Latest news with #Keffiyeh
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Aydan Nix's subtle fashion tribute to sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid at her college graduation
Ayden Nix has been integrating into the life of her long-lost sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid — and the 23-year-old fashion school graduate even gave a subtle and touching nod to her family when she graduated from college earlier this month. While graduating from the Parsons School of Design in Manhattan on May 16, Nix wore a black and white keffiyeh scarf, an homage to her father's Palestinian heritage. The Daily Mail captured Nix at the ceremony, proudly posing for photos and celebrating with her friends at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. She made the fashion statement two weeks before the Daily Mail exclusively revealed that Nix's biological dad is Mohamed Hadid. The multi-millionaire real estate developer had a brief relationship with her mother, Terri Hatfield Dull in 2000. It's not the first time that Mohamed's daughters have been spotted wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional Middle Eastern headscarf that has become a symbol of Palestinian pride and resilience. In 2024, Bella wore a keffiyeh inspired dress to honor her homeland — and to protest the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict. The sisters have publicly voiced concerns on social media about the conditions on the Gaza strip, and donated a million dollars to support Palestinian families affected by the conflict. Outside of the Middle East and North Africa, the Keffiyeh has gained popularity among pro-Palestinian activists; it is widely considered to be an symbol of solidarity with Palestine in their fight against Israel. Nix realized that she was part of the Hadid clan when she took a DNA test after the death of the man who had raised her as her dad. She then learned that her biological father was Mohamed. For the past two years, Nix has gotten closer with her famous family — while remaining close to her mom. While Nix has often been photographed with her famous sisters, it wasn't publicly revealed that they were blood relatives until last week. 'We first connected in late 2023, and from that moment on, we've embraced Aydan with open arms,' Bella and Gigi Hadid told the Daily Mail on Thursday. 'She's spent time with all of us, including our dad, and we've cherished this unexpected and beautiful addition to our family. 'As siblings, we've had many open and loving conversations— with Aydan included —about how to support and protect her. 'Aydan and her family value their privacy, and we fully respect that. We kindly ask others to do the same and honor her wish and right to her anonymity as she continues her life as a young woman in New York.' Nix's newfound family has placed her into a complex Hollywood genealogy web. Bella and Gigi's mom, Real Housewives alum Yolanda Hadid, was married to composer David Foster from 2011 to 2017. Foster, 75, was previously married to Linda Thompson, who has two famous sons — Brody Jenner and Brandon Jenner — with ex Caitlyn Jenner. But a family source tells the Daily Mail that Nix is uninterested in the family complexity, and merely wants to have a relationship with her father and siblings. 'She is happy to have an additional family,' says a relative, 'and she has her original family who is there for her.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
MIT prevents Indian-origin student from attending graduation event after pro-Palestine speech
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) barred its 2025 class president from attending Friday's undergraduate commencement ceremony after she delivered an unapproved pro-Palestinian speech during a university event the day before. On Thursday, Megha Vemuri, the elected class president and a double major in computation and cognition and linguistics, spoke at MIT's OneMIT Commencement Ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her speech, which was not pre-approved, denounced MIT's research ties to the Israeli military and accused the university of complicity in 'genocide' against the Palestinian people. 'MIT supports free expression but stands by its decision, which was in response to the individual deliberately and repeatedly misleading Commencement organisers and leading a protest from the stage, disrupting an important Institute ceremony,' MIT spokesperson Kimberly Allen said in a statement, as reported by NBC News. According to the Boston Globe, citing US Department of Education data, MIT received about $2.8 million in grants, gifts, and contracts from Israeli entities between 2020 and 2024. Wearing a Keffiyeh scarf, Vemuri's four-minute speech praised student protests, highlighted the devastation in Gaza, and urged MIT to cut ties with Israeli institutions. 'You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine,' she said. Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza. We are watching Israel try to wipe out Palestine off the face of the earth, and it is a shame that MIT is a part of it. Her address was met with cheers from some classmates, a few of whom raised Palestinian flags. Referencing a student vote earlier this year calling on MIT to sever ties with Israel, Vemuri added: You prevailed because the MIT community that I know would never tolerate a genocide. In a symbolic gesture, she urged graduates to turn their class rings—featuring the mascot Tim the Beaver—so the beaver faced outward. This is a world that we will be entering with an immeasurable responsibility… to stop [MIT's] complicity in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. After the speech, MIT informed Vemuri she would not be permitted to attend the main graduation ceremony on Friday. However, she will still receive her diploma, which will be mailed to her, her father Sarat Vemuri told The New York Times. In a statement, Vemuri said she was not disappointed about missing the ceremony. I see no need for me to walk across the stage of an institution that is complicit in this genocide. She criticised MIT's disciplinary response as a 'massive overstep' and said she had been punished 'without merit or due process.' MIT President Sally Kornbluth, who spoke immediately after Vemuri at Thursday's event, did not directly address the incident. 'At MIT, we believe in freedom of expression. But today is about the graduates,' she told the audience, pausing briefly as some in the crowd chanted. (With inputs from The New York Times, NBC News)
