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According to accounts from those present, about 100 students immediately stood and followed him out.
By Shula Rosen
City College of New York (CUNY) is facing sharp criticism after an interfaith program on campus was disrupted by a walkout triggered by remarks from a Muslim speaker who objected to sharing the stage with the school’s Hillel director.
The incident occurred during an event organized by the Office of Student Inclusion Initiatives and was captured in a recording later obtained by the Times of Israel, prompting reactions from Jewish organizations and elected officials.
The gathering began as a discussion on faith, but the tone shifted when the invited imam turned to comments about Shariah law and wealth before announcing, “I came here to this event not knowing that I would be sitting next to a Zionist, and this is something I’m not going to accept. My people are being killed right now in Gaza.” He then urged students, “If you’re a Muslim, out of strength and dignity, I ask you to exit this room immediately.”
According to accounts from those present, about 100 students immediately stood and followed him out.
The chaplain overseeing the event expressed shock, but Jewish advocacy groups reacted more forcefully.
The Anti-Defamation League’s New York office posted that “This is not dialogue, it is harassment,” while the chapter’s director, Scott Richman, labeled the scene “a truly disgusting display of raw antisemitism not only by the imam but by the huge crowd of people there for an interfaith event who followed him out the door because a Jew was present.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned the walkout as “antisemitism, plain and simple,” insisting that no student should be “singled out, targeted, or shamed because they are Jewish.” She asked the City University of New York system to ensure accountability and safeguard students on campus.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, running against Hochul in next year’s gubernatorial race, described CUNY as “a hotbed of antisemitism.”
City College Hillel told its community that its concern was focused on “one individual’s extremist rhetoric,” stressing that the episode did not reflect on Muslim students or interfaith efforts. CUNY said it had begun an investigation.
The speaker, identified by Jewish Insider as Abdullah Mady, is a recent graduate who remained at the college for a master’s program. One Jewish student who stayed through the walkout told the moderator, “You’re in shock? We’re not, we’re used to it.” Donate to vital charities that help protect Israeli citizens and inspire millions around the world to support Israel too! Now more than ever, Israel needs your help to fight and win the war -- including on the battlefield of public opinion. Antisemitism, anti-Israel bias and boycotts are out of control. Israel's enemies are inciting terror and violence against innocent Israelis and Jews around the world. Help us fight back!
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