by her views.
She told the newspaper: “I stand by exactly what I stand for, I don’t think it’s ironic that I’m a minor in something called opposition to genocide and then speak out about it and then it’s withdrawn because I’m being punished . for something people have a problem with.’
For the first time since her gag order, Tabassum told ABC7 that she stands by her views
Pro-Israel groups criticized her selection after it emerged she had posted posts questioning the Israel-Hamas conflict, with links promoting anti-Semitism
Tabassum also said she did not believe university officials’ safety claim after they did not provide her with details.
She told the outlet, “That was a primal emotion, pride and humility and humbleness. It quickly turned to shock and surprise.”
Pressing further on officials at the school, she said: “[It was] almost a one-way conversation – and the next day they came to me.
‘They called me and said: ‘It’s a shame, but you don’t get to speak’. It was a roller coaster, and I would say that’s the best way to describe it.
“When people use this particular issue as a way to discuss issues of freedom of speech, safety, the First Amendment, racism, hate and ideological debate.
‘That is exactly what a university should do, that is exactly how we learn as students.
“It’s not about the speech, it’s about the representation, it’s about the principle.”
Tabassum, who studies biomedical engineering with a minor in resistance to genocide, is said to have addressed 65,000 people during the ceremony.
USC officials chose her from nearly 100 students with a GPA of 3.98 or higher.
In letters to administrators, critics accused her of posting a link to a website that “targets more than 10% of USC students and calls Zionists ‘racist settlers.’
Tabassum was not allowed to speak at the commencement ceremony due to alleged anti-Semitic posts on social media
Tabassum’s pro-Palestinian stance and links promoting the abolition of Israel led to sites of prose, as seen above
Tabassum shared pro-Palestinian views and likes via her Instagram account, which she has since made private and deleted her posts
A link from Asna Tabassum leads to a website with various anti-Semitic sentiments
Tabassum has shared pro-Palestinian views and likes via her Instagram account, which she has since made private and deleted her posts.
Tabassum’s current Instagram bio links to a landing page that says “Learn what’s happening in Palestine and how you can help.”
‘Mrs. Tabassum unapologetically and openly endorses the link’s calls for “the complete abolition of the State of Israel (sic),” according to a letter circulating for critics to submit to administrators.
As if the unqualified order to abolish the State of Israel was in any way unclear, Ms. Tabassum’s link reinforces racism with another link, urging readers to “reject the hegemonist attempts to demand that Palestinians accept that Israel has the right to exist as A . . . Jewish state.’
The university sidestepped any mention of Tabassum’s alleged views and instead described the reasoning as “security reasons.”
“While this is disappointing, tradition must give way to safety,” Provost Andrew Guzman wrote in a letter to the university community.
Tabassum, studying biomedical engineering and minoring in resistance to genocide, reportedly planned to address 65,000 people at the ceremony
One Instagram account, We Are Tov, spends time sifting through Tabassum’s links
“This decision is not only necessary to maintain the safety of our campus and students, but is consistent with the fundamental legal obligation – including the expectations of federal regulators – that universities act to protect students and keep our campus community safe.
‘It uses the same values and criteria that we have used in the past to guide our actions.
“It in no way detracts from the remarkable academic achievements of any student who qualifies or is selected for valedictorian.
‘To be clear: this decision has nothing to do with freedom of expression. There is no right to free speech to speak at the start.
“The problem here is how best to maintain campus safety, period.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations-Los Angeles has now demanded that Tabassum be allowed to speak at the event.
While Tabassum herself suggested that she was silenced and that her university had ‘abandoned her’.
She wrote in a statement: “Anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices have subjected me to a campaign of racist hatred because of my uncompromising belief in human rights for all.
“This campaign to avoid addressing my colleagues at the outset has clearly achieved its aim.
‘USC administrators have informed me that the university will no longer allow me to speak at commencement due to alleged security reasons.
“I am both shocked by this decision and deeply disappointed that the university is succumbing to a hate campaign designed to silence my voice,” she continued.
“I am not surprised by those who try to promote hatred. I’m surprised that my own university – where I lived at home for four years – has abandoned me.’
USC Provost Andrew Guzman calls Tabassum’s removal due to ‘safety concerns’
“While this is disappointing, tradition must give way to safety,” Provost Andrew Guzman wrote in a letter to the university community
USC officials chose her from nearly 100 students with a GPA of 3.98 or higher. In the photo: last year’s ceremony
Provost Guzman also said in a message to the campus that the fuss over the choice of the valedictorian had taken on “an alarming tenor.”
That’s what the university said LA times how threats had been made via email, letters and via telephone calls to campus.
Guzman wrote: “The intensity of sentiment, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices beyond USC and has escalated to the point of creating significant risks regarding security and disruption.
“We cannot ignore that similar risks have led to harassment and even violence on other campuses.
“As always, and especially when tensions around the world are so high, we must prioritize the safety of our community.
“And as every year, we assessed our security needs at the outset based on all the information we have and the facts on the ground.
“We are resolute in our commitment to maintaining and prioritizing the existing safety and well-being of our USC community in the coming weeks, and allowing those present at Commencement to focus on the celebration our graduates deserve.” ‘