What was supposed to be a time of celebration for Asna Tabassum the University of Southern Californias 2024 valedictorian has turned to disappointment after the university denied her the chance to give a speech at commencement over security concerns.What a profoundly disappointing thing for a university to do. I thought the California unis were supposed to be better than this? Like I cannot believe this is happening in 2024.
Over the past several days, discussion relating to the selection of our valedictorian has taken on an alarming tenor, USC Provost Andrew Guzman said in an online campus-wide letter. The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement."
Tabassum a first-generation South Asian-American Muslim, according to a statement she released via the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Los Angeles would have delivered her speech at the graduation ceremony on May 10.
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, Tabassum said in the online statement. I am not surprised by those who attempt to propagate hatred. I am surprised that my own university my home for four years has abandoned me.
As tensions in the Middle East rage on, the deadly war in Gaza has yielded a dire humanitarian crisis while stoking angst across the world as supporters of Israel and Hamas advocate online and in the streets, many in support of a ceasefire.
The change to USCs commencement program only affects plans for a student speech, the universitys Associate Vice President for Strategic and Crisis Communications Lauren Bartlett told CNN.
Bartlett declined to say what security concerns drove the schools decision, saying, In the interest of safety and security, we dont disclose specific threats around the assessment.
For her part, Tabassum harbors serious doubts about whether USCs decision to revoke my invitation to speak is made solely on the basis of safety, she said in the online statement.
The doubts linger because I am not aware of any specific threats against me or the university, because my request for the details underlying the universitys threat assessment has been denied, and because I am not being provided any increased safety to be able to speak at commencement, Tabassum said .
When asked if Tabassum will still be permitted to participate in the graduation ceremony and what security measures were in place to secure her safety, Bartlett said she didnt have that information . A Chino Hills, California native, Tabassum studied biomedical engineering with a minor in resistance to genocide and an interest in global health care equity.
Instead of canceling Tabassums speech, the university should take more steps to secure a safe graduation environment, said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Los Angeles.
Even though USC has maintained Asnas position as valedictorian, the cowardly decision to cancel her speech empowers voices of hate and censorship, violates USCs obligation to protect its students and sends a terrible signal to both Muslim students at USC and all students who dare to express support for Palestinian humanity, Ayloush said in an online statement.
Bartlett also did not have information about whether the school considered letting Tabassum share her speech before or after the graduation ceremony, she said.
To be clear: this decision has nothing to do with freedom of speech, said the provost, Guzman. There is no free-speech entitlement to speak at a commencement. The issue here is how best to maintain campus security and safety, period.
While this is disappointing, he noted, tradition must give way to safety.
I am not surprised by those who attempt to propagate hatred. I am surprised that my own university my home for four years has abandoned me.The quote that matters most.
To be clear: this decision has nothing to do with freedom of speech, said the provost, Guzman. There is no free-speech entitlement to speak at a commencement.
Tabassum studied biomedical engineering with a minor in resistance to genocide
Fun fact, the state with the most amount of Trump votes, was California.texans in shambles
Don't get why people resort to this useless smartass response. They know what the complaint is.
Don't get why people resort to this useless smartass response. They know what the complaint is.they probably heard people say it's not a free speech issue when someone got fired over being shitty and think they got something invoking it here.
Fun fact, the state with the most amount of Trump votes, was California.I always wonder how California Republicans feel when Conservative media paints their state as pure liberal.
I know some believe California to be a Blue haven, but there's a huge number of Trumpanzees in that state too.
Idk what the politics for that university is, and more specifically the people involved. But I thought this was important to note.
I thought the California unis were supposed to be better than this? Like I cannot believe this is happening in 2024.It's because it's 2024. Censorship is making a comeback, thanks to Randall Munroe's enlightened comic that reminded people they could get away with it.
That's an available minor?Yes. Through the school's history department.
Universities are primarily liberal indoctrination facilities and only secondarily for education.
Universities are primarily liberal indoctrination facilities and only secondarily for education.https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/355b7dd7.jpg
But this is bullshit too.
Universities are primarily liberal indoctrination facilities and only secondarily for education.
But this is bullshit too.
