CAIR-NY Condemns NYU’s Collective Punishment of Pro-Palestine Students
(NEW YORK, NY, 1/13/25) – The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, strongly condemns New York University (NYU) for its unprecedented and punitive campaign against students protesting genocide in Gaza. According to a press release by Faculty for Palestine, NYU has engaged in collective punishment, including one-year suspensions, targeting students advocating for Palestinian rights through sit-ins and other nonviolent actions.
SEE: NYU Issuing One Year Suspension for Over Peaceful Sit-Ins Staff Says
SEE: NYU Imposes One-Year Suspensions on 11 Students for Protesting Gaza Genocide
NYU’s reported actions include:
Issuing one-year suspensions to student protesters, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities, including Palestinian and Muslim students.
Threatening students with further disciplinary action for engaging in constitutionally protected free speech.
Creating a climate of fear that stifles political activism and academic freedom.
These measures contradict NYU’s stated commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion while signaling to students that advocating for Palestinian human rights will be met with severe reprisals.
“This campaign of collective punishment by NYU represents a disturbing escalation in the repression of pro-Palestinian advocacy on campus,” said Afaf Nasher, Executive Director of CAIR-NY. “Targeting students for peacefully protesting genocide not only undermines free speech but also perpetuates a hostile and discriminatory campus environment.”
CAIR-NY calls on NYU to:
Immediately Reverse Suspensions: Reinstate all affected students and rescind punitive measures.
Commit to Free Speech Protections: Ensure that all students, regardless of their political views, can express themselves without fear of retaliation.
Engage in Dialogue: Work with impacted student groups and faculty to create an inclusive campus environment that respects diverse perspectives.
NYU’s actions reflect a broader, alarming trend of targeting individuals and groups advocating for Palestinian rights across the nation. From punitive administrative actions to surveillance and censorship, pro-Palestinian voices face systemic attempts to silence their calls for justice and accountability.
CAIR’ launched its “Unhostile Campus Campaign” aimed at fostering a campus environment in which Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, Jewish, and other students, faculty, and staff opposing the genocide in Gaza enjoy free speech and academic freedom and are not subjected to state force or university discipline due to their viewpoints.
CAIR previously designated NYU as an institution of particular concern due to reported incidents, policies, and discriminatory practices targeting Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, Jewish, and other individuals opposing the occupation, apartheid, and genocide. Other institutions of particular concern may be found at islamophobia.org/hostile-campuses.
Students, staff, and faculty who wish for their university or college campus to be considered as a potential “institution of particular concern” should complete the ‘Report a Hostile Campus’ form.
The organization adds a disclaimer that the form is intended solely to inform CAIR’s ‘UnHostile Campus Campaign.’ Students, faculty, and affiliates seeking CAIR’s legal and advocacy services should continue to contact their local office or chapter, or in the event that there is no local chapter, file a formal report with CAIR’s National Civil Rights Department.
CAIR-NY's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR-NY es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT:
Afaf Nasher, CAIR-NY Executive Director, ANasher@cair.com
Saira Amar, MPA, Communications Coordinator, samar@cair.com