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
MIT bans class president from graduation commencement after pro-Palestinian speech
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology banned the 2025 class president from Friday's graduation commencement ceremony after she delivered a pro-Palestinian speech during an event Thursday. The university made the announcement on Friday without naming the student, saying that she delivered a speech at Thursday's OneMIT commencement ceremony that was not the one provided in advance. "While that individual had a scheduled role at today's Undergraduate Degree Ceremony, she was notified that she would not be permitted at today's events," said university spokesperson Kimberly Allen. "MIT supports free expression but stands by its decision, which was in response to the individual deliberately and repeatedly misleading Commencement organizers and leading a protest from the stage, disrupting an important Institute ceremony." The speech was shared online by the Palestinian Youth Movement, which named the student as Megha Vemuri. Vemuri wore a Keffiyeh during the speech, and called out MIT for having research ties with the Israel army and "aiding and abetting" the country with its "assault on the Palestinian people." Israel's war in Gaza has killed over 52,000 people since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 people hostage. Israel has received intense criticism from around the world, including from the United Nations, for its actions in Gaza, which include cutting off aid to the enclave. "As scientists, engineers, academics and leaders, we have a commitment to support life, support aid efforts and call for an arms embargo and keep demanding now as alumni, that MIT cuts the ties," Vemuri said. Her speech was met by cheers and applause from her fellow classmates, some of whom held up a Palestinian flag. "Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza," Vemuri said. "We are watching Israel try to wipe out Palestine off the face of the earth, and it is a shame that MIT is a part of it." Vemuri mentioned that the undergraduate body voted in favor of the university cutting ties with Israel, and faced "threats, intimidation and suppression coming from all directions, especially your own university officials." "But you prevailed because the MIT community that I know would never tolerate a genocide," Vemuri said. Vemuri then called on her fellow classmates to partake in the MIT tradition of turning their class rings that bear university mascot "Tim the Beaver." "And as you lift it off your fingers, notice that the beaver is no longer facing you, it is now facing the world," Temuri said. "This is a world that we will be entering with an immeasurable responsibility. We will carry with us the stamp of the MIT name, the same name that is directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian so we carry with us the obligation to do everything we can to stop it." NBC News has reached out to Vemuri for comment. On Friday, MIT President Sally Kornbluth made her remarks at the commencement for the class of 2025, encouraging them to become ambassadors for scientific thinking and discovery. Kornbluth said that the university allows "a lot of room for disagreement, whether the subject is scientific, personal, or political," but encouraged the new grads to rely on the "beauty and power of the scientific method." "I need you all to become ambassadors for the way we think and work and thrive at MIT," Kornbluth said. Kornbluth did not mention any specific incident during her remarks, including the one involving Vemuri. It's not clear at this time if Vemuri was officially allowed to graduate from MIT. Vemuri is not the only graduate who has been penalized for her political views. Earlier this month, New York University withheld student Logan Rozos' diploma after he delivered an unapproved commencement speech to address what he called the 'atrocities currently happening in Palestine' during the Israel-Hamas war. NYU condemned Rozos' speech, calling it an expression of "his personal and one-sided political views." This article was originally published on
NBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
MIT bans class president from graduation commencement after pro-Palestinian speech
