CUNY speech was dangerous

To the editor:

(re: “Why can’t we all just be nicer to each other,” July 20)

As a social worker, our profession understands and supports basic human rights, regardless of one’s position in society. Basic human rights include freedom and safety.

Fatima Mohammed’s verbiage at the CUNY Law School graduation threatens the basic human rights of Jewish students by her advocacy of violence against Israel — the only Jewish state on Earth.

Thus, violence against Israel is violence against Jews. When she talks about fighting oppression everywhere, she seems to disregard Jews, who have been oppressed over the course of 3,500 years!

Jewish students have a basic right to attend a public, taxpayer-funded institution without fearing for their safety. However, when the rhetoric from a fellow student is inflammatory, accusatory, and filled with convenient lies and misinformation about Israel and the Jewish people, then it crosses a red line. Jewish students are targeted and Fatima’s words incite.

Social work advances human rights. We recognize theories of justice and encourage ways of ensuring these human and civil rights. 

Fatima has promoted actions which erase any theory of justice, and endangers any strategy promoting human and civil rights. Jewish students — and faculty — deserve to attend CUNY where they are included in a community where basic human rights are distributed equally and without prejudice. 

Fatima promotes otherwise for Jews.

Elise Karras