Contentious Incident at CUNY Interfaith Event
Things didn’t quite go as planned at a recent interfaith gathering at the City University of New York. An imam, who referred to himself as such, unleashed a series of anti-Jewish statements, inciting Muslim students who were upset about the presence of “Zionists” to exit the event in protest.
The incident, which took place last week, is currently being investigated by CUNY, particularly concerning its impact on Elijah Bratman, who teaches at Baruch College and directs the Hillel Jewish campus organization.
According to audio recordings, Islamic scholar Abdullah Mahdi expressed his dismay at finding “a Zionist” sitting next to him, specifically calling out Bratman. He also stated, “Right now, my people are being killed in Gaza,” urging Muslims present to leave immediately to maintain their dignity.
In response, approximately 100 students got up and left, leaving about 20 remaining students, mostly Christian and Jewish, visibly shocked by the turn of events.
Campus security later escorted those students out for their safety, while demonstrators who exited in protest gathered outside. The event’s moderator, Joshua Medina, a student pastor, described the session as having been intended to be respectful and expressed regret over the situation.
Bratman shared that the display felt intimidating and pointedly highlighted how this was a blatant act of anti-Semitism. He remarked, “If an imam stood up and said, ‘If you’re a good Muslim, attack this Zionist,’ they would have done it.”
He emphasized that this incident wasn’t merely about Israel; it was fundamentally about Jews, underlining the severity of the rhetoric used.
The interfaith dialogue took place on November 13 and was organized under CUNY’s auspices. Two attendees identified Mahdi as the speaker who criticized Bratman and encouraged the Muslim students to leave.
Interestingly, Mahdi, a City College graduate pursuing another degree, did not respond to requests for comment.
At the start of his speech, he touched on topics like Sharia law, provocatively discussing consequences for the wealthy. “I’m talking about the elites today—the filthy rich—who keep taking from the people,” he stated.
A spokesperson for City University confirmed that they are probing the incident, reiterating the institution’s zero tolerance for any form of hate or bigotry.
Concerns surrounding anti-Semitism at CUNY have surged in recent years, becoming especially pronounced during anti-Israel protests related to Gaza. These tensions have led to significant damage—amounting to $3 million—during protests on the City College campus over the past year.
A report commissioned by Governor Kathy Hochul called for significant changes at City College to address the troubling levels of anti-Semitism allegedly perpetrated by some faculty and a lack of action from administration officials.
The situation has also triggered backlash online, with organizations like the Anti-Defamation League denouncing the overt anti-Jewish sentiment displayed. An ADL representative remarked on the irony of the absence of Jewish attendees at what was meant to be an inclusive interfaith event.
