Latest news with #Keffiyeh
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Montgomery County teacher sues after Palestine flag removed from classroom
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — A teacher is suing the principal of a Montgomery County school and the board of education after she was prohibited from posting the Palestinian flag among a set of multi-country flag stickers on display on her classroom door. In doing so, the suit claims her First Amendment rights were violated. Montgomery Blair High School students organize walkout to support deported classmate Hibah Sayed began teaching at Sligo Middle School in 2020 and served as the staff sponsor of the school's Minority Scholars Program (MSP). In August 2023, Sayed posted several stickers of flags from varying countries on her classroom door, including the Palestine flag. The stickers — no more than 4 inches wide — could sometimes encourage questions or observations from her students, and didn't interfere with her overall teaching ability, the lawsuit explained. Displaying flags from multiple countries was not uncommon around the school, and even the cafeteria included flags from various parts of the world, including Israel, Germany, China and more. Beyond allowing other nations' flags to be flown, the school permitted political advocacy flags, including Pride flags and Black Lives Matter. While the Palestine flag in her classroom didn't pose an issue for months, that changed following the Oct. 7, 2023, deadly surprise attack on Israel led by Hamas militants from Gaza. This occurred during a festival that took lives and hostages and started the ongoing Hamas-Israel war. Israel recovers the remains of 3 more hostages from Gaza Shortly after the attacks, a student from a different classroom at Sligo Middle School complained about the Palestinian flag, and her parent contacted the school requesting it be taken down. The school, at the time, agreed that the display didn't violate any rules and therefore could remain. The flag remained on her door until the day after the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks. While Sayed wasn't at school on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, she came back that Tuesday to find the flag had been taken down and sought to meet with the principal. Principal Peter Crable didn't say who removed the flag, but reportedly told Sayed she couldn't put the Palestinian flag sticker back on her door. Crable deemed that any flag besides the Palestinian flag could be displayed. The lawsuit noted that she is the only South Asian staff member and one of only two Muslim teachers. Sayed wore a Keffiyeh, which is a traditional Palestinian scarf, to express support for the Palestinian people. Tensions remain high in the Middle East During the same Oct. 8, 2024, meeting, Crable told Sayed she had to take off her Keffiyeh that she wore that day, and was no longer allowed to wear it, according to court documents. When pressed, Crable told her the flag and Keffiyeh could be construed as 'antisemitic' or 'supporting terrorism.' Sayed, at some point, learned the student who filed the initial complaint had repeatedly complained to the administration about the flag sticker. Two days later, on Oct. 10, 2024, Sayed put a Watermelon up — which at the time was known as a symbol of solidarity for Palestinians. Cable emailed her the same day, directing her to remove it. 'Crable specifically stated that the reason she could not display the watermelon wasbecause it is a symbol of Palestine solidarity,' the lawsuit reads. On Oct. 21, she wore a 'GAZA: The Soul of My Soul' shirt, which she had worn previously without any incident. The shirt was a reference to Reem Nabhan, a three-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli forces in November 2023. Sayed was escorted to the principal's office and given the option to change into a school t-shirt or leave for the day. This was followed by a written Memorandum for the Record, which prevented her from posting, sharing or displaying anything related to 'the conflict in the Middle East.' The memo was added to her contract, creating grounds for termination if she did not follow it. 'Principal Crable and Sligo Middle School's directives forbidding Ms. Sayed from posting the Palestinian flag, from wearing the Keffiyeh, and from making any reference to Palestine while allowing other political flags and political messages to be displayed constitutes unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination,' the lawsuit reads. The lawsuit is seeking to prevent the school from prohibiting Sayed from displaying messages and declaring it unconstitutional under the First Amendment. The lawsuit is also seeking compensatory damages and financial relief. In response to DC News Now's request for a statement, Montgomery County Public Schools said, 'We are unable to comment on possible litigation.' show_multidocs-1Download Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Aydan Nix's subtle fashion tribute to sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid at her college graduation
Ayden Nix has been integrating into the life of her long-lost sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid — and the 23-year-old fashion school graduate even gave a subtle and touching nod to her family when she graduated from college earlier this month. While graduating from the Parsons School of Design in Manhattan on May 16, Nix wore a black and white keffiyeh scarf, an homage to her father's Palestinian heritage. The Daily Mail captured Nix at the ceremony, proudly posing for photos and celebrating with her friends at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. She made the fashion statement two weeks before the Daily Mail exclusively revealed that Nix's biological dad is Mohamed Hadid. The multi-millionaire real estate developer had a brief relationship with her mother, Terri Hatfield Dull in 2000. It's not the first time that Mohamed's daughters have been spotted wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional Middle Eastern headscarf that has become a symbol of Palestinian pride and resilience. In 2024, Bella wore a keffiyeh inspired dress to honor her homeland — and to protest the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict. The sisters have publicly voiced concerns on social media about the conditions on the Gaza strip, and donated a million dollars to support Palestinian families affected by the conflict. Outside of the Middle East and North Africa, the Keffiyeh has gained popularity among pro-Palestinian activists; it is widely considered to be an symbol of solidarity with Palestine in their fight against Israel. Nix realized that she was part of the Hadid clan when she took a DNA test after the death of the man who had raised her as her dad. She then learned that her biological father was Mohamed. For the past two years, Nix has gotten closer with her famous family — while remaining close to her mom. While Nix has often been photographed with her famous sisters, it wasn't publicly revealed that they were blood relatives until last week. 'We first connected in late 2023, and from that moment on, we've embraced Aydan with open arms,' Bella and Gigi Hadid told the Daily Mail on Thursday. 'She's spent time with all of us, including our dad, and we've cherished this unexpected and beautiful addition to our family. 'As siblings, we've had many open and loving conversations— with Aydan included —about how to support and protect her. 'Aydan and her family value their privacy, and we fully respect that. We kindly ask others to do the same and honor her wish and right to her anonymity as she continues her life as a young woman in New York.' Nix's newfound family has placed her into a complex Hollywood genealogy web. Bella and Gigi's mom, Real Housewives alum Yolanda Hadid, was married to composer David Foster from 2011 to 2017. Foster, 75, was previously married to Linda Thompson, who has two famous sons — Brody Jenner and Brandon Jenner — with ex Caitlyn Jenner. But a family source tells the Daily Mail that Nix is uninterested in the family complexity, and merely wants to have a relationship with her father and siblings. 'She is happy to have an additional family,' says a relative, 'and she has her original family who is there for her.
