Rep. Bowman: Suspension of Omar’s Daughter ‘Political’ Reprisal

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Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., accused Columbia University of engaging in “political reprisals” after the daughter of fellow “Squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was suspended for refusing to leave an “unauthorized encampment” on the campus.

Isra Hirsi and two others were suspended by Barnard College, one of four Columbia undergraduate schools that has its own administration, after Columbia President Nemat Shafik ordered police to clear the campus’ South Lawn of anti-Israel protesters.

Bowman said Hirsi was disciplined due to the grilling her mother gave Shafik during a hearing on Capitol Hill the day before.

“The day after @IlhanMN questioned Columbia leadership’s commitment to free academic expression, the school suspended her daughter? It’s clear what is happening here. Our educational institutions should not be in the business of political reprisals,” Bowman posted to X.

Omar is part of the House Education and Workforce Committee, which brought Shafik in for Wednesday’s hearing to talk about what the university is doing to protect its Jewish students from antisemitism. Omar, instead, accused Shafik of squelching free expression of “anti-war protesters.”

The New York Post reported that Wednesday’s “anti-war protesters” were shouting, “We’re all Hamas” and “long live Hamas,” referring to the terrorist group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and slaughtered more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians and including women, children, and infants.

Barnard said Hirsi was punished for ignoring “official requests” to vacate the “unauthorized encampment” on Columbia’s campus.

In its statement, Barnard also said “a number of Barnard Senior Staff also went to the lawn to ask Barnard students participating in the encampment to leave and to advise Barnard students that they would be subject to sanctions at Barnard if they did not leave the encampment.”