The University of Southern California has canceled a commencement address for its 2024 valedictorian, an alumnus who has publicly supported the Palestinians, citing security concerns. The rare decision was praised by several pro-Israel groups and roundly condemned by free speech advocates and the country’s largest Muslim civil rights group.
Andrew T Guzman, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the private Los Angeles university, said in a statement Monday about the selection of valedictorian Asna Tabassum. ), who delivered a commencement address on May 10, took on an “alarming atmosphere.” He said her speech would pose a “huge” security risk to the event, which draws 65,000 people to campus.
While Guzman did not specify whether there was a threat, he said “we cannot ignore the fact that similar risks have led to harassment and even violence on other campuses.”
“Fueled by social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, these strong feelings have grown to include many voices beyond USC and have escalated to cause concerns about safety and disruption at commencement ceremonies,” Guzman wrote. the level of significant risks involved.”
Israel’s war with Hamas poses challenges for universities facing pressure to protect free speech and open debate, and campuses are expected to be further tested as commencement speeches begin in the coming weeks.
Zach Greenberg, a First Amendment attorney with the National Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), said colleges should resist canceling events that might be seen as censorship, especially high-profile events like commencement speeches activity. But he said if it did, schools must be transparent and specific about safety concerns “not just as a matter of integrity” but also to warn the public for their own safety.
He expressed concern that other schools were bowing to pressure and eroding free speech.
“This is the start of the back-to-school season,” he said. “This seems to be a very clear example of a university canceling an event and censoring students for opposing their views, particularly on social media regarding the conflict in Gaza.”
Tabasam, who is majoring in biomedical engineering and minoring in resisting genocide, said in a statement provided Tuesday by the Greater Los Angeles regional office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations that the decision caught her off guard. She said university officials told her Monday there were resources to put in place appropriate safety measures, but they were worried about their image.
“Because of my uncompromising belief in human rights for all, anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices have subjected me to a racist hate campaign,” she said, adding that she was not aware of any attacks against her or the university. Specific threats.
“I am shocked by this decision and deeply disappointed that the school has succumbed to a campaign of hate aimed at silencing my voice,” she said. “I am not surprised by those who seek to spread hate. I am surprised by my own College—my home for four years—had abandoned me.”
Guzman said the decision was purely based on security concerns and was made in consultation with a “team of campus security experts.” Erroll G Southers, USC associate senior vice chancellor for safety and security, is an expert on campus violence prevention, a former FBI agent, and a member of the Los Angeles Police Commission, which oversees the Chairman of the Civil Affairs Commission of the City Police Department.
“To be clear: this decision has nothing to do with free speech,” Guzman’s statement read. “There is no right to free speech at graduation. The issue here is how best to maintain campus safety.”
On the USC campus Tuesday, some students expressed disappointment.
One of them, Isabella Griggs, said there was “no indication” that Tabassum’s comments had caused any harm.
“She talks about issues that are important not only to our university and our students, but to the world,” Griggs said.
Another student, Mohammed Zain Shafi Khan, said Tabassum “embodies what it means to be valedictorian at USC, but to deprive her of that honor — at least casually — The honor that comes with it — it’s very disappointing because it’s her moment” to enjoy. “
The university’s announcement came the same day that pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked roads in Illinois, California, New York and the Pacific Northwest, temporarily closing access to some of the nation’s most heavily used airports, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge and transportation to other areas. The busy West Coast Highway calls for an immediate ceasefire.
Campuses have been hotbeds of protest against the war, which began with Hamas launched deadly attack on Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people.Iseral’s Responding to attacks on Gaza According to the Gaza Health Ministry, as many as 33,800 Palestinians have died.
The group EndJewHatred released a statement Monday night praising USC’s decision.
“Ms. Tabassum’s speech as valedictorian is expected to be harmful to Jewish students and may even anger anti-Semitic activists,” the group said.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the cancellation.
“USC cannot hide its cowardly decision behind disingenuous concerns about ‘safety,'” Hussam Ayloush, the group’s executive director, said in a statement.
Tabassum describes herself as a first-generation South Asian American Muslim and said her speech was intended to inspire hope during difficult times.
“By canceling my speech, USC is simply giving in to fear and rewarding hate,” she said.
“As valedictorian of your class, I implore my fellow USC classmates to think outside the box and work toward a world where calls for equality and human dignity are not used to express hatred,” she said. “I challenge us to pass Respond to ideological discomfort with dialogue and learning, not bigotry and censorship. I urge us to overcome our deepest fears and recognize the need to support justice for all, including the Palestinian people.”
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