There is an exception to people’s civil rights and their ability to speak freely in the United States when it comes to Gaza and Palestine in general, said Afaf Nasher, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Nasher explained that when it comes to the Palestinian issue in the United States, the Palestinian exception to freedom of expression comes into effect, as she put it.
She added that if the same words in support of Palestine were used in support of Israel, there would not be any problems related to freedom of expression, but using them in support of Palestine suddenly shows discrimination and oppression.
She added that the accusation of anti-Semitism appears to carry with it serious consequences in the work or university environment for students who support Palestine.
Suppression of student demonstrations
Speaking about the demonstrations in support of the Palestinian cause, she pointed out that the pressures exerted to suppress the student protests in support of Gaza, which began at Columbia University last April, spread throughout the country.
She added that the student protests opened the door to discussing the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by the US Constitution.
She pointed out that the students were punished as a result of their refusal to be a party to the genocide in Gaza, and because of their defense of their rights to “freedom of expression” guaranteed by the constitution, which they consider to have been betrayed.
Zionism
It also linked the continued strength of the Zionist movement in the United States to American politicians’ resort to influential circles and votes that guarantee them the protection of their seats.
She added that the American Muslim community will vote in the upcoming elections after becoming more aware of the result of the genocidal war in Gaza, saying, “We will empower ourselves and change the dynamics, because what happened in Gaza would not have happened without direct support from Washington.”
On April 18, students who rejected the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip began a sit-in on the campus of Columbia University in New York, demanding that its administration stop its academic cooperation with Israeli universities and withdraw its investments in companies that support the occupation of Palestinian territories.
As police forces intervened and arrested dozens of students, the state of anger expanded, with demonstrations extending to dozens of American universities, and later to universities in European countries.