News:
Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, a doctoral student at Tufts University, a Turkish student, is latest Palestinian supporter swept up in US crackdown (https://apnews.com/)
Comment:
Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish graduate student at Tufts University, was suddenly apprehended by masked, plainclothes men while walking to meet friends for dinner (“iftar”). With no clear charges or due legal process—only a tenuous connection to Palestinian advocacy—her arrest reflects a broader crackdown on students expressing dissent against the genocide in Gaza. Despite a judge’s order to halt any action, she was forcefully transferred to an out-of-state ICE (United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement) facility, and her visa was nullified. This incident underscores the government’s increasing reliance on intimidation tactics to silence voices critical of its policies. Such repression signals a troubling shift toward authoritarian rule, punishing those who refuse to conform to an imposed narrative.
The erosion of free speech in selective cases marks a dangerous departure from the constitutional values the U.S. once championed. This trajectory has led to peaceful campus protests being met with excessive force, mirroring the very authoritarian tactics the U.S. claims to condemn. The heavy-handed treatment of students who dare to challenge the political influence of the Zionist lobby demonstrates the government’s submission to AIPAC’s special interests over the will of the American people. Public sentiment does not support the government’s unwavering endorsement of apartheid and the war crimes committed by the Zionist entity. The blatant repression of dissent exposes a deeper crisis in the West’s moral authority. The fear of alternative narratives reveals desperation—a frantic attempt to control discourse. These actions send a clear message: freedom is conditional, and those who refuse to remain silent will be made examples of. This hypocritical stance on basic human rights is steering the country down a dangerous path of authoritarian suppression. On the contrary, Islam unequivocally condemns all forms of aggression, upholding justice and mercy as fundamental principles in its laws and values. It emphasizes the compassionate and ethical treatment of all living beings, including humans, animals, and even nature, reinforcing the sanctity of life and the responsibility of stewardship over the Earth.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّامِينَ لِلّهِ شُهَدَاء بِالْقِسْطِ وَلاَ يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَى أَلاَّ تَعْدِلُواْ اعْدِلُواْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَى وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ إِنَّ اللّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
“O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do.” [Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:8]
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Haitham Ibn Thbait
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in America
