USC bans its valedictorian from making speech at commencement ceremony over ... trends now
USC's valedictorian has been banned from making a speech during the university's commencement ceremony after she allegedly made antisemitic posts on social media calling for the 'complete abolition' of Israel.
Asna Tabassum, from Chino Hill, California, who is a Muslim, had been selected as this year's valedictorian but questions arose over her suitability after she publicly raised questions about the current Israel-Gaza conflict and included links that promoted antisemitism.
In an unprecedented move, the college removed Tabassum from its undergraduate lineup stating 'tradition must give way to safety' - but in doing so USC has failed to tackle her comments head-on.
Tabassum, who is majoring biomedical engineering with a minoring in resistance to genocide, would have addressed 65,000 people at the ceremony. USC officials chose her from nearly 100 student applicants who had GPAs of 3.98 or higher.
In letters sent to USC administrators, critics accused her of posting on a social media a link to a website that 'takes a swinging bat at over 10% of the USC student body and mudslings by calling Zionists 'racist-settlers.'
USC's valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, has been barred from speaking at commencement due to alleged antisemitic social media posts
Tabassum has shared pro-Palestinian views and 'likes' expressed through her Instagram account which she has since made private and removed her postings
Tabassum's pro-Palestinian stance and links promoting the abolition of Israel led to sites with prose, seen above
Tabassum has shared pro-Palestinian views and 'likes' expressed through her Instagram account which she has since made private and removed her postings.
Tabassum's current Instagram bio links to a landing page that says 'learn about what's happening in Palestine, and how to help.'
'Ms. Tabassum unabashedly and openly endorses the link's calls for 'the complete abolishment of the state of israel (sic),' according to a letter circulated for critics to submit to administrators.
'As if the unqualified command for abolition of the State of Israel was unclear in any way, Ms. Tabassum's link reinforces racism with another link, urging readers to 'reject the hegemonic efforts to demand that Palestinians accept that Israel has a right to exist as a . . . Jewish state.'
But the university has so far sidestepped any mention of Tabassum's alleged views and instead describing the reasoning to no longer have her speak as being due to 'security concerns', the school's provost announced.
'While this is disappointing, tradition must give way to safety,' Provost Andrew Guzman wrote in a letter to the university community.
Tabassum is majoring in biomedical engineering and minoring in resistance to genocide would have been planning to address 65,000 people at the ceremony
A link from Asna Tabassum leads to a website containing various antisemitic sentiments
Provost of USC Andrew Guzman attends cited Tabassum's removal as being down to 'security concerns'
'While this is disappointing, tradition must give way to safety,' Provost Andrew Guzman wrote in a letter to the university community
