October 9, 2024, Asra Q. Nomani, Jewish Journal
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Here, on a grassy knoll called McKeldin Mall, at the University of Maryland, a lone figure with a red-and-white checkered keffiyeh over her shoulders slipped quietly through a crowd of about 200 students gathered for an “interfaith vigil” on the anniversary of the brutal October 7th massacre of Israeli Jews and others by Hamas militants.
“Zainab?” I asked, recognizing her immediately.
She turned around, lifted her eyeglasses from the bridge of her nose, and inspected me with a slow, deliberate once-over, there, near the intersection of Regents Drive and Chapel Lane.
As I identified myself to her, she responded with a curt, “I have no comment,” snapping her glasses back into place and gliding away like a ringmaster commanding this stage of protest theater—unbothered.
Of course, the bespectacled woman and the organization she represents—the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR—have had a lot to say since the massacre of Jews on October 7.
She was Zainab Chaudry, the director for the Maryland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and it was her organization that won a federal court ruling in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, granting the local chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine the right to host its “interfaith vigil” at the University of Maryland on October 7, despite protests from Jewish students and groups who felt it was insensitive to choose that specific day.
Last December, her boss, Nihad Awad, the organization’s Palestinian American cofounder, even proudly stated that he was elated about the Oct. 7th attacks, telling a meeting of American Muslims for Palestine, “I was happy to see people breaking the siege and throwing down the shackles of their own land and walk free into their land, which they were not allowed to walk in.” Even the New York Times published a headline that the “White House disavows” the remarks by the CAIR leader.
In town from Los Angeles, where she has been a clinical psychologist for 30 years specializing in the treatment of trauma, Orli Peter, a friend, absorbed the scene and was appalled.
“The fact that this demonstration was held on October 7th, the day of the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, is purposeful,” said Orli, who started a nonprofit, Israel Healing Initiative, after the attacks last year to bring trauma treatments to Israeli and Arab survivors of the attacks. “And what it does is interrupt the grief of Jews around the world. It tries to steal attention from what was done,” she explained, referring to the massacre by Hamas terrorists.
Indeed, at Columbia University, Shai Davidai, an assistant professor and Israeli, introduced Cas Holloway, the chief operating officer at Columbia, to a new international student of neuroscience from Israel, Moriah, who asked Holloway questions over the din of anti-Israel activists assembled on campus, like at the University of Maryland.
“What do you expect me to do?” she asked, in a video Shai posted to Instagram. “We came here to mourn today…All I want to do is mourn on October 7th…It’s like the Holocaust.”
Holloway responded flatly: “I’m very, very sorry.”
Pressed, Holloway said: “I heard you, and I have to go.”
Back at the University of Maryland, Orli looked around at the anti-Israel protest and said: “It doesn’t just erase what happened on October 7th. They’re doing an extra step by trying to not allow the grief to happen, to not allow humanity to connect with the tragedy of what happened there.”
Sure enough, in the days since the anti-Israel protests on Oct. 7, the Council on American-Islamic Relations has posted the media hits it received nationally – from a local D.C. channel on the University of Maryland “interfaith vigil” to New York’s Channel 4 news and San Diego’s local NBC affiliate – for its “one year of grief.” From CAIR’s San Francisco area chapter, executive director Zahra Billoo lamented a year of “genocide” by Israel on her local news hit. This past year, Zahra mourned Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, an architect of the October 7th attacks, memorializing his “martyrdom” in a social media post.
‘FOR GAZA WE RISE’
In position on the ground on the University of Maryland campus, CAIR’s Maryland chapter leader, Zainab, walked by a table with a pile of fliers that made it clear what the “interfaith vigil” was about.
The flier read: “FOR GAZA WE RISE.”
It continued: “WHAT IS THIS ABOUT? On October 7, 2023, Israel occupation forces began one of the most brutal bombing campaigns in human history, targeting Palestinians in Gaza with the aim of exacting collective punishment for their brave resistance and steadfastness against 76 years of Zionist occupation and settler colonialism.”
The leaders of Students for Justice in Palestine opened the “interfaith vigil” with a familiar chant: “Free free Palestine!”
The crowd echoed the chant that has reverberated across the world since the Oct. 7th attacks: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
There was no doubt in this crowd where “Palestine” would be located: modern-day Israel.