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology banned the 2025 class president from Friday's graduation commencement ceremony after she delivered a pro-Palestinian speech during an event Thursday. The university made the announcement on Friday without naming the student, saying that she delivered a speech at Thursday's OneMIT commencement ceremony that was not the one provided in advance. "While that individual had a scheduled role at today's Undergraduate Degree Ceremony, she was notified that she would not be permitted at today's events," said university spokesperson Kimberly Allen. "MIT supports free expression but stands by its decision, which was in response to the individual deliberately and repeatedly misleading Commencement organizers and leading a protest from the stage, disrupting an important Institute ceremony." The speech was shared online by the Palestinian Youth Movement, which named the student as Megha Vemuri. Vemuri wore a Keffiyeh during the speech, and called out MIT for having research ties with the Israel army and "aiding and abetting" the country with its "assault on the Palestinian people." Israel's war in Gaza has killed over 52,000 people since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 people hostage. Israel has received intense criticism from around the world, including from the United Nations, for its actions in Gaza, which include cutting off aid to the enclave. "As scientists, engineers, academics and leaders, we have a commitment to support life, support aid efforts and call for an arms embargo and keep demanding now as alumni, that MIT cuts the ties," Vemuri said. Her speech was met by cheers and applause from her fellow classmates, some of whom held up a Palestinian flag. "Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza," Vemuri said. "We are watching Israel try to wipe out Palestine off the face of the earth, and it is a shame that MIT is a part of it." Vemuri mentioned that the undergraduate body voted in favor of the university cutting ties with Israel, and faced "threats, intimidation and suppression coming from all directions, especially your own university officials." "But you prevailed because the MIT community that I know would never tolerate a genocide," Vemuri said. Vemuri then called on her fellow classmates to partake in the MIT tradition of turning their class rings that bear university mascot "Tim the Beaver." "And as you lift it off your fingers, notice that the beaver is no longer facing you, it is now facing the world," Temuri said. "This is a world that we will be entering with an immeasurable responsibility. We will carry with us the stamp of the MIT name, the same name that is directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian so we carry with us the obligation to do everything we can to stop it." NBC News has reached out to Vemuri for comment. On Friday, MIT President Sally Kornbluth made her remarks at the commencement for the class of 2025, encouraging them to become ambassadors for scientific thinking and discovery. Kornbluth said that the university allows "a lot of room for disagreement, whether the subject is scientific, personal, or political," but encouraged the new grads to rely on the "beauty and power of the scientific method." "I need you all to become ambassadors for the way we think and work and thrive at MIT," Kornbluth said. Kornbluth did not mention any specific incident during her remarks, including the one involving Vemuri. It's not clear at this time if Vemuri was officially allowed to graduate from MIT. Vemuri is not the only graduate who has been penalized for her political views. Earlier this month, New York University withheld student Logan Rozos' diploma after he delivered an unapproved commencement speech to address what he called the 'atrocities currently happening in Palestine' during the Israel-Hamas war.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ritchie Torres urges Capitol Police to probe baby-faced, anti-Israel social media star who urged support for terror suspect
Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres urged the Capitol Police to investigate alleged threats from a baby-faced anti-Israel activist who urged support for the gunman accused of killing two Israel Embassy staffers in DC. Guy Christensen, the Keffiyeh wearing 19-year-old from Pennsylvania who uses the handle 'YourFavoriteGuy,' posted a three-minute video rant on X May 22 trashing Torres as a tool of the Zionist lobby who backs genocide. 'Now, Ritchie, screenshots are forever, and what you've said and done will haunt your family for eternity, as you will eventually, if you're still alive, end up in a Nuremberg trial,' Christiansen said in the video. Last week, Christen urged his nearly 1 million online followers to 'support'' 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez, who is accused of gunning down the two Israeli Embassy diplomats in a rant so vile that TikTok yanked it. Torres, in a Tuesday letter sent to US Capitol Chief of Police Thomas Manger said, 'The phrase `if you're still alive' carries a chilling and menacing implication—suggesting that I may be targeted or harmed. 'These words raise serious concerns about whether Mr. Christensen is inciting violence or encouraging others to take action against me.' Torres called Christensen a 'self-proclaimed apologist for violence and terror against anyone who dares to be a Zionist.' 'He has openly defended the cold-blooded murder of a young Jewish couple and has lionized their murderer as a `resistance fighter.' He has made it crystal clear that he holds no moral objection to violence against Zionists—a category in which I figure prominently,' the Bronx congressman told Manger. 'Given the sharp rise in threats against Members of Congress and other public officials in recent years, I am compelled to treat this matter with the utmost seriousness and to err on the side of caution.' The US Capitol Police said they wouldn't comment on potential investigations. In his video, Christiansen called Torres as an 'AIPAC millionaire' — referring to support from the Israel American Public Affairs Committee and meeting with Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Israel, who referred to fighting against 'human animals' two days after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack against the Jewish State. 'Ritchie is going to keep on meeting … Zionist officials who are wanted for war crimes. So, shame on Ritchie. He is a Zionist scumbag. And I hope the money he sleeps on at night his pajamas blood red. Thank you and free Palestine,' Christensen said in closing his blast of Torres. The Post reached out to Christiansen for comment.
