NYC Mayor Eric Adams has slammed a CUNY graduate law for her ‘negativity and divisiveness’ after she incited anger and slammed ‘fascist’ cops and military in the US.
Yemeni immigrant Fatima Mousa Mohammed gave the graduation speech at City University of New York’s law school on May 12 – but unearthed footage has also shown her previously demanding Zionist professors be banned from the college.
The controversial clip from the law graduation ceremony inflamed social media – including lawmakers and NYC’s major, who today bashed her ‘words of negativity and divisiveness.’
During her time as a student in New York City, Mohammed was known for being an avid protester and active member of Students for Justice in Palestine.
In March 2022, a clip showed her speaking in front of ‘Friends of the IDF’ in Midtown Manhattan to a crowd of people holding Palestinian flags.
Mohammed said: ‘Demand that Zionist professors are not welcome on your campus. Demand that Zionist students are not in spaces where Palestinian students are.’
She spoke before a crowd cheered: ‘We don’t want no Zionists here!’
In March 2022, a clip showed Fatima Mousa Mohammed speaking in front of ‘Friends of the IDF’ in Midtown Manhattan to a crowd of people holding Palestinian flags – where she demanded that Zionist professors were removed from campus
Zionists are people who believe in the rights and protection of a Jewish nation – Israel. Many Jewish people across the world view themselves as Zionists.
Speaking today, Eric Adams said in a tweet: ‘I was proud to offer a different message at this year’s CUNY law commencement ceremony — one that celebrates the progress of our city and country, and one that honors those who fight to keep us safe and protect our freedoms, like my uncle Joe, who died at age 19 in Vietnam while giving his life for our country.
‘We cannot allow words of negativity and division to be the only ones our students hear.’
During her graduation ceremony, Mohammed repeatedly slammed Israel and linked the Jewish state to oppression and violence, as well as blasting the NYPD and the US military as ‘fascists.’
The future lawyer called on her peers to continue to ‘revolution’ against capitalism, claimed brown prisoners are murdered daily in US jails, and turned on her own university to ‘cooperate with global violence.’
In her graduation address, she said: ‘This is the law school that passed and endorsed BDS on a student and faculty level, recognizing that absent a critical imperialism settler colonialism lens, our work and the school’s mission statement is void of value as Israel continues to indiscriminately rain bullets and bombs on worshipers, murdering the old, the young, attacking the funerals and graveyards as it encourages lynch mobs.
‘We are the student body and faculty that fought back when the investor-focused administration attempted to cross the BDS picket line, saying loud and clear that Palestine can no longer be the exception to our pursuit of justice, that our morality will not be purchased by investors.’
She slammed the college for ‘continuing to cooperate with the fascist NYPD, the military, who continues to train IDF soldiers to carry out that same violence globally.’
Jewish Community Relations NY said in a statement following her CUNY speech: ‘Once again the CUNY Law School commencement speech by the student body elected commencement speaker was incendiary anti-Israel propaganda.
‘This particular commencement speech cast aside the principle of seeking truth in a shameless attempt to vile CUNY’s constructive engagement with Israel and the New York Jewish community and to denigrate Israel’s supporters on campus while trading in anti-Semitic tropes.
‘We strongly encourage CUNY to revise its guidelines surrounding commencement speeches.’
Eric Adams is pictured on Monday at a Memorial Day Commemoration, hosted by the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. In his speech, he rallied against socialism and communism
Fatima Mousa Mohammed (pictured) took her graduation ceremony to blast the NYPD and the US military as ‘fascists’ and called on her peers to continue to ‘revolution’ against capitalism and racism across the country
The Anti-Defamation League said: ‘Graduations should be a place for all — not a time to denigrate students’ identities.’
‘We are appalled to see such an egregious display of hostility toward ‘Zionists’ (which is how many see themselves) and Israel in CUNY Law’s commencement address for Jews.
‘This is yet another example of the harm Jewish students experience on campus.’
Her speech, which included multiple references to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, garnered criticism from swathes of politicians.
Former United States Representative Lee Zeldin said: ‘Raging anti-Semitism has completely consumed the City University of New York.
‘Until the administration is overhauled and all Jewish students and faculty are welcome again, taxpayer funding must be immediately halted.’
Congressman Mike Lawler added: ‘This is exactly why I am finalizing legislation to strip universities of their funding if they engage in and promote anti-Semitism.
‘CUNY should be ashamed of itself — and should lose any federal funds it is currently receiving.’
Joel M. Petlin, Superintendent of the Kiryas Joel School District, said: ‘Listen to all 13 minutes of this hateful graduation speech, and you’ll learn what she thinks of the law, police, border security, and how she singles out the only democracy in the Middle East.
‘As a New Yorker, I’m shocked that I subsidized her education.’
Texas Senator Ted Cruz added: ‘City University of New York class day speaker slanders Israel & enthusiastically celebrates anti-Semitism.
‘Cheers on open borders & releasing violent criminals from jail. And decries the ‘NYPD fascist.’ This is a LAW school. Paid for with tax dollars.’
Another irate viewer online said: ‘CUNY has become the home to hate.’
Mohammed was previously a legal intern for the summer at the National Lawyers Guild – and before graduating from the CUNY school of law, he attended from John Jay College and got a Bachelor’s in Law and Society with a minor in Human Rights Studies
Mohammed started her speech by saying: ‘I chose CUNY school of law for its articulated mission to serve law in the service of human needs.
‘One of the very few legal institutions created to recognize that the law is a manifestation of white supremacy that continues to oppress and suppress people in this nation and around the world.’
During the speech, Mohammed heralded the school and her alumni for ‘working to lift the façade of legal neutrality and confronted the systems of oppression that wrecked violence on them.
‘Systems that were created to feed an empire with a ravenous appetite for destruction and violence.
“Institutions created to intimidate, bully, and censor, and stifle the voices of those who resist.”
She thanked CUNY for being ‘one of the only’ universities who made a statement allowing students to organize protests ‘against Israeli settler colonialism.’ She claimed that Israel ‘indiscriminately rained bullets and bombs’ on Palestinians.
Mohammed then rattled off a number of reasons to celebrate his peers – including their aiding of asylum seekers – before adding: ‘We did all of this, in spite of the racism, selective activism, and self serving interests of CUNY central – an institution that continues to fail us.
‘Let us remember that daily brown and black men are being murdered by the state at Rikers…that there are refugees at the southern border who are still locked up.
‘That murder of black men like Jordan Neely by a white man on the MTA is dignified by politicians like Eric Adams and Sen Chuck Schumer.
‘May [the joy, excitement and rage in the auditorium] be the fuel for the fight against capitalism, racism, imperialism and Zionism around the world.
‘No one person will save the world. No single movement will liberate the masses.
‘Those who brought the ferocity of the violence, those who brought the revolution, the people, the masses, those who brought the ferocity of the violence, those who need our protection.
‘They will carry this revolution.’
Throughout her speech, she paused to allow supportive cheers and screams from audience members, parents and fellow graduates.
Mohammed was previously a legal intern for the summer at the National Lawyers Guild.
Prior to graduating from the CUNY school of law, she attended from John Jay College and got a Bachelor’s in Law and Society with a minor in Human Rights Studies.
She told audience members at the ceremony that she was ‘from the rich soil of Yemen, raised by the humble streets of Queens.’
It’s understood that the clip of Mohammed’s speech was removed from YouTube by the law school, but they then re-released it following a public outcry.
CUNY has been contacted for comment.