By Maria Maalouf
“We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence,” and “The apartheid regime is the only one to blame. Israeli violence has structured every aspect of Palestinian existence for 75 years.” This language was embodies in a letter signed by a number of students and students’ organizations at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, following the dramatic events that have been swirling the Middle East region in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israeli citizens.
Among those who signed the letter were: Harvard Islamic Society, Harvard Kennedy School Muslim Caucus,
Harvard Undergraduate Muslim Women’s Medical Alliance, and Harvard Pakistan Forum. While we feel pride in seeing many talented Arab and Muslim students enrolled at a prestigious university such as Harvard, we strongly disagree with them over these recent statements concerning Hamas terrorist acts.
Any logic applied to these statements must call out the silence of these students groups over their ungratefulness toward the great effort which many Arab and Islamic countries have exercised to send their members to study at an expensive university like Harvard. Worse, they are forgetful over the assiduous endeavors which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Arab and Islamic countries have been placing to create a Palestinian state.
Such statements have allowed extreme leftist ideas to penetrate and dominate the campuses of most colleges and universities inside the United States. Such a tyrannical political atmosphere makes American universities appear neutral toward any human rights violations committed by socialist, communist, or left-wing political parties, leaders, and regimes. Instead, these students and their groups should have identified themselves with the international campaigns championed by Saudi Arabia to give justice to the Palestinian people.
Any plea that excuses violence and ignores the sacrifices of the Arabs and Muslims to offer solutions to the Palestine Question is simply wrong.