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CUNY’s 1st “Diversity Dialogue” Taps Leader of Anti-Semitic Group as Featured Speaker
By: Hellen Zaboulani
On Monday, CUNY’s first “Diversity Dialogue” will be held, tapping the former leader of an antisemitic group to speak.
As reported by the NY Post, the public university system will hold a diversity discussion for its employees, led by what critics are calling an anti-Semitic host. Saly Abd Alla, former director of civil rights for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Minnesota, will lead the discussion. She is currently CUNY’s chief diversity officer, and will act as moderator at Monday’s discussion, which will delve deeply into diversity, equity and inclusion programming, presented together with Todd Craig, an English professor at Medgar Evers College.
The group Students and Faculty for Equality at CUNY (S.A.F.E. CUNY), which was formed to fight anti-Semitism on the campuses, was quick to condemn and criticize the university system. “Moments ago, CUNY announced a university-wide diversity/discrimination event that will address anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination to be hosted former CAIR Director and BDS Activist Saly Abd Alla,” the Group said in a Tweet. “Please [email protected] how you feel about it.” The Tweet garnered support including a response from the NYC-based StopAntisemitism group, which commented: “Was David Duke or Farrakhan not available@ChancellorCUNY? This is gaslighting at its finest.” Liora Rez, executive director of StopAntisemitism, said their group gave CUNY a failing grade in its 2022 report on campus anti-Semitism “partially because they do not include Jews in their DEI efforts.” The group called on the school system to remove Abd Alla’s from her role.
Jeffrey Lax, founder of SAFE Group and a Kingsborough Community College professor, called CUNY’s recent history of anti-Semitism “a well-documented but unaddressed cancer”. He said having Abd Alla host the “event feels like we have now reached stage 4 of the cancer.” Lax has filed a discrimination complaint against CUNY, which AbdAlla was in charge of overseeing, until he objected and it was assigned to outside counsel.
Per the Post, CAIR is an open supporter of the pro-Palestine, BDS movement – Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement – against the Jewish state. The Anti-Defamation League has said some of CAIR’s leadership “had early connections with organizations that are or were affiliated” with the terrorist group Hamas. The ADL also said some CAIR leaders have used “inflammatory anti-Zionist rhetoric that on a number of occasions has veered into antisemitic tropes.”
Brooklyn Councilwoman, Republican Inna Vernikov, had also spoken out at CUNY’s assignment of Abd Alla as chief diversity officer in September. “@CUNY assigning a former @CAIRNational rep to investigate allegations of Antisemitism, is like asking a sexual abuser to investigate the sexual harassment/rape allegations of a victim of such abuse,” Vernikov had tweeted. “Would @CUNY hire David Duke to investigate claims of racism? #endjewhatred,”
Monday’s virtual diversity webinar is part of Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez’ “Campus Climate Support Initiative.” It’s aimed to address “sensitive and important topics such as confronting anti-Semitism, fighting gender-based discrimination….and combating anti-Muslim hatred, among others.” Per the Post, Vernikov commented that she was glad to see CUNY addressing discrimination and anti-Semitism, but said we must also make sure that “Jewish students and community are represented” in such a forum.
CUNY commented: “Our University recently dispersed $600,000 to 24 campuses for work to combat hate and central offices will utilize $150,000 to support its campus climate work, including monthly discussions and conversations on issues pertaining to discrimination,” said CUNY spokesman Joseph Tirella.
