5 books to help you better understand today’s campus protests
The ConversationApr 28
Muslim Advocacy Group Sues Abbott Over University Executive Order
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The Facts
On behalf of pro-Palestinian groups at the University of Houston (UH), University of Texas (UT) at Dallas, and the Democratic Socialists of America, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has sued Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over a recent executive order against anti-Israel protests.
The federal complaint filed on Thursday claims that Executive Order GA-44 improperly equates pro-Palestine activism to antisemitism and violates the First Amendment.
The Spin
Pro-Palestine narrative
Abbott has launched a blatant attack on the free speech rights of students at Texas public universities that must be blocked. By misinterpreting the meaning of certain slogans, he is outlawing support for Palestinian independence and prohibiting criticism of a foreign government. Like all people in America, Texas university students have the right to speak out against the Israeli genocide in Gaza, and the governor cannot remove that right for political gain.
Pro-Israel narrative
Anti-Israel protesters have sought to frame orders against violent protests and slogans as a violation of the First Amendment, but this is not the case. While every American has the right to free expression, genocidal language that implies the eradication of Israel and the Jewish people crosses the line. If Palestinian statehood extends "from the river to the sea," then Israel would not exist. Those who call for the destruction of a sovereign nation must be reprimanded.
