Latest news with #HatemBazian
Memri
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Memri
American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) Chair Dr. Hatem Bazian at UC San Diego in May 2024: Our Fight for a Free Palestine Is a Fight Against Racism, Islamophobia, and Antisemitism; Those Who Threaten th
Dr. Hatem Bazian, the national chairman of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and a professor at UC Berkeley, said that 'Those making threats against the ICJ are 'on the take' of ADL' and have received 'close to six million dollars from AIPAC.' Speaking at the University of California San Diego in a speech uploaded to his YouTube channel on May 9, 2024, Dr. Bazian said that it was Europe, not Muslim society, that 'is racist, was racist, continues to be racist and has not recovered from its racism.' Dr. Bazian, who is a co-founder of Students for Justice in Palestine, further said that 'Our fight for a free Palestine is a fight against racism, against Islamophobia, against antisemitism as it has been articulated, and not according to ADL, Netanyahu, Biden, and European racism' and that 'what we are seeing today is a dying colonialism.' Two members of AMP's board, Osama Abuirshaid and Salah Sarsour, are connected to the Holy Land Foundation, which has been investigated for funneling funds to Hamas, and five of its members served prison sentences for their terror-linked activity.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UCLA bans Students for Justice in Palestine as a campus organization
Seven weeks after pro-Palestinian students vandalized a University of California regent's Brentwood home during a protest against UC's financial connections to Israel, UCLA this week banned a campus organization involved in the demonstration. Students for Justice in Palestine was notified Thursday of an "indefinite revocation" of its status as a registered student group and another chapter, Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine, was banned for four years. 'UCLA is committed to fostering an environment where all students can live and learn freely and peacefully," said a UCLA statement on the actions against the clubs. "... We will continue to uphold our policies to ensure UCLA remains a safe and respectful learning environment for all members of our Bruin community.' Representatives for the organizations did not respond Friday to requests for comment. The groups have for years been central to student activism that reached a height during last year's spring encampment. Read more: California international students on alert as Trump ramps up arrests of pro-Palestinian activists The decisions do not prevent them from protesting on campus. As a public institution, limited parts of UCLA's grounds are open to anybody to demonstrate at most times of day. But the moves prevent the organizations from registering for campus event space, applying for student activities funds and otherwise representing themselves as UCLA organizations. The bans also represent a distancing of the university from local chapters of a pro-Palestinian organization that has grown across colleges and come under fire from the Trump administration, the Republican party and some Jewish civil rights organizations including the Anti-Defamation League. UCLA is under multiple investigations from the Trump administration for its handling of pro-Palestinian protests and allegations of antisemitism. Read more: Justice Department probes major California universities over 'illegal DEI' in admissions The Trump administration has threatened to revoke federal funding from universities that don't comply with largely vague demands to reign in protests and combat antisemitism. On Friday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee said it was launching an investigation into American Muslims for Palestine amid "reports that the group has helped organize, support, and facilitate violent, antisemitic demonstrations that are disrupting college campuses across the country." That group was founded by UC Berkeley professor Hatem Bazian, who also founded Students for Justice in Palestine while studying at Berkeley more than three decades ago. Both organizations have been critical to the surge in pro-Palestinian activism across the U.S. since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and its ensuing war in Gaza. Trump and the GOP have accused group members of being antisemitic supporters of Hamas, a U.S. designated terrorist group. Immigration authorities this month have detained foreign student activists at several East Coast colleges, accusing them of illegally promoting terrorism. UCLA joins several other UC campuses and others throughout the country that have banned or suspended Students for Justice in Palestine, including UC Irvine, UC San Diego and UC Santa Cruz. On Tuesday, UC Davis also dissolved a law student association that passed a financial and academic boycott of Israel. As a result, the university took control of the group's $40,000 in funds. A UC Davis spokesman said the boycott violated a UC policy requiring student government groups to be "viewpoint neutral." The UCLA groups were under interim suspensions since Feb. 12, when Chancellor Julio Frenk announced the restrictions in a campuswide message, citing "violence" during a Feb. 5 action at the home of UC Regent Jay Sures. "No one should ever fear for their safety. Without the basic feeling of safety, humans cannot learn, teach, work and live — much less thrive and flourish. This is true no matter what group you are a member of — or which identities you hold. There is no place for violence in our Bruin community,' Frenk's letter said. At the time, the student groups replied via Instagram statements, saying they rejected "Frenk's accusations that student protesters have committed violence against the UCLA community." Sures, vice chairman at United Talent Agency, said he was targeted because he is Jewish. In addition to photos that showed his property vandalized with red blood-like handprints, there was video of protesters briefly surrounding Sures' wife in her car as she tried to drive to work. A Feb. 5 Instagram post by UCLA Students for Justice in Palestine groups also showed a doctored image of Sures, who has spoken publicly about his support of Israel, in a suit with fire burning behind him under a pro-Palestinian banner and his hands edited to appear bloody. UC has not suspended students for the rally at the regent's home. Read more: California international students on alert as Trump ramps up arrests of pro-Palestinian activists Students have continued to protest at UCLA, including events held last week during a bimonthly UC regents meeting. Those demonstrations were in opposition to billions in investments UC has that are tied to weapons companies, Israel and other targets of student activists. Last year, UC said that it had about $32 billion of its assets invested in areas activists have opposed. Pro-Palestinian students have also started attacking other UC leaders in social media posts and events. On March 14, a group protested in the early morning outside UC Regent Elaine Batchlor's home in Los Angeles. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
