The University of Southern California said it has canceled plans for a graduation speech by this year’s valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, who is Muslim.
The school said the decision stemmed from security concerns, after several pro-Israeli groups objected to her social media posts supporting Palestinians.
The decision drew immediate criticism from the Los Angeles office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, as well as from Ms. Tabassum, a biomedical engineering major.
“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,” Ms. Tabassum wrote in a statement.
University officials have had to handle vociferous debates over pro-Palestinian student protests, which many Jewish students and alumni say often veer into antisemitism.
Persons:
Asna Tabassum, Tabassum, “, Ms
Organizations:
University of Southern, Islamic, Hamas, University
Locations:
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Israel