WASHINGTON — Republican and Democratic lawmakers grilled Columbia College President Minouche Shafik concerning the college's dealing with of anti-Semitism, together with circumstances involving college members who publicly referred to as the Oct. 7 Hamas bloodbath “superior.”
On Wednesday, Columbia College President Minouche Shafik testified earlier than the Home Training and Workforce Committee, together with two board members and a longtime Columbia College college member. The aim of the listening to was to debate experiences of a rise in anti-Semitic conduct amongst college students and professors on the college.
At one level in the course of the listening to, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., requested 4 witnesses whether or not calling for the genocide of the Jews violated the college's code of conduct. All 4 witnesses answered “sure”.
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Bonamici's query was the identical query requested by Rep. Elise Štefánik, RN.Y., to the presidents of Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Know-how and the College of Pennsylvania throughout an identical listening to in December. The responses of three college presidents led to calls for his or her resignations after they didn’t immediately reply whether or not calling for genocide in opposition to Jews violated their establishments' codes of conduct.
Through the listening to, Shafik listed steps the college has taken to fight anti-Semitism, together with the creation of a activity pressure and listening periods for college students “on each side of the difficulty.”
Štefánik claimed that Columbia College didn’t take acceptable motion to self-discipline college members resembling Joseph Massad for anti-Semitism. Massad is a professor of contemporary Arab politics and mental historical past on the college.
In October, Massad described the October 7 Hamas assaults as “superb” in an essay for The Digital Intifada, saying that Israelis “might have lastly understood that dwelling on land stolen from different folks won’t ever make them secure.” Shafik mentioned earlier within the listening to that she had spoken to the professor and that she was “appalled” by his rhetoric.
“Was some other enforcement motion taken?” Štefánik requested Shafik, who replied that Massad had not repeated these remarks and that he had been faraway from his place as chairman of the educational evaluate board.
Columbia College's web site lists Joseph Massad because the “retiring chair” of the educational evaluate board. Štefánik mentioned in the course of the listening to that Massad's title was nonetheless listed on the web site, however Shafik mentioned she couldn’t reply whether or not his title had been eliminated.
Rep. Kathy Manning, D-N.C., additionally requested Shafik about Massad why the professor continues to be instructing at Columbia College. In line with the college president, the varsity has “disciplinary processes” in place if a college member “transgresses[es] line.” Shafik additionally informed Manning that, so far as she knew, Massad was on the college however now not instructing.
Along with Massad, Štefánik highlighted the rhetoric of Columbia regulation professor Katherine Franke and visiting professor Mohamed Abdou. A couple of days after the October 7 Hamas bloodbath, Abdou wrote on Fb that he was “with the muqawamah (resistance),” referring to Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad.
The Republican consultant learn an announcement from Franke wherein the professor declared that “All Israeli college students who’ve served within the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] they’re harmful and shouldn’t be on campus.”
Shafik mentioned in the course of the listening to that Abou had been fired and that he would “by no means work at Columbia once more.” As for Frank, the college's president agreed that her remark was “unacceptable” and mentioned the professor had been spoken to by a high-ranking member of the varsity's administration, who claimed the assertion was “not what she meant.”
The Republican consultant for New York accused Shafik of failing to take “disciplinary motion.”
“Speaking to those professors will not be sufficient,” Štefánik mentioned. “And it sends a message throughout the college that that is tolerated, these anti-Semitic statements from an individual in authority on this classroom are tolerated.”
In an announcement Wednesday after the listening to, Štefánik argued that Shafik provided “inconsistent testimony” about disciplinary actions taken in opposition to college students and academics who have interaction in anti-Semitic conduct.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, R-Minn., who has additionally been accused of anti-Semitism, requested Shafik on Wednesday if she had ever seen a protest on campus in opposition to Jews. Because the college president started to reply, Omar lower him off and moved on to a different set of questions.
Štefánik later accused Shafik of fixing his testimony after the congresswoman requested her if there had been “anti-Jewish protests” at Columbia College. Shafik informed Štefánik that she was unable to complete a sentence when the query was first introduced to her. The president clarified that the protests weren’t labeled as “anti-Jewish” however agreed that anti-Semitic issues have been mentioned at most of the occasions.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Submit. You possibly can contact her at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Comply with her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
