The University of Southern California announced there will be no outside speakers and honorees at this year’s main commencement ceremony after canceling its valedictorian speech from a Muslim student who said she was silenced by anti-Palestinian hatred, Reuters reports.
“Given the highly publicized circumstances surrounding our main-stage commencement program, university leadership has decided it is best to release our outside speakers and honorees from attending this year’s ceremony,” the university said in a statement on Friday.
USC Provost Andrew Guzman said on Monday the speech of the Muslim valedictorian, biomedical engineering major Asna Tabassum, was canceled. Guzman said the decision to scrub the traditional address at next month’s graduation was aimed at protecting campus security.
In an earlier statement, Tabassum said USC was “caving to fear and rewarding hatred,” which she alleged was directed by “anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices.” The Israel-Gaza war has led to tensions on U.S. college campuses.
Trojans for Israel, a USC-based group, and We Are Tov (Hebrew for “good “), a group advocating support for Israel and Jews in collegiate life, called for Tabassum’s removal, saying she has previously espoused antisemitic views.
