[Want even more content from FPM? Sign up for FPM+ to unlock exclusive series, virtual town-halls with our authors, and more—now for just $3.99/month. Click here to sign up.]
Mahmoud Khalil has now had his green card revoked, and he is on his way — it will take months, given all the folderol and rigmarole that will be thrown in the government’s face — to being deported. To hear the fury coming from Ilhan, Rashida, Jameel, Alexandria, and others of that ilk, Khalil is a “martyr” on the altar of free speech, who has been condemned by the jackbooted brownshirted hellhounds of the Trump administration, for daring to speak his truth to power.
The musician, essayist, and son-in-law of Bob Dylan, Peter Himmelman, does not agree. His thoughts on Mahmoud Khalil can be found here: “Free Speech, Consequences, and the Extraordinary Case of Mahmoud Khalil,” Peter Himmelman, March 10, 2025
The uproar over the recent arrest and pending deportation of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil has begun. Like an unruly guest who has spilled one too many glasses of wine on my rug, I welcome his timely removal from our country.
Yes, his deportation is extraordinary and should give any American pause. It is not every day that the U.S. government takes such decisive action against a university student for their so-called “political speech.” But should Khalil’s advocacy for Hamas—along with his support for the hordes of zealous Palestinian “civilians” who gleefully and grotesquely committed the atrocities of October 7—not be regarded as even more extraordinary?
The real question is: Which should shock us more—Khalil’s likely removal, or the reality that a guest in our country, within one of our major American universities no less, was not only permitted—but actively aided in fomenting hatred for Jews and publicly supporting Hamas, a designated terrorist organization responsible for some of the most brutal atrocities in modern history?
Free speech is, of course, a central issue here. The First Amendment guarantees the right to express even the most offensive opinions. Yet, even in the freest societies, there are limits.
To refresh your memory:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
The government has long drawn a line between free speech and incitement. According to reports Mahmoud Khalil crossed that line—from ‘peaceable’ protest to incitement to the manifestation of actual violence.
The Limits of Free Speech
Khalil, an international student on a green card, allegedly engaged in activities that not only glorified Hamas but also actively disseminated its propaganda and facilitated campus demonstrations that escalated into outright intimidation of Jewish students.
This isn’t a simple case of a student voicing unpopular views. It’s about whether a person residing in this country should be permitted to openly advocate for a terrorist organization that has tortured, raped, and murdered civilians, including Americans, in cold blood. And as of this writing, Hamas is still holding 59 hostages in Gaza. This includes 24 individuals presumed to be alive—22 Israelis, one Thai national, and one Nepali national. Additionally, the bodies of 35 hostages who were confirmed dead remain in Hamas’s custody.
Imagine the Double Standard
Consider for a moment if a student had led massive rallies praising the Ku Klux Klan and calling for violence against Black students. Or if a campus group openly cheered attacks against LGBTQ+ people. Or imagine a university allowing a student to distribute materials praising the murder of Latinos and calling for the destruction of Mexico, El Salvador, or Colombia.
Would anyone hesitate to remove that student?…
It’s a cri de coeur, from a long way down. Read the rest here. I found it impressive. And, just possibly, you may, too.
