Photo by Miles Pierre, Staff Photographer: Anat Sultan-Dadon, the Consult General of Israel to the Southeastern United States, speaks at Crown Forum

By: Issa Rabb, Contributing Writer

I want to start this off by saying I have no intention to bash anyone or anybody’s identity. As a religious man I believe we are all created equal under one God and with that I will not discriminate or create bad rhetoric about a group’s culture or truth.

Yesterday evening, I visited the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel to sit in on a discussion titled “Antisemitism and Racism: Past, Present and Future “. Unfortunately, heading into the discussion I already knew the intention of the panelists and the people who orchestrated it. However, I was happy that Morehouse students chose to be upstanders and not bystanders. Many were passionate about the conflict in the Middle East, which brought joy to my heart as a Muslim who is underrepresented in this institution.

I wish there had been a more organized way of protesting or getting our point across. At times, I felt we were all over the place. I watched around seven or eight people talk before me with a plethora of statements, remarks and ideas. Some of these remarks and statements resorted to screaming or cutting off students and panelists from talking. At one point, I got up from my seat and told the people who were interrupting to hold it off to allow other brothers of the institution to speak.

When I was finally able to speak, I tried to make a statement and my microphone was cut off by someone working in the control room of the chapel. I was very upset but also confused because I went into the question very respectful. I first gave a Muslim greeting and offering of peace to everyone, going on to say “I have no intention to yell at you guys”. I then followed that saying “you guys won’t listen to me yelling anyways” and then my microphone was cut off abruptly.

As soon as my microphone was cut off, my Morehouse brothers stood behind me and said “let him speak”. I pleaded to Dean Carter to allow my voice to be heard and his response was “if you disrespect the rules you will not speak”. I then further explained that my question had a statement at first as a prelude.

Once I was given another chance, I spoke about how grateful I was for my Morehouse brothers who were not a part of the Islamic faith for taking a stand against what was going on. I questioned the African Americans who were part of the organizing of this panel on how they could sit in front of us and promote the zionist regime. Dean Carter quickly responded saying “promote?” in a confused voice. I responded by saying “Yes. We have never seen a crown forum where there are security guards around the stage. They are attempting to intimidate us.”

I believe that the panelists were pawns placed in front of us to tip our perspective towards Israel’s favor. They came in thinking we were impressionable young Black men who would believe whatever they tell us, and that is why I decided to write this article. I find it offensive that Morehouse College would offer their students this blasphemy. The students make Morehouse College, nothing happens without us. So for specific people in the faculty to let this happen is incredibly disrespectful. 

Morehouse as an institution is supposed to be filled with upstanders, not bystanders. And if we keep letting our students be vulnerable to people who have no care for us and want to use us, we will lose that identity throughout time. So I ask again, how? How could we do this as a college?

Copy edited by: Freddrell Green, Arts & Entertainment/Opinions Editor