Hope this is sarcasm. If not then it now makes sense as to why you think literally everything on Youtube is fake bullshit created for Youtube (referring to you not knowing that cat-fisting was a thing people in the South actually do and have done long before Youtube ever existed).I still refuse to believe that's a thing that happens in the Western world today. If by "long before YouTube" you mean 200+ years, then yes, that I can believe.
Universities are primarily liberal indoctrination facilities and only secondarily for education.
But this is bullshit too.
One day I'd like to see a 'new user' here who starts off posting deliberately-provocative apolitical topics that doesn't eventually (and predictably) devolve into right-wing shitposting. Rarer than a unicorn with a horn shaped like a four-leaf clover, that.Unfortunately that can't happen anymore even if the unicorn existed
It's because it's 2024. Censorship is making a comeback, thanks to Randall Munroe's enlightened comic that reminded people they could get away with it.You seem really upset about a comic dedicated to telling bigots to shut the fuck up.
The people who can typically be counted on to decry the "anti-free speech" "cancel culture" of college campuses will mostly be silent on this, because it was never really about free speech, but about who you have to listen to.Yeah. We've pretty much learned that most people actually aren't free speech absolutist. It's always been about a disagreement on which speech someone thinks should be allowed.
I still refuse to believe that's a thing that happens in the Western world today. If by "long before YouTube" you mean 200+ years, then yes, that I can believe.
USC: "That Timmy guy over at fandom has some good ideas"I was so looking forward to her speech, titled "Breeding sloppy mommy milkers."
NPR had a little more context for this. Tabassum had posted on social media about Palestine, and a student group "Trojans (the USC mascot) for Israel" objected. USC claims that that objection grew beyond the college but is very unclear about how that relates to safety.
Yeah i looked this up after i saw your post and she did more than that.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/16/usc-valedictorian-speech-palestine
At the top of Tabassums Instagram account, a link directs users to a slideshow encouraging readers to learn about whats happening in Palestine and how to help. The presentation also advocates for one Palestinian state, saying that would mean Palestinian liberation and the complete abolishment of the state of Israel.
Although Tabassum told NBCs Los Angeles affiliate that she posted the link five years earlier and did not author the slideshow, pro-Israel and Jewish groups objected to USCs selection of her as valedictorian based on her social media activity.
One group in particular, Trojans for Israel, said it strongly supports the right to free expression including informed criticism of the Israeli government. However, rhetoric that denies the right of the Jewish people to self-determination or calls for the destruction of the only Jewish state in the world must be denounced as antisemitic bigotry.
The group added: All eligible valedictory candidates have valuable work ethic and accomplishments, but the university chose a candidate who publicly propagates antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric as the most esteemed representative of the class of 2024.
So essentially its a compromise. As they tried to disqualify her all together the university just revoked her being able to do a speech instead.
I dont agree with their contrived statement about it but i do agree with the decision. She also seems a little disingenuous about this as well.
I looked and here's evidence the pro Israel groups cited in her social media likes as her being an antisemiteYeah they're the ones being disingenuous. Even without that clause, it should be clear that "abolish Israel" is not at all comparable to supporting genocide.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/f7c81070.jpg
... they highlight "abolish Israel" and imply it shows she's calling for the genocide of Jewish people despite minoring in "resistance to genocide"... but the very next clause, not even next sentence but the next clause after the semicolon, is saying the opposite, that people should all remain in the land just without apartheid.
"Compromise" is very very generous IMO. This college apparently has programs studying genocide and apartheid and resistance but when the time comes that a student who took those classes gets great grades and extracurriculars, they back off and say "we won't risk her actually speaking what she learned in our classes!"
I looked and here's evidence the pro Israel groups cited in her social media likes as her being an antisemite
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/f7c81070.jpg
... they highlight "abolish Israel" and imply it shows she's calling for the genocide of Jewish people despite minoring in "resistance to genocide"... but the very next clause, not even next sentence but the next clause after the semicolon, is saying the opposite, that people should all remain in the land just without apartheid.
"Compromise" is very very generous IMO. This college apparently has programs studying genocide and apartheid and resistance but when the time comes that a student who took those classes gets great grades and extracurriculars, they back off and say "we won't risk her actually speaking what she learned in our classes!"
That isn't a compromise.