XPost: alt.activism, alt.education, ne.politics
XPost: sac.politics, talk.politics.misc
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mit-bans-class-president-graduation- commencement-palestinian-speech-rcna210023
The speech was shared online by the Palestinian Youth Movement, which
named the student as Megha Vemuri. Vemuri wore a Keffiyeh during the
speech, and called out MIT for having research ties with the Israel army
and "aiding and abetting" the country with its "assault on the Palestinian people."
Israel's war in Gaza has killed over 52,000 people since Oct. 7, 2023,
when Hamas militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took 251
people hostage. Israel has received intense criticism from around the
world, including from the United Nations, for its actions in Gaza, which include cutting off aid to the enclave.
"As scientists, engineers, academics and leaders, we have a commitment to support life, support aid efforts and call for an arms embargo and keep demanding now as alumni, that MIT cuts the ties," Vemuri said.
Her speech was met by cheers and applause from her fellow classmates, some
of whom held up a Palestinian flag.
"Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives,
there are no universities left in Gaza," Vemuri said. "We are watching
Israel try to wipe out Palestine off the face of the earth, and it is a
shame that MIT is a part of it."
Vemuri mentioned that the undergraduate body voted in favor of the
university cutting ties with Israel, and faced "threats, intimidation and suppression coming from all directions, especially your own university officials."
"But you prevailed because the MIT community that I know would never
tolerate a genocide," Vemuri said.
Vemuri then called on her fellow classmates to partake in the MIT
tradition of turning their class rings that bear university mascot "Tim
the Beaver."
"And as you lift it off your fingers, notice that the beaver is no longer facing you, it is now facing the world," Temuri said. "This is a world
that we will be entering with an immeasurable responsibility. We will
carry with us the stamp of the MIT name, the same name that is directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.And so we
carry with us the obligation to do everything we can to stop it."
NBC News has reached out to Vemuri for comment.
On Friday, MIT President Sally Kornbluth made her remarks at the
commencement for the class of 2025, encouraging them to become ambassadors
for scientific thinking and discovery. Kornbluth said that the university allows "a lot of room for disagreement, whether the subject is scientific, personal, or political," but encouraged the new grads to rely on the
"beauty and power of the scientific method."
"I need you all to become ambassadors for the way we think and work and
thrive at MIT," Kornbluth said.
Kornbluth did not mention any specific incident during her remarks,
including the one involving Vemuri. It's not clear at this time if Vemuri
was officially allowed to graduate from MIT.
Vemuri is not the only graduate who has been penalized for her political
views.
Earlier this month, New York University withheld student Logan Rozos'
diploma after he delivered an unapproved commencement speech to address
what he called the �atrocities currently happening in Palestine� during
the Israel-Hamas war.
NYU condemned Rozos' speech, calling it an expression of "his personal and one-sided political views."
--
November 5, 2024 - Congratulations President Donald Trump. We look
forward to America being great again.
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.
Every day is an IQ test. Some pass, some, not so much.
Thank you for cleaning up the disasters of the 2008-2017, 2020-2024 Obama
/ Biden / Harris fiascos, President Trump.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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