Harvard University’s president is defending the nearly three-dozen student groups who praised Hamas terrorists and took a public stand with Palestine following the slaughter of hundreds of Israeli citizens last weekend - however “objectionable” their viewpoints may be.
Following the mass execution of unarmed civilians at an Israeli music festival on Saturday, followed quickly by the house-to-house murder and abduction of hundreds more Israeli men, women, children, and elderly, more than 30 student groups at Harvard signed an open letter calling Israel “entirely responsible” for Hamas’ brutal attack, celebrating the “resistance” of Palestine against the supposedly oppressive Jews. The letter sparked backlash on social media, and even led some CEOs to demand the names of those in the student groups for potential blacklisting from employment.
And while Gay insinuated that neither she nor the university at large agreed with the group's letter, their open celebration of the mass murder of Jews fell within the school's allowable "free expression," saying that this is a "moment of intense hate and grief for a great many people."
New message from Harvard President Claudine Gay:
— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) October 13, 2023
“Our university embraces a commitment to free expression. That commitment extends even to views that many of us find objectionable, even outrageous. We do not punish or sanction people for expressing such views.” pic.twitter.com/4zFs9HNROj
“Our university embraces a commitment to free expression. That commitment extends even to views that many of us find objectionable, even outrageous,” she said. “We do not punish or sanction people for expressing such views, but that is a far cry from endorsing them.”
"People have asked me where we stand,” she went on. “So let me be clear. Our university rejects terrorism. That includes the barbaric atrocities perpetrated by Hamas. Our university rejects hate. Hate of Jews. Hate of Muslims. Hate of any group of people based on their faith, their national origin, or any aspect of their identity. Our University rejects the harassment or intimidation of individuals based on their beliefs.”
Related: Hamas Terrorism Is EVIL, and America Has Imported It | TBHS
Interesting that so many universities, schools, companies, media outlets, sports teams, and organizations have publicly censured and even fired employees for things like refusing to use a person’s “preferred pronouns” or publicly stating that there are only two genders. But apparently, calling for the genocide of the Jews and praising mass murder falls on the permitted list of free speech.
Gay went on to say that as a university community, "We can issue public pronouncements declaring the rightness of our points of view and vilifying those who disagree, or we choose to talk and to listen with care and community, to seek deeper understanding, and to meet one another with compassion."
Maybe it's just me, but I'm pretty sure that when the bodies of hundreds of Israelis who were assaulted, decapitated, burned, and gunned down in cold blood are still lying on the ground barely cold, the time for talking and understanding has passed. And those who openly side with terrorists deserve no "understanding."
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Hamas has exported its evil to the US as social justice advocates share pro-terrorism statements across the nation. https://t.co/DwhbGsN2qu
— MRCTV (@mrctv) October 13, 2023