New York Mayor Eric Adams has slammed a CUNY law graduate for her “negativity and divisiveness” after she fueled anger and slammed “fascist” police officers and military officials across the US.
Yemeni immigrant Fatima Mousa Mohammed delivered the commencement speech at City University of New York law school on May 12 — but footage unearthed also shows that she had earlier called for Zionist professors to be banned from the college.
Mayor Adams was also at the ceremony and was booed by students when he was brought onstage as a former NYPD police officer.
The controversial snippet from the law graduation ceremony drew a lot of attention on social media – including from members of parliament and the mayor of New York, who today criticized her “negative and divisive words”.
In March 2022, a clip showed Fatima Mousa Mohammed speaking to a crowd with Palestinian flags outside “Friends of the IDF” in Midtown Manhattan – and demanding that Zionist professors be removed from campus
While a student in New York City, Mohammed was known as an avid protester and an active member of the Students for Justice in Palestine.
In March 2022, a clip showed her addressing a crowd with Palestinian flags outside “Friends of the IDF” in midtown Manhattan.
Mohammed said: “Demand that Zionist professors are not welcome on your campus. Demand that Zionist students are not in places where Palestinian students are.”
She spoke to a cheering crowd: “We don’t want Zionists here!”
Zionists are people who believe in the rights and protection of a Jewish nation – Israel. Many Jewish people around the world consider themselves Zionists.
Eric Adams said in a tweet today, “I was proud to deliver a different message at this year’s CUNY inauguration ceremony — one that celebrates the progress of our city and country, and one that honors those who work to keep us safe and secure fight.” Protect our freedoms like my Uncle Joe who died in Vietnam at the age of 19 while giving his life for our country.
“We cannot allow our students to only hear words of negativity and division.”
During her graduation, Mohammed repeatedly criticized Israel, associated the Jewish state with oppression and violence, and denounced the NYPD and US military as “fascists.”
The future lawyer urged her colleagues to continue the “revolution” against capitalism, claimed that brown prisoners were being murdered in US prisons every day, and attacked her own university for “collaborating with global violence.”
In her graduation address, she said: “This is the law school that adopted and endorsed BDS at the student and faculty level, recognizing that our work and the school’s mission statement are worthless without a critical perspective on imperialism, settlers and colonialism, while Israel carries on.” hurling bullets and bombs indiscriminately at believers, murdering old and young, attacking funerals and cemeteries, thus encouraging lynch mobs.
Eric Adams is pictured Monday at a Memorial Day commemoration ceremony hosted by the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. In his speech he protested against socialism and communism
Fatima Mousa Mohammed (pictured) used her graduation ceremony to denigrate the NYPD and US military as “fascists” and called on her colleagues to continue the “revolution” against capitalism and racism across the country
“We are the student body and faculty that fought back as the investor-oriented government attempted to cross the BDS picket lines, declaring loud and clear that Palestine can no longer be the exception to our quest for justice and that our Morality cannot be bought.’ by investors.’
She criticized the college for “continuing to work with the fascist NYPD, the military that continues to train IDF soldiers to use the same violence around the world.”
Jewish Community Relations NY, in a statement following her CUNY speech, said, “Once again, the opening speech by the CUNY Law School student body-elected keynote speaker was inflammatory anti-Israel propaganda.”
“This particular inaugural address has disregarded the principle of truth-seeking and is a shameless attempt to denigrate CUNY’s constructive engagement with Israel and the New York Jewish community, and to denigrate Israel’s supporters on campus, while also trading in anti-Semitic rhetoric.”
“We strongly encourage CUNY to revise its opening speech policy.”
The Anti-Defamation League said, “Graduations should be a place for everyone — not a time to denigrate student identities.”
“We are appalled to see such immense hostility towards ‘Zionists’ (as many Jews see themselves) and Israel in CUNY Law’s inaugural address.”
“This is another example of the harm being done to Jewish students on campus.”
Her speech, which repeatedly referred to the Israel-Palestine conflict, was criticized by numerous politicians.
Former US Representative Lee Zeldin said, “Raging anti-Semitism has completely engulfed the City University of New York.”
“Until the administration is overhauled and all Jewish students and faculty are welcome back, taxpayer funding must stop immediately.”
Congressman Mike Lawler added, “This is exactly why I am passing legislation that will strip universities of their funding if they practice and encourage anti-Semitism.”
“CUNY should be ashamed – and lose all federal funding it currently receives.”
Joel M. Petlin, Superintendent of the Kiryas Joel School District, said, “Listen to this hateful graduation speech every 13 minutes and learn what she thinks about the law, the police and border security and how she highlights the only democracy in the.” Near East.
“As a New Yorker, I’m shocked that I subsidized her education.”
Texas Senator Ted Cruz added, “City University of New York lecture day speaker slanders Israel and enthusiastically celebrates anti-Semitism.”
“Hail to open borders and the release of violent criminals from prison.” And condemns the “fascist NYPD”. This is a law school. Paid for with tax money.’
Another angry online viewer said, “CUNY has become the home of hate.”
Previously, Mohammed spent a summer as a legal intern with the National Lawyers Guild – and before graduating from CUNY Law School, she attended John Jay College and earned a BA in Law and Society with a minor in Human Rights Studies
Mohammed began her speech by saying, “I chose CUNY Law School because of its clear mission to be law in the service of human needs.”
“One of the few legal institutions created to recognize that the law is a manifestation of white supremacy that continues to oppress and oppress people in this country and around the world.”
During the speech, Mohammed praised the school and its graduates for “working to break down the facade of legal neutrality and to confront the systems of oppression that use violence against them.”
“Systems designed to feed an empire with a hunger for destruction and violence.”
“Institutions created to intimidate, bully and censor the voices of those who seek to resist.”
She thanked CUNY for being “one of the few” universities to issue a statement allowing students to organize protests “against Israeli settler-colonialism.” She claimed that Israel would “fire bullets and bombs indiscriminately” at the Palestinians.
Mohammed then listed a number of reasons to celebrate her colleagues – including their support of asylum seekers – and then added: “We have done all this despite the racism, selective activism and self-serving interests of CUNY headquarters – an institution , the …” continues to fail because of us.
“Let’s remember that in Rikers brown and black men are murdered by the state every day… that there are still refugees who are locked up on the southern border.”
“That the killing of black men like Jordan Neely by a white man in the MTA be honored with dignity by politicians like Eric Adams and Senator Chuck Schumer.”
‘May [the joy, excitement and rage in the auditorium] be the fuel for the fight against capitalism, racism, imperialism and Zionism around the world.
“No one will save the world.” No single movement will liberate the masses.
“Those who brought the violence, those who carry the revolution, the people, the masses, those who brought the violence, those who need our protection.”
“They will carry this revolution.”
She paused during her speech to accommodate cheers and shouts of support from onlookers, parents and fellow graduates.
Previously, during the summer, Mohammed served as a legal intern with the National Lawyers Guild.
Before graduating from the CUNY School of Law, she attended John Jay College and earned a BA in Law and Society with a minor in Human Rights Studies.
She told viewers at the ceremony that she “hailed from the rich soil of Yemen and grew up on the humble streets of Queens.”
The clip of Muhammad’s speech is understood to have been removed from YouTube by the law school, but then reposted it after a public outcry.
CUNY was contacted for comment.