And there was no confusion what it would be “free” of: Jews.
Holding the flier, Orli, the trauma psychologist, said: “And they actually lie here on this pamphlet…They actually say that on October 7th, Israeli occupation forces began one of the most brutal bombing campaigns in human history. There are so many lies just in that half-sentence right there.”
She went on: “Israeli forces did not start bombing on October 7th. That happened afterward, as retaliation. So that’s why they’re having to lie in order to validate that they’re doing this on October 7th.”
‘One State’ Called Palestine That Is ‘Shared’ with Jews
On a table nearby were two anti-Israel books by Ali Abunimah, editor of Electronic Intifada, which has spewed hate against Israelis and Jews for decades. One of the books, One Country, published as far back as 2007, argues for “one state” that is “shared” by “two peoples,” Palestinians and Jews, with, of course, a “right of return” of Palestinians to modern-day Israel, leading to the demographic outnumbering of Jews and erasure of the only Jewish country in the world, while 57 Muslim-majority nations sit as members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Abunimah is a friend of Hatem Bazian, the Palestinian American from Nablus in the West Bank and cofounder of Students for Justice in Palestine and American Muslims for Palestine, two of the leading organizations in anti-Semitic, anti-Israel hate.
These friendships over several decades are not coincidental; they are part of a coordinated and strategic campaign to sway public opinion against Israel and destroy the state of Israel.
‘Right of Return’ with ‘Equality’
In accordion-style signs behind the small platform of a few inches that speakers stood on, the “one-state” message was clear.
The No. 1 demand: “End the occupation,” which one of the “interfaith vigil” cosponsors, Jewish Voice for Peace, has said means ending the state of Israel.
The No. 2 demand: “Full equality,” with the No. 3 demand of “Right of return” of Palestinians to the area on the map that is now modern-day Israel and the “equality” in votes and citizenship in a one-state “solution” that will be called “Palestine.”
One of the student leaders stepped forward to set the stage for this political theater.
“We are gathered here today for one reason and one reason only, to honor our martyrs and rise in solidarity with Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and all people currently oppressed by the Zionist entity,” she said.
A young man stood and read the names of those who died after Oct. 7. None of them were the Jews murdered by Hamas.
Unholy Alliance of the Islamists with ‘Liberals’
The activists broke for the sunset maghrib prayer, led by a man clad in a white thawb, or gown, popular in countries like Saudi Arabia, and black-and-white keffiyeh with black cord, or agal, holding the headscarf in place. Here the illiberal interpretation of Islam that many of them practice played out, showing the contradictions of their unholy alliance with far-leftists, feminists and LGBTQ activists.
While the anti-Israel network deploys young women as the frontline face of protests, from Chicago to College Park, none of the women asserted their right to pray in parallel sections to men or even in the front rows of congregations, the women practicing the religiously conservative interpretation of Islam, lining up dutifully behind the men for the prayer.
As a Muslim feminist, I advocated for the right of women to pray in parallel sections and even the front rows of mosques, helping organize a prayer in 2005 where a woman, Amina Wadud, led men and women in a prayer. Even Qatar’s religiously orthodox Al Jazeera media channel wrote about the prayer, leading to fatwas condemning us from the far corners of the Muslim world, including former Libyan dictator Muammar Qhadafi.
When I went to the Council for American-Islamic Relations for support, trying to win the right to just walk through the front door of my hometown mosque in Morgantown, W.V., its spokesman and cofounder, Ibrahim Hooper admonished me: “We’re the Council for American-Islamic Relations, not Islamic-Islamic relations.”
Now, in the 21st century, these young women activists dutifully took their space behind the men.
‘Ask me what happened to my cousin Hersh…’
On a sidewalk outside the lawn cordoned off for the “vigil,” a small group of about 10 Jewish students arrived in a quiet counterprotest. They wore blue t-shirts that read, “Never forget 10.7.2024.”
Among them was Eytan Pomper, 22, a bespectacled senior at the University of Maryland studying kinesiology. He carried a simple handmade sign: “Ask me what happened to my cousin Hersh Goldberg-Polin in Israel on October 7th.” His posters had two photos of his maternal first cousin—the son of his mother’s brother—who was kidnapped on October 7 and murdered.
