With New York’s large Jewish population, choosing Sarsour to speak at graduation is beyond ignorance…
CUNY’s Graduate School of Public Health & Public Policy will feature controversial activist Linda Sarsour as keynote speaker at the commencement ceremony. Sarsour, a co-organizer of the Women’s March, is a Muslim activist who supports Sharia law. Born in Brooklyn, Sarsour is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants. Her militant stance shows through posts she’s made on her social media accounts. She has referred to critics as “Zionist trolls” who will never silence her. Sarsour has also posted a photograph depicting a young Palestinian boy about to throw rocks at Israelis, calling the act “the definition of courage.”
I’m 100% in support of the First Amendment’s freedom of speech, and in light of conservative speakers being shut down on college campuses of late, I see one glaringly obvious difference in this instance. Conservatives such as Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos have been invited to speak at events that are not mandatory. Students can choose whether or not to attend. By inviting Linda Sarsour to keynote commencement, CUNY has successfully made that choice for its students. New York City has a large Jewish population, and it’s appalling that someone like Sarsour would be presented to them during such an important event.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igwtMJ_rqOw
Sarsour’s militant anti-Israeli posts on her social media have caused outrage, and for good reason. In one Twitter post, Sarsour states that “nothing is creepier than Zionism.” One politician has spoken out against a taxpayer-funded institution like CUNY for inviting a supporter of Sharia law. Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) condemned CUNY’s choice, arguing that “she is someone who associates with radical Islamists; supports them; shows support for them. She is someone who has said, clearly, she thinks throwing rocks at cars in Israel is a good thing. I mean, it’s just nuts. It makes no sense. It’s crazy to have this woman be the person who’s going to speak to the students.”
Despite outrage and protest among communities in New York City, CUNY has no plans to disinvite Sarsour, stating that the program will continue as scheduled. I guess they’re okay with Sarsour’s anti-Semitic rhetoric and desire for Sharia law. I’ve often wondered why political activists such as Sarsour aren’t on the ground in the homeland they fight so hard to protect. She would rather rile up good old-fashioned Americans and push an agenda that has absolutely no merit in the United States. Sarsour can choose to live by Sharia law and omit pork from her diet all she wants; the fact is that she enjoys freedom and safety in the United States. She’s not forced to marry someone against her will, abused, subjected to torture, and has equal rights. There are those who are not as lucky because their respective societies chose Sharia law. It has been used to oppress women and fit the agenda of jihadists. The rules change depending on the day of the week.
