- Calls have been made to reinstate the teenager back to his school.
- The incident sets a dangerous precedent for those voicing Pro-Palestinian sentiments.
On November the 19th 15-year-old Palestinian-American high schooler Jad Abuhamda learnt that his high school, Pine Crest School, would be expelling him. His expulsion was not due to any misbehavior on his end but because his mother, Dr. Maha Almasri, also a Palestinian-American, had made Pro-Palestinian social media posts that the school deemed as hateful and inciting violence.
A statement released by the school read that her posts “made students reluctant to interact with her and exposed the campus to security concerns”. Earlier to the expulsion of her son, Dr. Almasri was fired from the same school (where she had been a former maths tutor) because of her social media posts which the school said in a statement on their website, had the “possibility of inciting hatred and creating a climate of fear”.
The posts in question featured a picture of an Israeli soldier pointing a machine gun to an infant in an incubator and an image with commentary which suggested that some wanted to roast babies in an oven. Dr Almasri’s posts are a reference to premature babies born at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza. Due to Israeli airstrikes and the subsequent power outrage, the incubators housing the infants stopped functioning. At least 4 of the premature babies died as a result. Weeks later, a video emerged showing their decomposed bodies which were left at the hospital. The footage was verified by the Washington Post.
The incident raised eyebrows, with many questioning why the school expelled Dr. Almasri’s son if she had been the one making the social media posts. According to the school’s Student Handbook and enrollment agreement, if a parent engages in behavior that is “disruptive, intimidating, overly aggressive, or interferes with the school’s safety procedures, the school may take the action that it deems necessary to address the situation”.
Dr. Almasri has strongly rejected the school’s allegations against her and says that her posts were taken out of context. “In no way have I ever incited violence, nor called for it. I do not condone any type of violence, not only against us as a family, but also against the school community,” she said.
The Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has requested the US Department of Education to investigate the expulsion of 15-year-old Jad Abuhamda over the social media posts his mother made. CAIR’s Florida attorney, Omar Saleh stated that “speaking up for human rights is not a threat”. Regarding the school’s decision to expel Jad, “It went too far”, said Saleh.
The situation at Pine Crest is one of the latest incidents among many around the world and the US to paint numerous Pro-Palestinians as inciting violence. US school and college campuses have been a recurring flashpoint. And yet, in a nation where free speech is protected under the first amendment of its constitution, Americans (including those of Palestinian origin) have every right to voice their opinions and speak out against the human rights abuses in Gaza.
