Mentioning Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi to defend your policy of keeping readers anonymous comes off as tone deaf. You shouldn't have to fear being locked in an ICE detention cell for wanting to write an opinion piece or attend a protest but that's the reality for Palestinian students. Mahmoud missed the birth of his firstborn son. He will never get those moments back. I don't regret my activism for Palestine but it resulted in my family members being targeted, the loss of employment opportunities, dozens of rape threats by self proclaimed zionists, and more.
I was only able to speak up because I'm an American citizen.
Many of the Palestinians at Columbia are international students and are terrified to tell their stories because they're worried that they'll face the same fate as Mahmoud or Mohsen. Even if they don't get detained, Columbia targets people who speak up for Palestine for disciplinary action. It would be nice if the Sundial actually talked to student organizers and activists instead of pontificating and assuming people's assumptions.
Thanks for the comment. Just to repeat ourselves, we are not trying to mitigate real concerns over political persecution. Our point is that people connect to students like Mohsen Mahdawi because he speaks from personal experience. The goal of our anti-anonymity policy is to promote that same principle: weaving a personal narrative with lived experience to make cogent and rational arguments. We find that having a general policy best helps us do that, while still allowing exceptions (as noted in the piece) for extenuating circumstances.
If a student of Palestinian descent wanted to publish with Sundial but had legitimate fears, we would absolutely find a way to accommodate them. The problem with the example you raise, however, is that it assumes that a large proportion of students are anonymously speaking out in student publications, which is not what we have observed. Again, we make exceptions when needed. But our policy is ultimately about fostering a strong Sundial publication culture that sustains our ethics.
As for your last comment, please reference TJ Gill’s piece on Palestinian protesters where he talks to a student organizers: https://www.sundial-cu.org/p/orienting-ourselves-with-disorientation. As editors of Sundial, who are responding to accusations on our editorial standards, this piece is concerned with student journalism and not student organizing.
I read that article. I'm glad y'all finally talked to someone but it took months for Sundial to even do that. Student journalism is interconnected with student organizing because the way that events are covered by the media shapes how Columbia & the federal government responds to students. Sundial articles have been used by the federal government and Columbia's antisemitism task force to go after students. You can see that in the latest report by the antisemitism task force. These are your peers, who are impacted by the Sundial's writing. I hope you are aware of this.
This article in particular, accuses students who fundraise for their family members and loved ones in Gaza of "funding Hamas". https://www.sundial-cu.org/p/could-your-donation-be-funding-terrorism Leqaa Kordia is still in ICE detention, 9 months later, because of accusations of being tied to "Hamas". Nevermind that Hamas was funded by the Israeli government, specifically Netanyahu, and there are multiple political parties in Palestine. Actually talking to Palestinian students about their families would have been helpful.
1. The antisemitism task force report cited Sundial simply to confirm that the Milstein protest occurred. Referencing us as evidence that an event happened is not the same as weaponizing Sundial "to go after students.” Your issue is with the Task Force, not with us. So please leave Sundial out of it.
2. The point of Jack Engel’s article is that well-intentioned students may unintentionally have their donations routed to organizations that support terrorism. That concern is grounded in real evidence. He did not accuse any specific student of wrongdoing, nor did he demonize an entire community the way the Trump administration has done with its anti-Palestinian rhetoric. Two things can be true at once. There is credible evidence that certain donations have been diverted toward terrorism, and there are also people who are unfairly being accused of terrorism.
No, my issue isn't with the task force. When I'm telling you that Columbia used reporting by the sundial to justify disciplinary sanctions, I'm telling you that literally happened to me in hearings. You can read the House report on antisemitism and see multiple sundial articles referenced. I'm saying that as a publication, you should know how your reporting impacts the people that you cover. That's basic journalism. Being condescending towards me when I'm bringing up a genuine concern does not look good.
Mentioning Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi to defend your policy of keeping readers anonymous comes off as tone deaf. You shouldn't have to fear being locked in an ICE detention cell for wanting to write an opinion piece or attend a protest but that's the reality for Palestinian students. Mahmoud missed the birth of his firstborn son. He will never get those moments back. I don't regret my activism for Palestine but it resulted in my family members being targeted, the loss of employment opportunities, dozens of rape threats by self proclaimed zionists, and more.
I was only able to speak up because I'm an American citizen.
Many of the Palestinians at Columbia are international students and are terrified to tell their stories because they're worried that they'll face the same fate as Mahmoud or Mohsen. Even if they don't get detained, Columbia targets people who speak up for Palestine for disciplinary action. It would be nice if the Sundial actually talked to student organizers and activists instead of pontificating and assuming people's assumptions.
Hi,
Thanks for the comment. Just to repeat ourselves, we are not trying to mitigate real concerns over political persecution. Our point is that people connect to students like Mohsen Mahdawi because he speaks from personal experience. The goal of our anti-anonymity policy is to promote that same principle: weaving a personal narrative with lived experience to make cogent and rational arguments. We find that having a general policy best helps us do that, while still allowing exceptions (as noted in the piece) for extenuating circumstances.
If a student of Palestinian descent wanted to publish with Sundial but had legitimate fears, we would absolutely find a way to accommodate them. The problem with the example you raise, however, is that it assumes that a large proportion of students are anonymously speaking out in student publications, which is not what we have observed. Again, we make exceptions when needed. But our policy is ultimately about fostering a strong Sundial publication culture that sustains our ethics.
As for your last comment, please reference TJ Gill’s piece on Palestinian protesters where he talks to a student organizers: https://www.sundial-cu.org/p/orienting-ourselves-with-disorientation. As editors of Sundial, who are responding to accusations on our editorial standards, this piece is concerned with student journalism and not student organizing.
I read that article. I'm glad y'all finally talked to someone but it took months for Sundial to even do that. Student journalism is interconnected with student organizing because the way that events are covered by the media shapes how Columbia & the federal government responds to students. Sundial articles have been used by the federal government and Columbia's antisemitism task force to go after students. You can see that in the latest report by the antisemitism task force. These are your peers, who are impacted by the Sundial's writing. I hope you are aware of this.
This article in particular, accuses students who fundraise for their family members and loved ones in Gaza of "funding Hamas". https://www.sundial-cu.org/p/could-your-donation-be-funding-terrorism Leqaa Kordia is still in ICE detention, 9 months later, because of accusations of being tied to "Hamas". Nevermind that Hamas was funded by the Israeli government, specifically Netanyahu, and there are multiple political parties in Palestine. Actually talking to Palestinian students about their families would have been helpful.
1. The antisemitism task force report cited Sundial simply to confirm that the Milstein protest occurred. Referencing us as evidence that an event happened is not the same as weaponizing Sundial "to go after students.” Your issue is with the Task Force, not with us. So please leave Sundial out of it.
2. The point of Jack Engel’s article is that well-intentioned students may unintentionally have their donations routed to organizations that support terrorism. That concern is grounded in real evidence. He did not accuse any specific student of wrongdoing, nor did he demonize an entire community the way the Trump administration has done with its anti-Palestinian rhetoric. Two things can be true at once. There is credible evidence that certain donations have been diverted toward terrorism, and there are also people who are unfairly being accused of terrorism.
No, my issue isn't with the task force. When I'm telling you that Columbia used reporting by the sundial to justify disciplinary sanctions, I'm telling you that literally happened to me in hearings. You can read the House report on antisemitism and see multiple sundial articles referenced. I'm saying that as a publication, you should know how your reporting impacts the people that you cover. That's basic journalism. Being condescending towards me when I'm bringing up a genuine concern does not look good.