Columbia University President: ‘No Matter Where You Stand ... Columbia Should Be a Community That Feels Welcoming and Safe for Everyone’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT These past ░░░░░░░░ weeks have been among ░░░░░░░░ most difficult in Columbia ░░░░░░░░ history The turmoil and ░░░░░░░░ division and disruption have ░░░░░░░░ the entire community You ░░░░░░░░ students have paid an ░░░░░░░░ high price You lost ░░░░░░░░ final days in the ░░░░░░░░ and residence halls For ░░░░░░░░ of you who are ░░░░░░░░ you re finishing college ░░░░░░░░ way you started online ░░░░░░░░ matter where you stand ░░░░░░░░ any issue Columbia should ░░░░░░░░ a community that feels ░░░░░░░░ and safe for everyone ░░░░░░░░ tried very hard to ░░░░░░░░ the issue of the ░░░░░░░░ through dialogue Many people ░░░░░░░░ gathered there were largely ░░░░░░░░ and cared deeply about ░░░░░░░░ humanitarian crisis in Gaza ░░░░░░░░ leaders talked with students ░░░░░░░░ eight days and nights ░░░░░░░░ university made a sincere ░░░░░░░░ good offer but it ░░░░░░░░ not accepted A group ░░░░░░░░ protesters crossed a new ░░░░░░░░ with the occupation of ░░░░░░░░ Hall It was a ░░░░░░░░ act that put our ░░░░░░░░ at risk as well ░░░░░░░░ putting the protesters at ░░░░░░░░ I walked through the ░░░░░░░░ and saw the damage ░░░░░░░░ was distressing But despite ░░░░░░░░ that has happened I ░░░░░░░░ confidence During the listening ░░░░░░░░ I held with many ░░░░░░░░ in recent months I ░░░░░░░░ been heartened by your ░░░░░░░░ thoughtfulness and kindness The ░░░░░░░░ that impressed me the ░░░░░░░░ were those who acknowledged ░░░░░░░░ the other side had ░░░░░░░░ valid points We need ░░░░░░░░ of that at Columbia ░░░░░░░░ one of us has ░░░░░░░░ role to play in ░░░░░░░░ back the values of ░░░░░░░░ and civil discourse that ░░░░░░░░ has severely damaged Here ░░░░░░░░ Columbia parallel realities and ░░░░░░░░ conversations have walled us ░░░░░░░░ from other perspectives Working ░░░░░░░░ I know we can ░░░░░░░░ down these barriers As ░░░░░░░░ of you know I ░░░░░░░░ born in the Middle ░░░░░░░░ I grew up in ░░░░░░░░ Muslim family with many ░░░░░░░░ and Christian friends I ░░░░░░░░ two decades working in ░░░░░░░░ organizations with people from ░░░░░░░░ nationality and religion in ░░░░░░░░ world Where if you ░░░░░░░░ t bridge divides and ░░░░░░░░ the other side s ░░░░░░░░ of view you can ░░░░░░░░ get anything done I ░░░░░░░░ from that experience that ░░░░░░░░ can disagree and still ░░░░░░░░ progress The issues that ░░░░░░░░ challenging us Palestinian Israeli ░░░░░░░░ anti Semitism and anti ░░░░░░░░ and anti Muslim bias ░░░░░░░░ existed for a long ░░░░░░░░ and Columbia despite being ░░░░░░░░ remarkable institution cannot solve ░░░░░░░░ single handedly What we ░░░░░░░░ do is be an ░░░░░░░░ of a better world ░░░░░░░░ people who disagree do ░░░░░░░░ civilly recognize each other ░░░░░░░░ humanity and show empathy ░░░░░░░░ compassion for one another ░░░░░░░░ have a lot to ░░░░░░░░ but I am committed ░░░░░░░░ working at it every ░░░░░░░░ and with each of ░░░░░░░░ to rebuild community on ░░░░░░░░ campus.