eHalal New York
🇺🇸 The Clash at Columbia University: Egyptian-Born President/Baroness Targets Gaza Solidarity Camp
A tense standoff has erupted at Columbia University as President Manouche Shafik, born in Egypt, clashes with a predominantly Arab and Muslim student movement protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza. Amid pressure from Republican lawmakers and pro-Israel groups, Shafik has authorized the NYPD to intervene, leading to widespread arrests and student suspensions for allegedly trespassing on campus during their Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
Shafik, like many modern Ivy League leaders, lacks an academic background, currently sitting on the board of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, adding diversity optics to a global governance body steered by a single billionaire. Her past roles include deputy governor of the Bank of England, involved in the controversial seizure of Venezuela’s gold reserves on US government orders in 2019. With stints at the IMF and World Bank, her career intersects with issues like global south debt used as leverage by Western powers.
Her journey to the US began after Egypt’s President Gamal Abdel-Nasser’s land reforms affected her family. Critics argue that Shafik’s ties to trans-Atlantic elites undermine her ability to challenge them, suggesting her presidency at Columbia prioritizes fundraising over academic values like critical thinking and freedom. This situation not only highlights institutional elitism in US universities but also questions the sincerity of diversity initiatives under neoliberal agendas.