The University of Southern California has decided to cancel its plans to have its valedictorian speak during this year’s commencement ceremony due to safety concerns over her pro-Palestine stance, the school shared.
In a statement made on Monday , USC said that Asna Tabassum, who was selected as this year’s valedictorian, would not give a commencement speech after student groups called for the decision to be reconsidered by the university over her social media posts about the ongoing Israel and Hamas war.
On Tabassum’s personal Instagram is a link to a slideshow that says, “learn about what’s happening in Palestine and how to help.” The slideshow goes on to criticize Zionism as being “a racist settler-colonial ideology that advocates for a Jewish ethnostate built on Palestinian land.”
It then calls for a “one-state solution” that “would mean Palestinian liberation, and the complete abolishment of the state of Israel.”
Student groups, including the Trojans for Israel organization, have since called Tabassum’s social media activity “antisemitic bigotry.”
However, some have said that USC’s decision is wrong and that Tabassum should be allowed to speak.
The person behind the decision, USC Provost Andrew Guzman, said that the situation “has grown to include many voices” that are not a part of the campus community and, therefore, pose a security threat to next month’s event.
In total, the school expects around 65,000 people to attend the graduation ceremony.
“After careful consideration, we have decided that our student valedictorian will not deliver a speech at commencement,” Guzman said. “While this is disappointing, tradition must give way to safety.”
Tabassum has released a statement on the decision , saying that she has faced “a campaign of racist hatred because of my uncompromising belief in human rights for all.”
She went on to question the safety concerns brought forth by the university and said she was denied a request to view the school’s threat assessment.
“I am not surprised by those who attempt to propagate hatred,” Tabassum said. “I am surprised that my own university—my home for four years—has abandoned me.”
Guzman said the college “supports free speech and dissent, so long as it doesn’t disturb” the school’s activities.
He added that the school’s Department of Public Safety will be “fully deployed” along with police as it remains “resolute in our commitment to maintain and prioritize the existing safety and well-being of our USC community during the coming weeks.”
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