The University of Southern California (USC) has denied its 2024 valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, the opportunity to deliver a speech at the upcoming commencement ceremony.
The decision, which the university claims was driven by security concerns, has drawn sharp criticism from Tabassum and advocacy groups, who perceive it as a capitulation to hate and an infringement on free speech.
Tabassum, who is a first-generation South Asian-American Muslim and biomedical engineering graduate, was set to address her fellow graduates on May 10th. However, in a campus-wide letter, USC Provost Andrew Guzman cited “substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement” as the reason for revoking Tabassum’s speaking privileges.
The provost attributed these concerns to the “intensity of feelings” surrounding Tabassum’s selection as valedictorian, which he claimed had been “fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.” While Guzman insisted that the decision had “nothing to do with freedom of speech,” his assertion has been met with skepticism from Tabassum and her supporters.
In an online statement released via the Council on American-Islamic Relations website, the USC valedictorian expressed disappointment at the university’s decision, stating,
“I am both shocked by this decision and profoundly disappointed that the University is succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice. I am not surprised by those who attempt to propagate hatred. I am surprised that my own university – my home for four years – has abandoned me.”
She questioned whether the purported security concerns were the sole basis for the decision, noting that she had not been made aware of any specific threats and that her requests for details regarding the threat assessment had been denied.
The controversy surrounding Tabassum’s speech appears to be rooted in her advocacy for Palestinian rights and her perceived criticism of Israel. USC’s student advocacy group Trojans for Israel had accused Tabassum of sharing a link on her Instagram bio that called Zionism a “racist settler-colonial ideology” and advocated for the “complete abolishment” of Israel.
When speaking to CNN, Tabassum defended her actions stating that she had shared the link three years ago as part of her commitment to human rights and academic discourse.
“My commitment to human rights and my commitment to equal treatment should not be signified as – or not be manipulated into – an expression of disunity,” she asserted.
