The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is under fire for forcing first-year medical students to attend a lecture given by an alleged Hamas supporter, the New York Post reported Thursday.
Lecture by Lisa “Tiny” Gray-Garcia at UCLA’s Geffen Hall. Hamas supporter, sparked controversy when the university allegedly required students to attend these classes. Her class, “(In)Justice Housing in Los Angeles,” reportedly criticizes modern medicine and private property, and links homelessness in Los Angeles to the situation in the Gaza Strip. according to to the New York Post.
During his lecture, Gray-Garcia asked students to press their fists into the ground and offered a nondenominational prayer to “Mama Earth” and their ancestors, the Washington Free Beacons. report.
UCLA School of Medicine forces first-year students to attend a lecture by a Hamas supporter who denounced modern medicine as “white science” and had them pray to “Mama Earth.” https://t.co/hVYENPB4Bi pic.twitter.com/rb31reR7OA
— New York Post (@nypost) April 4, 2024
“Mama Earth was never meant to be bought, sold, pimped or played with,” Gray Garcia said in audio obtained by the Beacon.
Gray-Garcia’s comments angered students and faculty, prompting calls for prayers and strong criticism of the homeless encampment cleanup. Witnesses said the event was disturbing regardless of their religious beliefs, the newspaper said. The university’s Jewish Faculty Resilience Group condemned the lecture, saying something like this should never happen and criticizing the administration’s handling of the situation. (Related: Ivy League professor calls Hamas terrorist attack ‘exhilarating’ and ‘invigorating’ at campus rally)
The incident intensifies existing tensions at the UCLA School of Medicine, particularly around the HEALS curriculum, which targets “structural racism and health equity.” The program aims to prepare students for advocacy and compassionate care amid broader debates about academic freedom and the politics of education, according to the New York Post.
The Daily Caller reached out to UCLA for comment but has not yet received a response.
