Andrew T. Guzman, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs for the private university in Los Angeles, said in a statement Monday that the debate over the selection of the valedictorian has taken on an “alarming tenor.”
“The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement," Guzman wrote.
Valedictorian Asna Tabassum, who is graduating with a major in biomedical engineering and a minor in resistance to genocide, said she was blindsided by the decision, in a statement provided Tuesday by the Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. She said university officials on Monday told her that the school had the resources to take appropriate safety measures but they were concerned about their image.
“Anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices have subjected me to a campaign of racist hatred because of my uncompromising belief in human rights for all,” she said, however, she added that she was not aware of any specific threats against her or the university.
The organization EndJewHatred issued a press release Monday night praising USC's decision.
“Ms. Tabassum’s speech as valedictorian was anticipated to be harmful to Jewish students and even potentially agitate anti-Jewish activists,” the organization said.
The Toronto Sun newspaper quoted Tabassum calling for the "abolition" of Israel and reported that in one of her retweets, it was stated that Zionists are “racist settlers.”