Soft-spoken, Eytan said he didn’t begrudge the anti-Israel protesters if they wanted to protest on any other day, but this day, marking the anniversary of a massacre by Hamas, “was insensitive.”
Nearby, a Jewish American friend and University of Maryland junior, Uriel Appel, wore a replica of a dog tag to represent the hostages still in Hamas custody and carried another sign directed at the callous strategy of Students for Justice in Palestine, noting: “SJP mourning Hamas terrorists on 10/7 is like mourning the hijackers on 9/11.”
Field Guide for ‘Anarchists and Insurgents’
These events are not just about hijacking grief, but they are also intentionally designed to hijack any sense of safety or security that Jews and others may feel in the world.
At one table at the University of Maryland, students left a 14-page pamphlet titled, “Why the State Can’t Compromise with the Gaza Solidarity Movement and what that Means for Us.” One of the coauthors of this document is CrimeThinc.com, a “rebel alliance” of “anarchists and insurgents,” with an “Anarchist FAQ,” “Anarchist Library” and list of “Anarchist bookfairs.” The other coauthor is EscalateNetwork.org, formed after the riots at Columbia University, with an online guide to “Occupations and Tactics” and a “Do-It-Yourself Occupation Guide.
In reporting for the Pearl Project, a nonprofit investigative reporting project dedicated to the memory of my friend and Wall Street Journal colleague, Danny Pearl, kidnapped and murdered in Karachi, Pakistan, 2002, I have investigated the 1,000-plus organizations that are waging a “global intifada,” or resistance on campuses, and discovered that at least one-fourth of them are self-described communists, socialists, Marxist or Leninist organizations. I launched this work with a study of the 200-plus groups that marched against Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Committee in Chicago, mocking her as “Killer Kamala” for not forcing a ceasefire on the war by Israel against Hamas.
Their ideological agenda raises the specter of nefarious objectives by foreign governments, including Russia, Iran and China, and I am creating a Malign Foreign Influence Index, so the public, parents, policy makers, students and others can understand their goals, funding and malign agendas.
The pamphlet carried dire warnings: “…either the US empire must be dismantled or the conscience of a whole generation must be destroyed.” It ominously cautioned, “What comes next could be terrifying. But our part in the story is up to us.”
‘Know Your Risk Assessment’ Matrix
The pamphlet also included a “risk assessment” matrix for students to gauge the level of personal safety they were willing to sacrifice for the cause. The least risky option, labeled “The Chaos Element,” involved “thousands” of students challenging police officers. One step higher on the risk spectrum was “engaging in civil disobedience, linking arms and refusing to disperse.” At the top of the graph were activists with “high risk tolerance & low arrest tolerance,” instructed to “sandwich the cops from outside” during building occupations, using “reinforced banners.” The highest risk, requiring both “high risk & arrest tolerance,” was for “people occupying buildings.”
Despite the clear call to radical action, the pamphlet attempted to reassure students, insisting there was “no shame” in “being afraid for your safety.” It encouraged students not to prevent others from employing riskier tactics: “If you are not prepared for the risks that you perceive to be associated with a particular tactic or strategy, do not attempt to prevent others from employing it or pursuing it.”
This document, filled with strategies for civil disobedience and borderline violent action, was yet another disturbing layer to an event ostensibly about peace and solidarity. It demonstrated that, for these activists, this “vigil” was not about human rights or dialogue—it was about recruiting and radicalizing students for future confrontations with “the state” and Israeli supporters.
Across the world, a network of organizations associated with the Council on American-Islamic Relations and other anti-Israel groups organized similar events designed to disrupt the grief.
The presence of an official from the Council on American-Islamic Relations at this vigil revealed what the scene confirmed: this wasn’t a spontaneous “interfaith vigil.” It was a carefully orchestrated campaign against Israel.
The flier continued with further disinformation: “All qualms about methods of resistance must be preceded by a condemnation of the circumstances that gave rise to that resistance. The relationship between Palestine and the Zionist state is that of the colonized and the colonizer.”
It even propagated the falsehood that Israel had enacted the “Hannibal Directive”—a fabricated claim that Israeli forces issued a command to kill hostages and combatants alike during the October 7 massacre.
