USC economics professor John Strauss' remarks about Hamas at a pro-Palestinian protest went viral, igniting debates about censorship, academic freedom and safety.

USC economics professor John Strauss’ remarks about Hamas at a pro-Palestinian protest went viral, igniting debates about censorship, academic freedom and safety.

  • DarkGamerOP
    22•1 year ago

    The economics professor’s interactions with students that day ended with the 72-year-old Strauss, who is Jewish, declaring: “Hamas are murderers. That’s all they are. Every one should be killed, and I hope they all are killed.” …
    Within the week, a petition demanding that USC fire Strauss for his “racist, xenophobic behavior” and comments that “promote and incite violence” had collected more than 6,500 signatures. …
    Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Los Angeles, called for USC to launch an investigation into Strauss and to take actions to protect “Muslim, Palestinian and Arab students as well as any others who are targeted by hate and bigotry.”

    “Hamas,” is a race now? Promoting and inciting violence against Hamas, a known terrorist organization, offends these students? Perhaps his dislike of Hamas has more to do with their tendency to murder, rape, kidnap, and assault civilians rather than a fear of foreigners, (xenophobia.)

    Those conflating Hamas with Palestinians, Muslims, and Arabs in general do their cause no favors.

    • @bl4ckblooc
      13•1 year ago

      Judging by the rest of the article, I think the professor is also conflating Hamas for Palestine, although for different reasons.

      • DarkGamerOP
        5•1 year ago

        How so? Editing the clip to remove the part where he said, “Hamas,” wasn’t done by Professor Strauss:

        as the clip circulated online, it was at times trimmed to a few seconds of Strauss uttering, “Every one should be killed.”

        It seems like the pro-Palestinian student groups and online trolls are doing everything possible to vilify him with scant evidence.

        • @bl4ckblooc
          4•1 year ago

          Because what he interrupted has nothing to Jo with Hamas. It was a memorial for Palestinians who had been murdered.

          It seems like pro-Israel groups and online trolls are doing everything they can to equate all Palestinians to Hamas.

          • DarkGamerOP
            1•1 year ago

            Because what he interrupted has nothing to Jo with Hamas. It was a memorial for Palestinians who had been murdered.

            It has a lot to do with Hamas! This war is to depose Hamas, and these anti-war protesters want a cease fire now, i.e., before that happens. It’s in the same sentence where they mention the memorial, interesting that you omitted it.

            Then there’s this:

            He got closer and said he saw “that it was a big Palestinian demonstration.” He told The Times that he heard slogans such as “Destroy Israel” and calls for the U.S. to revoke funding for Israel. (Students dispute that “destroy Israel” was ever uttered at the demonstration.)
            “That’s what I heard and I got angry,” said Strauss, who has worked at USC since 2004 and has tenure. “I am Jewish and very pro-Israel, so I shouted, ‘Israel forever. Hamas are murderers.’”
            The demonstration was part of a national “Shut It Down for Palestine” action and included a student walkout from class, a march through campus and a rally where some students chanted, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a phrase that is viewed as either a call for Palestinians to have equality or a call for the destruction of Israel, depending on the listener.

            Yet you’re pretending that he objected to a memorial. Seems like you’re arguing in bad faith.

            • @bl4ckblooc
              1•1 year ago

              He literally walked over a memorial for Palestinians that were killed in the recent bombings. Completely disregarding that is disingenuous.

              This is literally the same argument I see anti-Palestinian posters (yes, this is going over being pro-Israel and it’s more anti-Palestinians than anything.) You like to quote the article piecemeal, and then say it’s that the other person is obviously in bad faith since they want to mention the parts of the article you won’t mention.

              • DarkGamerOP
                1•1 year ago

                There’s no footage of that and he denies it. I’m inclined to believe him, given how he’s being misrepresented.

                • @bl4ckblooc
                  2•1 year ago

                  So how can you believe anything else from the article YOU posted?

                  Tell me you posted this with an agenda without telling me you posted this with an agenda.

                  • DarkGamerOP
                    1•1 year ago

                    The article I posted acknowledged this. There’s a lot of “he said, they said,” attribution. I could just add easily accuse you of having an agenda, random Internet stranger.