Dr. Nemat “Minouche” Shafik
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Amid ongoing campus protests at Columbia University over Israel’s conflict with Hamas, Dr. Nemat “Minouche” Shafik, the university’s president, is under scrutiny.
20 years ago
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A video from over 20 years ago is resurfacing and gaining renewed interest for comments made about the root causes of terrorism.
Terrorism
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Recorded shortly after the 9/11 attacks, the video features Shafik, who was serving as the vice president at the World Bank at the time, engaging in a conversation with UC Berkeley’s Harry Kreisler on the show “Conversations with History,” where they delve into the economic factors contributing to terrorism.
Thrives
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Shafik contended that while terrorism may arise in “fairly rich and open societies,” it thrives most in nations facing “economic stagnation and political authoritarianism.”
Extreme views
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“You’ll always have individuals with extreme views. But what’s really troubling in the region is that there’s actually quite a broad base of society which has some sympathy for the terrorists, not so much because they approve of their methods, but it’s a form of protesting against a system which is not delivering for them on the economic or the political front,” she said. The video was initially discovered by Brent Scher of The Daily Wire.
Condemns terrorism
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According to a university representative speaking to Fox News Digital, Shafik unequivocally “condemns terrorism, full stop.” The spokesperson added, “to intimate otherwise is dangerous and a complete misrepresentation of what she said.”
Pressure to resign
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Shafik is under growing pressure to resign due to the rise of anti-Semitism on campus and continuous protests against Israel that have caused disruptions to classes.
Protesters
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Recently, over 100 pro-Palestinian protesters who had set up camp on Columbia’s campus green were taken into custody.
Deep sorrow
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Earlier on Monday, Shafik expressed deep sorrow in a statement regarding the actions of instigators who have established an “encampment”, inciting students and faculty with anti-Semitic slogans and chants.
Saddened
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“I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus,” Shafik wrote. “Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm. Students across an array of communities have conveyed fears for their safety and we have announced additional actions we are taking to address security concerns. The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days.”
Columbia University
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At Columbia University, a protest camp emerged on Wednesday, coinciding with a day where Shafik faced harsh criticism during a congressional hearing from Republicans who accused her of not taking sufficient action against anti-Semitism. Two presidents from other Ivy League institutions had resigned earlier after giving controversial testimonies to the same committee.
Deadly assault
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Across college campuses nationwide, protests have erupted since Hamas’ deadly assault on southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals, mostly civilians, and the taking of around 250 hostages by militants.
34,000 Palestinians
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In response, Israel has reportedly killed over 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, as per the local health ministry, which is controlled by Hamas and does not differentiate between combatants and non-combatants but claims that at least two-thirds of the casualties are children and women.
Shafik’s resignation
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U.S. House Republicans from New York have called for Shafik’s resignation, stating in a letter on Monday that she has failed to maintain a safe learning environment as the campus has been engulfed by “anarchy” in recent days.
