Fatima Mohammed, a student activist whose recent speech at the City University of New York’s (CUNY) Law School graduation was roundly condemned as antisemitic, has an extensive history of making antisemitic remarks on social media.
In a May, 2021 tweet, Mohammed wished that “every Zionist burn in the hottest pit of hell.”
The following day, Mohammed confessed on Twitter: “my mom would have a heart attack if she knew i pray upon the death of the USA on a public platform but yolo i guess.”
Later that month, Mohammed responded to a message by Andrew Yang condemning “Hamas terrorists” and insisting that the “people of NYC will always stand with our brothers and sisters in Israel who face down terrorism and persevere.”
“May you burn in the same fire the settler zionist celebrated today and may every zionist like yourself face the wrath of your injustice. Allah yl3nak [May God curse you],” the freshman law student wrote.
The series of tweets came against the backdrop of escalating violence between Israel and the Palestinians.
1/Movement is growing to strip @CUNY of billions of dollars in taxpayer funding over Fatima Mousa Mohammed's virulent antisemitic & anti-American commencement address. See thread 🧵https://t.co/8ftzKfTehJ
WATCH & SHARE: pic.twitter.com/1Mn81KeqKi— Canary Mission (@canarymission) May 30, 2023
However, Mohammed’s rhetoric and antisemitism continued throughout the ensuing years. In 2022, Mohammed spoke at a rally put on by the activist group Within Our Lifetime, a pro-Palestinian organization that had a member imprisoned on federal charges for assaulting a Jewish man in New York City in 2022. Court documents following the attack showed the group had brought Molotov cocktails and instructed members to refer to targets as “Zionists” rather than “Jews” to avoid accusations of antisemitism.
“Remember, don’t chant out Jews, it’s the Zionists,” one participant wrote in the group chat before another added later: “Fuck all Jews.”
During the controversial graduation speech, which Mohammed was elected to deliver by the student body, she condemned the treatment of “Palestinian political prisoners like HLF [Holy Land Foundation] in U.S. prisons.” The Texas-based group, which the State Department designated as a terrorist organization for aiding the Palestinian militant group Hamas, had sought to pass itself off as a Muslim charity.
“May we rejoice in the corners of our New York City bedroom apartments and dining tables, may it be fuel for the fight against capitalism, racism, imperialism, and Zionism around the world,” the law graduate added near the end of her speech.
*Elected* speaker, invoking “revolution”: CUNY Law was “created to recognize that the law is a manifestation of white supremacy that continues to oppress & suppress people.”
In other words, law & legitimacy are evil. (Being anti-@Israel is unsurprising.)
Meet your new lawyers. https://t.co/inJyu49FLQ
— Pamela Paresky (Habits of a Free Mind) (@PamelaParesky) May 28, 2023
The speech drew widespread condemnation from American Jewish organizations across the political spectrum.
The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York argued that it was “trading in antisemitic tropes.” Likewise, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said it was “appalled to see such an egregious display of hostility toward ‘Zionists’ (which is how many Jews see themselves) and Israel in CUNY Law’s commencement address,” on Twitter.
Mohammed’s statements drew the condemnation of politicians, as well. “Imagine being so crazed by hatred for Israel as a Jewish State that you make it the subject of your commencement speech at a law school graduation. Anti-Israel derangement syndrome at work,” Representative Ritchie Torres (D., N.Y.) wrote on Monday.
Across the political aisle, Representative Mike Lawler (R., N.Y.) echoed the sentiment. “This is exactly why I am finalizing legislation to strip universities of their funding if they engage in and promote anti-semitism. CUNY should be ashamed of itself — and should lose any federal funds it currently receives,” the congressman wrote on Twitter.
Despite the blowback, CUNY has stuck by Mohammed’s remarks, telling Fox News that such speeches are reflective “of their own individual perspectives on advocating for social justice. As with all such commencement remarks, they reflect the voices of those individuals.” Mohammed’s graduation talk even drew the applause of law school dean Sudha Setty, who pioneered “Antiracism and Cultural Competency” matriculation requirements at her previous employer, Western New England University.
Progressive Jewish groups, including IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace, rushed to Mohammed’s defense in the aftermath affirming they were “proud to stand with Fatima.”