The CUNY law school graduate student who gave a ‘hate-filled’ commencement speech has doubled down on her attacks on ‘facist police’ and military – and says given the chance she would say it all again even louder.
Fatima Mousa Mohammed, who has stayed silent since her controversial commencement speech, sat down with senior reporter for Jewish Currents Alex Kane on Tuesday to discuss the widespread backlash she has received.
The Yemeni immigrant made a series of incendiary remarks at the annual commencement ceremony of City University of New York (CUNY) Law School on May 12, that many are calling anti-American and anti-Semitic.
Mohammed said she believed the backlash she has received is meant to ‘stifle, censor, and intimidate me away from Palestine organizing.’
The criticism Mohammed received for her speech which she found surprising was from her school.
Fatima Mousa Mohammed (pictured) took her graduation ceremony to blast the NYPD and the US military as ‘fascists’ and called on her peers to continue to ‘revolution’ against capitalism and racism across the country
‘I did not think that CUNY would come out and say that my speech, which was approved by CUNY Law, was ‘hate speech.’ she said.
Adding that ‘even a first-year law student would know that they are using a definition of hate speech that does not meet the legal standard.’
Mohammad then doubled down on her anti-Zionist views.
‘Zionism is built on racist, settler colonial dispossession and ethnic cleansing,’ she said, as she nearly recited her speech word for word.
‘For as long as Zionism has existed, it has wreaked violence and pain on the Palestinian people. Our tax dollars are being used to fund this violence.
She argued that her anti-Zionist views are in fact her and her classmates ‘responsibility’ as future lawyers – and it was her way of honoring her fellow graduates.
‘Calling out Zionism was my way of honoring my colleagues’ selection of me as class speaker as well as our school’s mission statement,’ she said.
Regarding her rage filled comments about the military, Mohammed said that CUNY students have ‘been vocal in resisting racism, protesting the role of the military-industrial complex, protesting the privatization of higher education, and supporting global movements of liberation from South Africa to Puerto Rico to Palestine.’
‘Those calling for CUNY to be defunded are willfully ignorant of what CUNY is and who CUNY serves,’ she said.
The law grad complained that she was being subjected to harassment, which was impacting her family as well as her studies for the New York Bar.
‘The harassment was overwhelming for me and my family. We worried for our safety. I was trying to study for the bar exam while getting comments like, she said,
Mohammad claimed the ‘repression’ she has received occurred because ‘there’s an exception to Palestinian rights, even in liberal spaces.’
‘There is this notion that Palestine is a radioactive subject, and that if you approach it, there will be consequences that are exceptional,’ she said.
During her speech, Mohammed called the U.S. military and NYPD ‘fascist’ and claimed there was an ongoing covert revolution.
‘The masses, those who brought the ferocity of the violence, those who need our protection. They will carry this revolution,’ she added.
Mohammed attacked the State of Israel and Zionists for the ‘indiscriminate’ killings of ‘innocent’ Palestinians – encouraging ‘lynch mobs’ and promoted resistance to ‘Zionism around the world.’
The Yemeni immigrant sat down with senior reporter for Jewish Currents Alex Kane on Tuesday to discuss the widespread backlash she has received since her May 12 speech that many are calling anti-American and anti-Semitic
The contentious speech enraged people on social media – including lawmakers, professors and entire organizations – who criticized Mohammed for her hateful and ignorant words.
Ted Cruz and other lawmakers have slammed a NYC college for allowing the graduate to give a ‘hateful’ speech attacking the US military – all while getting her education on the taxpayer’s dime.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams also slammed the CUNY law graduate for her ‘negativity and divisiveness’ after she incited anger and slammed ‘fascist’ cops.
A Jewish legal group went as far as to send an appeal to the New York Supreme Court to block Mohammed from becoming a lawyer after her anti-Israel commencement speech which they say proves she lacks the character and fitness to practice the law.
There are growing calls for CUNY to lose its government funding after the commencement speech of a pro-Palestine, graduating student who used the floor to denigrate Israel, the NYPD, the US Armed Forces and local politicians after receiving her subsidized education.
Others defended Mohammed and agreed with statements.
A New York law department dean, who previously condemned Israel in a series of ‘anti-racist’ courses at another university, applauded the commencement speech.
Sudha Setty, the dean of law at the City University of New York (CUNY), sat on stage and applauded on May 12 while Fatima Mousa Mohammed delivered her speech.
Mohammed said that support is what has ‘kept her on her feet.’
She then referenced another student from California, Jana Abulaban, being ‘subjected to a smear campaign,’ for speaking about Palestine.
Mohammed said she reached out to express her approval of the speech, and said it inspired her.
‘It makes this whole thing worth it to know that censorship is not working anymore,’ Mohammed said.
‘Students and people are waking up to the reality of what Palestinians are enduring. Censorship and intimidation tactics will work if it’s only one or two people speaking up, but if we all speak up, it’ll be harder to stifle us, she said.
‘That support has given me a lot of motivation and conviction to carry on, she added.
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