Indian Express
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
MIT prevents Indian-origin student from attending graduation event after pro-Palestine speech
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) barred its 2025 class president from attending Friday's undergraduate commencement ceremony after she delivered an unapproved pro-Palestinian speech during a university event the day before. On Thursday, Megha Vemuri, the elected class president and a double major in computation and cognition and linguistics, spoke at MIT's OneMIT Commencement Ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her speech, which was not pre-approved, denounced MIT's research ties to the Israeli military and accused the university of complicity in 'genocide' against the Palestinian people. 'MIT supports free expression but stands by its decision, which was in response to the individual deliberately and repeatedly misleading Commencement organisers and leading a protest from the stage, disrupting an important Institute ceremony,' MIT spokesperson Kimberly Allen said in a statement, as reported by NBC News. According to the Boston Globe, citing US Department of Education data, MIT received about $2.8 million in grants, gifts, and contracts from Israeli entities between 2020 and 2024. Wearing a Keffiyeh scarf, Vemuri's four-minute speech praised student protests, highlighted the devastation in Gaza, and urged MIT to cut ties with Israeli institutions. 'You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine,' she said. Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza. We are watching Israel try to wipe out Palestine off the face of the earth, and it is a shame that MIT is a part of it. Her address was met with cheers from some classmates, a few of whom raised Palestinian flags. Referencing a student vote earlier this year calling on MIT to sever ties with Israel, Vemuri added: You prevailed because the MIT community that I know would never tolerate a genocide. In a symbolic gesture, she urged graduates to turn their class rings—featuring the mascot Tim the Beaver—so the beaver faced outward. This is a world that we will be entering with an immeasurable responsibility… to stop [MIT's] complicity in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. After the speech, MIT informed Vemuri she would not be permitted to attend the main graduation ceremony on Friday. However, she will still receive her diploma, which will be mailed to her, her father Sarat Vemuri told The New York Times. In a statement, Vemuri said she was not disappointed about missing the ceremony. I see no need for me to walk across the stage of an institution that is complicit in this genocide. She criticised MIT's disciplinary response as a 'massive overstep' and said she had been punished 'without merit or due process.' MIT President Sally Kornbluth, who spoke immediately after Vemuri at Thursday's event, did not directly address the incident. 'At MIT, we believe in freedom of expression. But today is about the graduates,' she told the audience, pausing briefly as some in the crowd chanted. (With inputs from The New York Times, NBC News)
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
MIT bans class president from graduation commencement after pro-Palestinian speech
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology banned the 2025 class president from Friday's graduation commencement ceremony after she delivered a pro-Palestinian speech during an event Thursday. The university made the announcement on Friday without naming the student, saying that she delivered a speech at Thursday's OneMIT commencement ceremony that was not the one provided in advance. "While that individual had a scheduled role at today's Undergraduate Degree Ceremony, she was notified that she would not be permitted at today's events," said university spokesperson Kimberly Allen. "MIT supports free expression but stands by its decision, which was in response to the individual deliberately and repeatedly misleading Commencement organizers and leading a protest from the stage, disrupting an important Institute ceremony." The speech was shared online by the Palestinian Youth Movement, which named the student as Megha Vemuri. Vemuri wore a Keffiyeh during the speech, and called out MIT for having research ties with the Israel army and "aiding and abetting" the country with its "assault on the Palestinian people." Israel's war in Gaza has killed over 52,000 people since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 people hostage. Israel has received intense criticism from around the world, including from the United Nations, for its actions in Gaza, which include cutting off aid to the enclave. "As scientists, engineers, academics and leaders, we have a commitment to support life, support aid efforts and call for an arms embargo and keep demanding now as alumni, that MIT cuts the ties," Vemuri said. Her speech was met by cheers and applause from her fellow classmates, some of whom held up a Palestinian flag. "Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza," Vemuri said. "We are watching Israel try to wipe out Palestine off the face of the earth, and it is a shame that MIT is a part of it." Vemuri mentioned that the undergraduate body voted in favor of the university cutting ties with Israel, and faced "threats, intimidation and suppression coming from all directions, especially your own university officials." "But you prevailed because the MIT community that I know would never tolerate a genocide," Vemuri said. Vemuri then called on her fellow classmates to partake in the MIT tradition of turning their class rings that bear