[GUEST ACCESS MODE: Data is scrambled or limited to provide examples. Make requests using your API key to unlock full data. Check https://lunarcrush.ai/auth for authentication information.]  Selfie Monkey [@selfie_monkey](/creator/twitter/selfie_monkey) on x XXX followers Created: 2025-07-14 00:13:07 UTC In the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Harvard University grappled with heightened sensitivities around Islam, terrorism, and Middle Eastern conflicts, fostering an atmosphere of tense discourse on campus that prefigured broader controversies during Lawrence Summers’ presidency. This tension manifested vividly in the spring of 2002, when Zayed M. Yasin ‘02, a biomedical engineering concentrator from Leverett House and former president of the Harvard Islamic Society (HIS), was selected in April by a faculty committee to deliver one of three student orations at the June X Commencement ceremony. Yasin, a Muslim American of Bangladeshi and Irish descent raised in diverse locales including Indonesia and suburban Massachusetts, had a profile of campus involvement that included technical theater, emergency medical services, and leadership in the Harvard-Radcliffe Friends of the American Red Cross; his international experiences, such as public health work in Zambia and Albania, informed his worldview, though critics later scrutinized his defense of the Holy Land Foundation (HLF)—an organization HIS had considered donating to under his tenure, ultimately redirecting funds to the Red Crescent amid allegations of HLF’s ties to Hamas. Yasin’s proposed speech aimed to bridge Islamic concepts with American ideals, exhorting graduates to engage in a moral struggle against social injustice, reclaiming “jihad” from its post-9/11 connotations of holy war and violence to emphasize personal striving for righteousness—a theme he believed aligned with the responsibilities of privileged Harvard alumni. Initially titled “Of Faith and Citizenship: My American Jihad,” the address underwent a pivotal revision when Michael Shinagel, dean of continuing education and a member of the selection committee assigned to mentor Yasin, recommended shortening it for greater impact; a few weeks before the announcement, they condensed it to the punchier “American Jihad,” a change Shinagel endorsed as more concise and compelling, though it inadvertently amplified the provocative element in a climate still raw from the attacks. The title’s release in late May via a Harvard Crimson article ignited immediate backlash, with critics—particularly from Jewish student groups like Hillel—interpreting “jihad” as endorsing terrorism or anti-American sentiment, fueling fears amid ongoing Middle East violence and U.S. responses to al-Qaeda. The controversy escalated rapidly, drawing national media scrutiny from outlets like The Washington Post, The New York Times, and television programs such as Nightline and Hardball, where Yasin was variably portrayed as a Hamas sympathizer or a victim of Islamophobia; he faced personal vitriol, including hate mail and a death threat via an e-greeting card, prompting him to prepare a FAQ handout and wear a red, white, and blue ribbon at press conferences to affirm his patriotism. On campus, a “Group of Concerned Students,” led by Hilary L. Levey ‘02 and Benjamin Z. Galper ‘02 (a former Hillel president), circulated a petition garnering over XXXXX signatures by Commencement eve, demanding Yasin’s replacement or a rewritten speech that explicitly condemned terrorism and violent jihad; they distributed flyers and considered further actions on the day, though pledging no disruptions, while criticizing the faculty-only selection committee—including Shinagel and chair Richard F. Thomas—for lacking student input and potential political biases, such as Thomas’s alleged support for divestment from Israel. Defenders, including Muslim students like Rita Hamad ‘03 and University Marshal Richard M. Hunt, praised Yasin’s interfaith efforts and described the speech as “healing” and non-confrontational, emphasizing jihad’s benign spiritual meaning. Administrative responses underscored commitments to free speech amid the furor: Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis ‘68 regretted personal attacks on Yasin, XXX engagements  **Related Topics** [selfie](/topic/selfie) [Post Link](https://x.com/selfie_monkey/status/1944550690225078460)
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Selfie Monkey @selfie_monkey on x XXX followers
Created: 2025-07-14 00:13:07 UTC
In the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Harvard University grappled with heightened sensitivities around Islam, terrorism, and Middle Eastern conflicts, fostering an atmosphere of tense discourse on campus that prefigured broader controversies during Lawrence Summers’ presidency. This tension manifested vividly in the spring of 2002, when Zayed M. Yasin ‘02, a biomedical engineering concentrator from Leverett House and former president of the Harvard Islamic Society (HIS), was selected in April by a faculty committee to deliver one of three student orations at the June X Commencement ceremony. Yasin, a Muslim American of Bangladeshi and Irish descent raised in diverse locales including Indonesia and suburban Massachusetts, had a profile of campus involvement that included technical theater, emergency medical services, and leadership in the Harvard-Radcliffe Friends of the American Red Cross; his international experiences, such as public health work in Zambia and Albania, informed his worldview, though critics later scrutinized his defense of the Holy Land Foundation (HLF)—an organization HIS had considered donating to under his tenure, ultimately redirecting funds to the Red Crescent amid allegations of HLF’s ties to Hamas.
Yasin’s proposed speech aimed to bridge Islamic concepts with American ideals, exhorting graduates to engage in a moral struggle against social injustice, reclaiming “jihad” from its post-9/11 connotations of holy war and violence to emphasize personal striving for righteousness—a theme he believed aligned with the responsibilities of privileged Harvard alumni. Initially titled “Of Faith and Citizenship: My American Jihad,” the address underwent a pivotal revision when Michael Shinagel, dean of continuing education and a member of the selection committee assigned to mentor Yasin, recommended shortening it for greater impact; a few weeks before the announcement, they condensed it to the punchier “American Jihad,” a change Shinagel endorsed as more concise and compelling, though it inadvertently amplified the provocative element in a climate still raw from the attacks. The title’s release in late May via a Harvard Crimson article ignited immediate backlash, with critics—particularly from Jewish student groups like Hillel—interpreting “jihad” as endorsing terrorism or anti-American sentiment, fueling fears amid ongoing Middle East violence and U.S. responses to al-Qaeda.
The controversy escalated rapidly, drawing national media scrutiny from outlets like The Washington Post, The New York Times, and television programs such as Nightline and Hardball, where Yasin was variably portrayed as a Hamas sympathizer or a victim of Islamophobia; he faced personal vitriol, including hate mail and a death threat via an e-greeting card, prompting him to prepare a FAQ handout and wear a red, white, and blue ribbon at press conferences to affirm his patriotism. On campus, a “Group of Concerned Students,” led by Hilary L. Levey ‘02 and Benjamin Z. Galper ‘02 (a former Hillel president), circulated a petition garnering over XXXXX signatures by Commencement eve, demanding Yasin’s replacement or a rewritten speech that explicitly condemned terrorism and violent jihad; they distributed flyers and considered further actions on the day, though pledging no disruptions, while criticizing the faculty-only selection committee—including Shinagel and chair Richard F. Thomas—for lacking student input and potential political biases, such as Thomas’s alleged support for divestment from Israel. Defenders, including Muslim students like Rita Hamad ‘03 and University Marshal Richard M. Hunt, praised Yasin’s interfaith efforts and described the speech as “healing” and non-confrontational, emphasizing jihad’s benign spiritual meaning.
Administrative responses underscored commitments to free speech amid the furor: Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis ‘68 regretted personal attacks on Yasin,
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