Flipping the Script
The strategy at play here was clear: flip the script. Instead of allowing the world to focus on the tragedy that befell innocent Israelis, groups like Students for Justice in Palestine and the Council on American-Islamic Relations sought to portray Israel as the aggressor.
Their banner, “From the river to the sea Palestine is almost free: wasn’t just a call for Palestinian liberation. It’s a call for the destruction of Israel.”
This kind of rhetoric isn’t just inflammatory—it’s dangerous.
While protected by America’s free speech liberties, the October 7 “interfaith vigil,” with its blatant lies and anti-Israel slogans, was another wound in the broader struggle for truth. By staging such events on the very anniversary of a massacre, anti-Israel activists aren’t simply protesting—they are weaponizing Jewish trauma to further their own narcissistic cause.
This cruelty was reflected in the media’s coverage. While Jewish students quietly protested the vigil’s insensitivity, the evening news focused on the anti-Israel demonstrators, giving airtime to their misleading narratives.
Winning at Shame Jiu-Jitsu
For Jews around the world, October 7th should have been a day to remember, to mourn, and to heal. Instead, it was co-opted by those who seek to erase their suffering and replace it with their own agenda. For example, a rally supporting Israel at the Washington Monument struggled to draw attention.
Indeed, in the battle for public perception, Israel and the Jewish community are losing ground. Groups like Students for Justice in Palestine and the Council on American-Islamic Relations are waging a war of disinformation, and the truth is getting lost in the noise. If we don’t recognize and confront these tactics, the victims of October 7th will be erased, and their killers’ narrative will prevail. That is the disinformation strategy of anti-Israel leaders and their sympathizers.
At the rally at the Washington Monument, speakers, including a couple, Laralyn RiverWind and Chief Joseph RiverWind, members of the Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee and the Arawak Taino tribe of modern-day Puerto Rico, passionately defended Israel’s right to exist. Joseph has learned he is Sephardic Jewish through an ancestral lineage from Spain.
In the global media coverage their message was lost in the din of anti-Israel protests dominating the headlines but the human connection with the RiverWinds was lasting for Orli, who went from the Washington, D.C, remembrance of Oct. 7 to the College Park denial and manipulation of the day of massacre.
Outside the White House, Orli embraced Laralyn in a shared connection over issues of trauma and healing.
“We will find healing,” she said.
That night, as Orli supported Jewish students at the University of Maryland, Chief Joseph and Laralyn went to the Anthem theater a few miles away in Southwest Washington, D.C, where about a dozen anti-Israel protestors heckled Jewish Americans headed inside for an “evening of remembrance” for the victims of the October 7th attacks.
Some of the anti-Israel activists wore red paint to replicate blood spilled on their clothes to blame the Jewish Americans in the crowd for the deaths of Palestinians. One filmed the Jewish Americans as they stood in line, the camera zooming in on their faces, to seemingly intimidate them.
In an effort that I call shame jiu-jitsu, Laralyn first turned her back on the protestors. That’s when she saw the crestfallen faces of Jewish Americans standing in line, looking sad, despondent and seemingly helpless to the taunts, one wide-eyed young girl gripping her grandmother’s hand firmly for safety.
At that moment, Laralyn whipped around to face the anti-Israel protestors.
“These people are grieving and you are going to come here with your lies and protest them?” she asked, indignant.
Beside her, her husband, Joseph, also challenged the protestors for their callousness.
Laralyn pointed her finger at each one of the protestors and hand-delivered to each one of them firmly, one after the next, the message that they last expected to hear: “Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you!”
The anti-Israel protestors averted her gaze and looked away. In that moment, Larylyn flipped the script on the anti-Israel hate and swept inside the theater to join Jewish Americans in a space where they were able to express something that the protestors had attempted to interrupt: grief.
Asra Q. Nomani is a former Wall Street Journal reporter and the founder of the Pearl Project, a nonprofit journalism initiative named for friend and colleague, Daniel Pearl. If you want to support her continued coverage with dispatches from the road, please donate to the Pearl Project at this link. Asra can be reached at asra@asranomani.com and @AsraNomani on the X platform and other social media platforms. She invites your tips, suggestions and feedback. She can also be reached at 304-685-2189. To read her collection of dispatches, go to JewishJournal.com/Dispatches.
