Mamdani’s Father Slams Columbia Antisemitism Task Force
The father of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani sharply criticized Columbia University’s antisemitism task force during a faculty senate meeting, accusing the panel of operating like a punitive authority rather than serving the campus community, according to a report published Tuesday by The Washington Free Beacon.
Mahmood Mamdani, a veteran Columbia professor, delivered the remarks at a Dec. 12 meeting of the university senate, based on transcripts reviewed by the outlet.
“It became very clear that [the task force] saw itself not as representing the community, but as a prosecutorial agency,” Mamdani said, arguing that the group’s approach was intensifying divisions on campus instead of confronting antisemitism constructively.
He went on to liken the task force’s methods to the British Empire’s colonial-era policy of “divide and rule,” contending that its work was breeding suspicion and alienation among both students and faculty. Mamdani asserted that the panel’s actions were leaving segments of the university population feeling excluded.
Addressing fellow senators, Mamdani, whose academic work focuses on decolonization, colonialism, and racial capitalism, said the task force was escalating conflict rather than fostering cohesion within the university.
Two individuals present at the December meeting confirmed that Mamdani made the statements as described, while a third attendee said the unofficial transcript accurately matched his own notes from the session.
After Mamdani finished speaking, acting Columbia President Claire Shipman, who was chairing the meeting, publicly expressed appreciation for his comments and requested his input, formally referring to him as “senator.”
The remarks come as Columbia continues to face heavy criticism over its response to antisemitism, particularly following months of pro-Palestinian protests that erupted on campus after the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.
Columbia is among several elite universities where demonstrations have featured chants widely denounced as antisemitic, rhetoric calling for Israel’s destruction, and significant disruptions to campus operations. Jewish students and advocacy organizations have accused university leadership of failing to protect them from harassment and intimidation.
The Trump administration has previously confronted Columbia and other universities over their handling of antisemitism, warning that federal funding could be jeopardized if institutions do not uphold civil rights protections for Jewish students.
As part of that effort, the administration has urged colleges to adopt clearer definitions of antisemitism and to discipline students and faculty involved in extremist or discriminatory behavior.
Columbia’s antisemitism task force was formed amid that federal pressure, alongside congressional probes examining whether universities violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by permitting a hostile environment for Jewish students.
University officials have maintained that the task force is a necessary mechanism to address antisemitism and ensure compliance with federal law, while critics within the campus community argue it has been wielded to silence political speech critical of Israel.
{Matzav.com}
