Harvard & MIT Students Speak Out for Palestine Amidst Campus Crackdowns

Student Protests and Commencement Speeches

• 🎓 Students across the U.S. are using commencement speeches to denounce Israel's war on Gaza and university complicity in silencing dissent.
• 🇵🇸 At MIT, class president Mega Viri was barred from her graduation ceremony after her speech criticizing MIT's research ties with Israeli occupation forces and calling for an arms embargo.
• ⚖️ Harvard Law School professor Andrew Crespo criticized his university for exhibiting "acquiescence" rather than courage in its response to pro-Palestine protests, including denying degrees and suspending students.

Harvard Divinity School Address

• 💬 Zehra Imam, a Muslim associate chaplain at MIT and Harvard Divinity School graduate, delivered a commencement address calling for courage in the face of division and highlighting the plight of Palestinian students.
• 💔 Imam noted the removal of courses and faculty related to Israel-Palestine studies at Harvard, questioning the university's stance on academic freedom for pro-Palestinian voices.
• 🕊️ Her speech, co-written with Christian and Jewish classmates, aimed to demonstrate solidarity and community in a divided world.

Courage in the Face of Suppression

• 🗣️ Imam emphasized that students will continue to speak up for Palestine and liberation, undeterred by threats and suppression from university administrations.
• 🎗️ She drew parallels between the current situation and historical struggles, referencing Anne Frank's relatives and calling for an end to war crimes in Gaza.
• ✅ Imam confirmed she received her diploma despite her address, contrasting with other universities that have penalized students for their commencement speeches.