Arizona State University canceled an on-campus event featuring Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) on Friday.
The event, organized by the Arizona Palestine Network, was cancelled amid the controversy surrounding Tlaib and her comments about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The congresswoman was expected to give a speech at the “Palestine is an American issue” event.
“Organizers of events using ASU facilities must be properly registered with ASU and must meet all university requirements for crowd management, parking, security, and insurance. In addition, the events must be produced in a way which minimizes disruption to academic and other activities on campus,” a spokesperson for the university said.
“The event featuring Congresswoman Tlaib was planned and produced by groups not affiliated with ASU and was organized outside of ASU policies and procedures. Accordingly, that event will not take place today on the ASU Tempe campus,” the spokesperson continued.
The Arizona Palestine Network responded to the cancelation on Facebook, calling it “completely unacceptable.”
“Rashida Tlaib must be heard on campus as the only Palestinian member of Congress who plans to speak on an American issue at this event. ASU cannot claim to hold free speech as a principle while denying Palestinians their voices on campus. Cancelling this event puts the university in direct contradiction with its charter as a university ‘measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed,'” the group wrote.
From Fox News:
Tlaib's appearance in Arizona would have come just over a week after the House of Representatives voted to censure her over anti-Israel comments she made. The text of the resolution accused her of "promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel."