UCLA bans Students for Justice in Palestine as a campus organization
Seven weeks after pro-Palestinian students vandalized a University of California regent's Brentwood home during a protest against UC's financial connections to Israel, UCLA this week banned a campus organization involved in the demonstration. Students for Justice in Palestine was notified Thursday of an 'indefinite revocation' of its status as a registered student group and another chapter, Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine, was banned for four years. 'UCLA is committed to fostering an environment where all students can live and learn freely and peacefully,' said a UCLA statement on the actions against the clubs. '... We will continue to uphold our policies to ensure UCLA remains a safe and respectful learning environment for all members of our Bruin community.' Representatives for the organizations did not respond Friday to requests for comment. The groups have for years been central to student activism that reached a height during last year's spring encampment. The decisions do not prevent them from protesting on campus. As a public institution, limited parts of UCLA's grounds are open to anybody to demonstrate at most times of day. But the moves prevent the organizations from registering for campus event space, applying for student activities funds and otherwise representing themselves as UCLA organizations. The bans also represent a distancing of the university from local chapters of a pro-Palestinian organization that has grown across colleges and come under fire from the Trump administration, the Republican party and some Jewish civil rights organizations including the Anti-Defamation League. UCLA is under multiple investigations from the Trump administration for its handling of pro-Palestinian protests and allegations of antisemitism. The Trump administration has threatened to revoke federal funding from universities that don't comply with largely vague demands to reign in protests and combat antisemitism. On Friday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee said it was launching an investigation into American Muslims for Palestine amid 'reports that the group has helped organize, support, and facilitate violent, antisemitic demonstrations that are disrupting college campuses across the country.' That group was founded by UC Berkeley professor Hatem Bazian, who also founded Students for Justice in Palestine while studying at Berkeley more than three decades ago. Both organizations have been critical to the surge in pro-Palestinian activism across the U.S. since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and its ensuing war in Gaza. Trump and the GOP have accused group members of being antisemitic supporters of Hamas, a U.S. designated terrorist group. Immigration authorities this month have detained foreign student activists at several East Coast colleges, accusing them of illegally promoting terrorism. UCLA joins several other UC campuses and others throughout the country that have banned or suspended Students for Justice in Palestine, including UC Irvine, UC San Diego and UC Santa Cruz. On Tuesday, UC Davis also dissolved a law student association that passed a financial and academic boycott of Israel. As a result, the university took control of the group's $40,000 in funds. A UC Davis spokesman said the boycott violated a UC policy requiring student government groups to be 'viewpoint neutral.' The UCLA groups were under interim suspensions since Feb. 12, when Chancellor Julio Frenk announced the restrictions in a campuswide message, citing 'violence' during a Feb. 5 action at the home of UC Regent Jay Sures. 'No one should ever fear for their safety. Without the basic feeling of safety, humans cannot learn, teach, work and live — much less thrive and flourish. This is true no matter what group you are a member of — or which identities you hold. There is no place for violence in our Bruin community,' Frenk's letter said. At the time, the student groups replied via Instagram statements, saying they rejected 'Frenk's accusations that student protesters have committed violence against the UCLA community.' Sures, vice chairman at United Talent Agency, said he was targeted because he is Jewish. In addition to photos that showed his property vandalized with red blood-like handprints, there was video of protesters briefly surrounding Sures' wife in her car as she tried to drive to work. A Feb. 5 Instagram post by UCLA Students for Justice in Palestine groups also showed a doctored image of Sures, who has spoken publicly about his support of Israel, in a suit with fire burning behind him under a pro-Palestinian banner and his hands edited to appear bloody. UC has not suspended students for the rally at the regent's home. Students have continued to protest at UCLA, including events held last week during a bimonthly UC regents meeting. Those demonstrations were in opposition to billions in investments UC has that are tied to weapons companies, Israel and other targets of student activists. Last year, UC said that it had about $32 billion of its assets invested in areas activists have opposed. Pro-Palestinian students have also started attacking other UC leaders in social media posts and events. On March 14, a group protested in the early morning outside UC Regent Elaine Batchlor's home in Los Angeles.
Memri
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Community Leaders Discuss and Activists Discuss Gaza Ceasefire, Linda Sarsour: I Was Overwhelmed with Joy; Hatem Bazian of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) Slammed AIPAC, Promoted BDS; Nihad Awad
American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) held a webinar on January 28, 2025, where community leaders discussed the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel. AMP chair Dr. Hatem Bazian criticized AIPAC, stating that the organization should not have influence over U.S. policy in the Middle East. He urged American Muslims to press politicians not to accept money from AIPAC and emphasized the importance of recommitting to a "broad strategy" on Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies remarked on the resilience of Hamas and Palestinian steadfastness, calling it extraordinary. Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), called for an expansion of BDS, describing the situation in Gaza as 'unprecedented genocide' and criticizing Germany's support for Israel, because the Holocaust took place mainly in Germany. Marium Uddin of the Muslim Legal Fund of America stated that the only thing keeping the ceasefire intact were the Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Activist Linda Sarsour of MPower Change expressed joy over the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza, while Basim Elkarra of CAIR Action noted that this marked the first time since 1948 that Palestinians had returned in such large numbers. The webinar was hosted by Mohamad Habehh of AMP.