university mascot "Tim the Beaver." "And as you lift it off your fingers, notice that the beaver is no longer facing you, it is now facing the world," Temuri said. "This is a world that we will be entering with an immeasurable responsibility. We will carry with us the stamp of the MIT name, the same name that is directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian so we carry with us the obligation to do everything we can to stop it." NBC News has reached out to Vemuri for comment. On Friday, MIT President Sally Kornbluth made her remarks at the commencement for the class of 2025, encouraging them to become ambassadors for scientific thinking and discovery. Kornbluth said that the university allows "a lot of room for disagreement, whether the subject is scientific, personal, or political," but encouraged the new grads to rely on the "beauty and power of the scientific method." "I need you all to become ambassadors for the way we think and work and thrive at MIT," Kornbluth said. Kornbluth did not mention any specific incident during her remarks, including the one involving Vemuri. It's not clear at this time if Vemuri was officially allowed to graduate from MIT. Vemuri is not the only graduate who has been penalized for her political views. Earlier this month, New York University withheld student Logan Rozos' diploma after he delivered an unapproved commencement speech to address what he called the 'atrocities currently happening in Palestine' during the Israel-Hamas war. NYU condemned Rozos' speech, calling it an expression of "his personal and one-sided political views." This article was originally published on
NBC News
30-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
MIT bans class president from graduation commencement after pro-Palestinian speech
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology banned the 2025 class president from Friday's graduation commencement ceremony after she delivered a pro-Palestinian speech during an event Thursday. The university made the announcement on Friday without naming the student, saying that she delivered a speech at Thursday's OneMIT commencement ceremony that was not the one provided in advance. "While that individual had a scheduled role at today's Undergraduate Degree Ceremony, she was notified that she would not be permitted at today's events," said university spokesperson Kimberly Allen. "MIT supports free expression but stands by its decision, which was in response to the individual deliberately and repeatedly misleading Commencement organizers and leading a protest from the stage, disrupting an important Institute ceremony." The speech was shared online by the Palestinian Youth Movement, which named the student as Megha Vemuri. Vemuri wore a Keffiyeh during the speech, and called out MIT for having research ties with the Israel army and "aiding and abetting" the country with its "assault on the Palestinian people." Israel's war in Gaza has killed over 52,000 people since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 people hostage. Israel has received intense criticism from around the world, including from the United Nations, for its actions in Gaza, which include cutting off aid to the enclave. "As scientists, engineers, academics and leaders, we have a commitment to support life, support aid efforts and call for an arms embargo and keep demanding now as alumni, that MIT cuts the ties," Vemuri said. Her speech was met by cheers and applause from her fellow classmates, some of whom held up a Palestinian flag. "Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza," Vemuri said. "We are watching Israel try to wipe out Palestine off the face of the earth, and it is a shame that MIT is a part of it." Vemuri mentioned that the undergraduate body voted in favor of the university cutting ties with Israel, and faced "threats, intimidation and suppression coming from all directions, especially your own university officials." "But you prevailed because the MIT community that I know would never tolerate a genocide," Vemuri said. Vemuri then called on her fellow classmates to partake in the MIT tradition of turning their class rings that bear university mascot "Tim the Beaver." "And as you lift it off your fingers, notice that the beaver is no longer facing you, it is now facing the world," Temuri said. "This is a world that we will be entering with an immeasurable responsibility. We will carry with us the stamp of the MIT name, the same name that is directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian so we carry with us the obligation to do everything we can to stop it." NBC News has reached out to Vemuri for comment. On Friday, MIT President Sally Kornbluth made her remarks at the commencement for the class of 2025, encouraging them to become ambassadors for scientific thinking and discovery. Kornbluth said that the university allows "a lot of room for disagreement, whether the subject is scientific, personal, or political," but encouraged the new grads to rely on the "beauty and power of the scientific method." "I need you all to become ambassadors for the way we think and work and thrive at MIT," Kornbluth said. Kornbluth did not mention any specific incident during her remarks, including the one involving Vemuri. It's not clear at this time if Vemuri was officially allowed to graduate from MIT. Vemuri is not the only graduate who has been penalized for her political views. Earlier this month, New York University withheld student Logan Rozos' diploma after he delivered an unapproved commencement speech to address what he called the 'atrocities currently happening in Palestine' during the Israel-Hamas war.
