On May 7th, 2025, Columbia University in New York City became the battleground for a shocking display of so-called activism. Over 100 pro-Palestine protesters, many masked and unidentifiable, stormed Butler Library during the university's final exam period, disrupting students who were quietly studying, trying to secure their future with good marks.
The protesters, led by Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), chanted slogans, unfurled banners with slogans like 'Strike For Gaza' and 'Liberated Zone,' and declared the library a 'Basel Al-Araj Popular University' — a nod to a Palestinian activist killed in 2017. But let's be real. If these protesters were as brave as they claim to be, why hide behind masks? If they were so sure of their cause, why not show their faces? Why disrupt a library, a place of learning, instead of taking their grievances to where the conflict is — to Israel itself?
If Israel is the enemy, as they claim, why not take the protest there? Why not march in the streets of Tel Aviv or Gaza? Why hide behind bookshelves in a university library, disrupting innocent students who have nothing to do with the conflict? And let’s not forget, America is a country that champions free speech. There are countless ways to protest peacefully and effectively. Why not organize a peaceful demonstration, a rally, a sit-in — somewhere that doesn't impede students who are simply trying to pass their exams? This wasn’t a protest. This was a deliberate act of cowardice, plain and simple.
University officials rightly condemned the protest. Acting President Claire Shipman stated that the protest was not only a violation of university policies but also a direct threat to student safety. And she was right. During the chaotic occupation, two public safety officers were injured. The university called in the New York Police Department (NYPD), leading to the arrest of approximately 80 protesters. Some of them were international students, including Mahmoud Khalil, the alleged ringleader who now faces deportation after being arrested by Homeland Security last month.
But let's talk about the hypocrisy. Imagine if a group of Christians stormed a library in a majority Muslim country, disrupting students during a crucial exam period. It would have been a massacre. Blood would have been shed. And yet, these protesters — in the heart of America — felt they could do whatever they wanted, hiding behind the facade of activism, disturbing the peace, and causing chaos for innocent students trying to study.
And this isn’t just an isolated incident. Look around Europe. Look at how Muslim immigrants are flooding in, bringing their ideologies, refusing to integrate, demanding their way or no way at all. It’s not about religion. It’s a political game disguised as a religious struggle. People call it Jihad, but is it really about faith, or is it about power? Control? Dominance?
Now, people are going to call me Islamophobic for saying this. But let’s be clear. I’m not afraid of them. I don’t fear Islam. I fear the ignorance that people cloak as righteousness. I fear the hypocrisy that allows them to come into our countries, disrupt our institutions, disrespect our values, and then scream persecution when we stand up for ourselves. And why do they do it here, in the West, in countries that have opened their arms to them? Why don’t they protest in their own countries, in the heart of strict Muslim regimes? Because they know they’d be dealt with swiftly and brutally.
I’m glad Columbia University took action. This isn’t about stifling free speech. This is about maintaining order, protecting students, and ensuring that universities remain places of learning, not battlegrounds for masked cowards who refuse to face the consequences of their actions. If you really believe in your cause, stand up, show your face, and protest where it matters. Not in a library full of students preparing for their futures.
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