New York, New York – Israel’s war in Gaza is personal for Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil.
A 29-year-old Palestinian refugee raised in Syria, Khalil wanted to get involved in the on-campus activism against the war, but he was nervous.
Khalil faced a dilemma common to international students: He was in the United States on a F-1 student visa. His ability to stay in the country hinged on his continued enrollment as a full-time student.
But participating in a protest — including the encampment that cropped up on Columbia’s lawn last month — meant risking suspension and other punishments that could endanger his enrollment status.
“Since the beginning, I decided to stay out of the public eye and away from media attention or high-risk activities,” Khalil said. “I considered the encampment to be ‘high risk’.”
He instead opted to be a lead negotiator for Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a student group pushing school administrators to sever ties with Israel and groups engaged in abuses against Palestinians.
“I’m one of the lucky ones who are able to advocate for the rights of Palestinians, the folks who are getting killed back in Palestine,” Khalil said, calling his advocacy work “literally the bare minimum I could do”.
Khalil explained he worked closely with the university to make sure that his activities would not get him in trouble. Based on his conversations with school leaders, he felt it was unlikely that he would face punishment.
Still, on April 30, Khalil received an email from Columbia administrators saying he had been suspended, citing his alleged participation in the encampment.
“I was shocked,” Khalil said. “It was ridiculous that they would suspend the negotiator.”
Columbia University student negotiator Mahmoud Khalil says he chose his role in the protests to avoid punishments that would endanger his immigration status [Ted Shaffrey/AP Photo]
Legal jeopardy
However, a day later — before Khalil could…
Original from www.aljazeera.com
