By Malik Washington, Destination Freedom Media Group
IF ASNA TABASSUM WAS A WHITE WOMAN, JEWISH, AND HAD A PRO-PALESTINIAN MESSAGE, WOULD HER COMMENCEMENT SPEECH HAVE BEEN CANCELED?
USC must look deeper before silencing Asna’s voice. But more importantly, another question must be asked:
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE UNITED STATES WHETHER THEY BE BLACK, WHITE, JEWISH, MUSLIM, OR CHRISTIAN AND THEY SPEAK OUT WITH A PRO-PALESTINIAN MESSAGE, ARE THEY ALL TO BE CONSIDERED ANTI-SEMITIC?
I THINK NOT!
DESTINATION FREEDOM STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE COLLEGE STUDENTS ACROSS THE NATION 
PEACEFULLY PROTESTING IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINIAN HUMAN BEINGS
I now wish to contextualize and articulate my political belief and stance in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict so that it will be crystal clear. I am a Muslim. There is no separation of church and state in Islam. I’ve studied the Quran as well as the life of our Prophet Muhammad (saw) for many years. I now have this to say to Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar:
Release the hostages now! But do not release them in order to appease Western leaders. Release the hostages today because they are non-combatants and innocent. The hostages are not soldiers and our Holy Prophet (saw) was very clear on this point. Some more, some less, Prophet Muhammad said that to take an innocent life is as if you killed the whole world. And to save an innocent life is as if you saved all of humanity.
I am pro-Palestinian. Yes, I am. But I do not lift up Palestinian life in order to trample on Jewish human beings. On the contrary, I say today with emphasis, release Hersh Goldberg-Polin and all the hostages. Release them because the Muslims are dignified people, especially when recognizing the value of life and the preciousness of humanity.
The patriarchal leadership of the University of Southern California silenced Asna Tabassum, but the police on college campuses and other enemies of free speech cannot silence us all.
I REFUSE TO BE SILENCED!
Malik Washington is a free-lance journalist and staff writer for Destination Freedom and Destination Freedom Media Group. He is a co-founder of the SRJ Freedom Collective.
