As Columbia University President Dr. Nemat “Minoush” Shafik faces intense scrutiny over ongoing campus protests over the war between Israel and Hamas, a more than 20-year-old video reveals the origins of terrorism. The statement is attracting new attention.
videoShot just two months after 9/11, the film features Shafiq, then World Bank vice president, speaking with Harry Chrysler of the University of California, Berkeley, on a program called “Conversations with History” about the economic roots of terrorism. They are shown talking.
Mr. Shafiq argued that while terrorism occurs in “fairly affluent and open societies,” its most fertile ground is in countries plagued by “economic stagnation and political authoritarianism.”
Columbia University President Nemat Shafik speaks during a House Education and Labor Committee hearing on “Columbia in Crisis: Columbia University’s Response to Anti-Semitism” at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. testify (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
“There are always going to be people with extreme views, but the real problem in this region is that there is actually a fairly broad segment of society that has some degree of sympathy for terrorists. “It’s not so much that we approve of their methods, but that it’s a form of protest against a system that is not benefiting us, both economically and politically,” she said. .
This video was first discovered by Brent Sher of the Daily Wire.
A university spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Shafiq “completely condemns terrorism.”
“Any other way of intimacy would be dangerous and a complete misinterpretation of what she said,” the spokesperson added.
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Shafik has faced growing calls for his resignation amid widespread anti-Semitism on campus and ongoing protests against Israel that disrupt classes.
Last week, more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested while camping on a green field in Colombia.
Shafik said in a statement early Monday that he was “deeply saddened” by the specific actions of the agitators, who have formed “encampments” on campus and infuriated students and faculty with anti-Semitic slogans and chants. Stated.
(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)
“I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus,” Shafik wrote. “Our bonds as a community are being severely tested in ways that will require significant time and effort to reaffirm. have announced additional steps they will take to address safety concerns.” The decibels of our disagreement have only increased in recent days. ”
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Camps of protests broke out in Colombia on Wednesday. That same day, Mr. Shafiq faced scathing criticism from Republicans at a congressional hearing for not doing enough to combat anti-Semitism. Two other Ivy League presidents also resigned several months ago after their testimony before the same committee was widely criticized.
Anti-Israel agitators gather on the campus of Columbia University in New York City on Monday, April 22, 2024. The university announced that all classes will be held virtually today in response to ongoing demonstrations on campus. (Peter Garber)
Meanwhile, protests have roiled university campuses across the country since a deadly attack on southern Israel by Hamas in which militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 250 hostages. . In response, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry. The ministry, run by Hamas, does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants, but says at least two-thirds of the dead are children and women.
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In a letter Monday, U.S. House Republicans from New York recommended that Shafik resign, saying he had failed to provide a safe learning environment as the campus “has descended into anarchy” in recent days.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
