USC Valedictorian Repeatedly Dodges Whether She Endorses ‘Complete Abolishment’ of Israel as She Shared It on Instagram

PHILLIP Joining me now ░░░░░░░░ Asna Tabassum University of ░░░░░░░░ California valedictorian Asna thank ░░░░░░░░ very much for joining ░░░░░░░░ My understanding is that ░░░░░░░░ week you met with ░░░░░░░░ officials to address security ░░░░░░░░ What happened in that ░░░░░░░░ Did they tell you ░░░░░░░░ any specific threats TABASSUM ░░░░░░░░ actually they did not ░░░░░░░░ me about any specific ░░░░░░░░ And my request to ░░░░░░░░ for the details of ░░░░░░░░ threats were denied And ░░░░░░░░ it leads me to ░░░░░░░░ whether the decision to ░░░░░░░░ my speech was made ░░░░░░░░ the basis of safety ░░░░░░░░ PHILLIP Do you have ░░░░░░░░ sense of whether there ░░░░░░░░ a concern for your ░░░░░░░░ or perhaps the safety ░░░░░░░░ other students TABASSUM The ░░░░░░░░ I think is a ░░░░░░░░ for all students including ░░░░░░░░ And so it was ░░░░░░░░ unclear to me because ░░░░░░░░ received no details about ░░░░░░░░ specifically the security threats ░░░░░░░░ directed to PHILLIP So ░░░░░░░░ university has said that ░░░░░░░░ is not a free ░░░░░░░░ issue Do you view ░░░░░░░░ that way TABASSUM I ░░░░░░░░ there s a nuance ░░░░░░░░ I think you know ░░░░░░░░ expressed an opinion through ░░░░░░░░ Link that I had ░░░░░░░░ my Instagram The hate ░░░░░░░░ the vitriol that was ░░░░░░░░ towards me after I ░░░░░░░░ was part of the ░░░░░░░░ that the university caved ░░░░░░░░ And so when it ░░░░░░░░ to being a free ░░░░░░░░ issue sure maybe my ░░░░░░░░ speech is a privilege ░░░░░░░░ it s a privilege ░░░░░░░░ do not take lightly ░░░░░░░░ other students and evidently ░░░░░░░░ around the world do ░░░░░░░░ take lightly But at ░░░░░░░░ end of the day ░░░░░░░░ views the views that ░░░░░░░░ have expressed and the ░░░░░░░░ that USC has instilled ░░░░░░░░ me as well were ░░░░░░░░ and were subject to ░░░░░░░░ PHILLIP You just brought ░░░░░░░░ a Link that was ░░░░░░░░ through your social media ░░░░░░░░ I do want to ░░░░░░░░ you about that since ░░░░░░░░ did bring it up ░░░░░░░░ of the items in ░░░░░░░░ post calls for the ░░░░░░░░ abolishment of Israel Is ░░░░░░░░ a position that you ░░░░░░░░ TABASSUM If you re ░░░░░░░░ me if I stand ░░░░░░░░ human rights if you ░░░░░░░░ asking me if I ░░░░░░░░ for equality and unequivocal ░░░░░░░░ unconditional right to life ░░░░░░░░ all people including Palestinians ░░░░░░░░ I m not apologetic ░░░░░░░░ believe in what I ░░░░░░░░ And it is because ░░░░░░░░ the people around me ░░░░░░░░ I ve met at ░░░░░░░░ the classes that I ░░░░░░░░ taken the professors that ░░░░░░░░ have learned from that ░░░░░░░░ led me to look ░░░░░░░░ the world in this ░░░░░░░░ And you know it ░░░░░░░░ unfortunate that you know ░░░░░░░░ rights is controversial PHILLIP ░░░░░░░░ reason I m asking ░░░░░░░░ because that s what ░░░░░░░░ Link said It called ░░░░░░░░ the complete abolishment of ░░░░░░░░ Abolishment of Israel was ░░░░░░░░ the actual language Is ░░░░░░░░ something that you endorse ░░░░░░░░ So the abolishment of ░░░░░░░░ state of Israel I ░░░░░░░░ like to clarify is ░░░░░░░░ abolishment of an apartheid ░░░░░░░░ It inherently is a ░░░░░░░░ that subjugates Palestinians as ░░░░░░░░ and it subjugates Palestinian ░░░░░░░░ as not worth the ░░░░░░░░ as other human life ░░░░░░░░ when the Link says ░░░░░░░░ So is that a ░░░░░░░░ then TABASSUM I think ░░░░░░░░ yes or a no ░░░░░░░░ be an injustice to ░░░░░░░░ issue And I think ░░░░░░░░ any sort of ideological ░░░░░░░░ or any sort of ░░░░░░░░ discourse is worth clarification ░░░░░░░░ worth discussion PHILLIP You ░░░░░░░░ in a university environment ░░░░░░░░ as a Muslim student ░░░░░░░░ experience is important and ░░░░░░░░ matters and as you ░░░░░░░░ you want the university ░░░░░░░░ protect you But I ░░░░░░░░ about your Jewish classmates ░░░░░░░░ of them have said ░░░░░░░░ your selection to speak ░░░░░░░░ their graduation has turned ░░░░░░░░ event into an unwelcome ░░░░░░░░ intolerant environment for Jewish ░░░░░░░░ What do you say ░░░░░░░░ them TABASSUM I believe ░░░░░░░░ every Jewish student at ░░░░░░░░ deserves to be represented ░░░░░░░░ as every other student ░░░░░░░░ commencement The position of ░░░░░░░░ a valedictorian honor is ░░░░░░░░ to be a unifying ░░░░░░░░ And I believe that ░░░░░░░░ commitment to human rights ░░░░░░░░ my commitment to equal ░░░░░░░░ should not be signified ░░░░░░░░ or not be manipulated ░░░░░░░░ an expression of disunity ░░░░░░░░ think what I say ░░░░░░░░ my Jewish classmates is ░░░░░░░░ your feelings are heard ░░░░░░░░ I think that you ░░░░░░░░ entitled to your own ░░░░░░░░ on an ideological or ░░░░░░░░ the basis of academic ░░░░░░░░ But when it comes ░░░░░░░░ human rights and when ░░░░░░░░ comes to the unequivocal ░░░░░░░░ unconditional right to life ░░░░░░░░ I think that all ░░░░░░░░ students because I have ░░░░░░░░ in my university that ░░░░░░░░ these values in us ░░░░░░░░ believe that all USC ░░░░░░░░ believe in that PHILLIP ░░░░░░░░ you plan in your ░░░░░░░░ to talk about Israel ░░░░░░░░ its actions And if ░░░░░░░░ had the opportunity to ░░░░░░░░ it what would you ░░░░░░░░ said TABASSUM That s ░░░░░░░░ great question So I ░░░░░░░░ had not started working ░░░░░░░░ my speech at all ░░░░░░░░ I were to be ░░░░░░░░ to give a valedictory ░░░░░░░░ you know a message ░░░░░░░░ hope When it comes ░░░░░░░░ me saying a speech ░░░░░░░░ me taking a valedictory ░░░░░░░░ that is supposed to ░░░░░░░░ unifying I would definitely ░░░░░░░░ And I would challenge ░░░░░░░░ I would implore my ░░░░░░░░ to reconsider and to ░░░░░░░░ the ways in which ░░░░░░░░ education can allow them ░░░░░░░░ offer them the responsibility ░░░░░░░░ look at matters of ░░░░░░░░ world and take them ░░░░░░░░ their own lens make ░░░░░░░░ own decisions and make ░░░░░░░░ own I want to ░░░░░░░░ you know not be ░░░░░░░░ what to believe and ░░░░░░░░ use those conceptions to ░░░░░░░░ a change for the ░░░░░░░░ good PHILLIP Asna Tabassum ░░░░░░░░ you very much for ░░░░░░░░ us and I should ░░░░░░░░ congratulations to you on ░░░░░░░░ the valedictorian at USC ░░░░░░░░ you.”
TABASSUM: “Thank you.”