International News Portal14 November 2026Headlines from established publishers
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Fired Columbia professor who backed Hamas set to speak at Virginia Tech 'Death to the Akademy' event
A former Columbia University professor fired after declaring support for Hamas and Hezbollah is speaking at a "Death to the Akademy" event set to be held at Virginia Tech.
A former professor at Columbia University who was fired after declaring support for Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad is set to speak Friday at a "Death to the Akademy" campus tour stop said to be held at Virginia Tech.
"Inshallah this Friday May 1st we will have our next ‘Death to the Akademy’ campus tour stop at Virginia Tech graciously hosted by student & community organizers @blackmindedness @vt4palestine," a Tuesday Instagram post from Mohamed Abdou read.
Abdou included four other accounts in the post — "VT for Palestine," "Black Mindedness," Emon H. Green, and "Palestine Solidarity Working Group."
Abdou calls himself a "Muslim anarchist and diasporic settler of color," and is the author of "Islam and Anarchism," which is described as a "highly original and interdisciplinary work, which simultaneously disrupts two commonly held beliefs — that Islam is necessarily authoritarian and capitalist; and that anarchism is necessarily anti-religious and anti-spiritual."
Campus Watch reported in 2024 that Abdou was fired after a public Facebook post following Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking hundreds of hostages.
In the post, Abdou wrote, "I’m with the muqawamah (the resistance) be it Hamas and Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad but up to a point — given ultimate differences over our ethical political commitments; that’s the difference between a strategy and tactic too."
During a hearing before Congress on April 17, 2024, former Columbia University president Minouche Shafik said that Abdou "has been terminated, not just terminated, but his file will show that he will never work at Columbia again."
Abdou’s Instagram post advertising the Friday "Death to the Akademy" event said, "The talk is titled ‘Islam & Revolution’ & will be followed by a facilitated discussion. For those who cannot join us in person for this event, we invite participants from across the globe to join us virtually. Shukran to the generous hosts. Register for the free event using the link in my bio or via the qr code on the poster."
The post featured what appeared to be a jihadist leader wearing camouflage and a keffiyeh as a mask covering his face, while holding a gun strapped to his back.
An army of what appear to be jihadists stands behind him, wearing keffiyehs around their necks.
The Instagram post instructs attendees to "please wear masks!"
In a Monday post on X, the account "Documenting Jew Hatred on Campus at Columbia U," voiced concern over the upcoming event, saying, "Mohamed Abdou is scheduled to speak at @virginia_tech on Friday. This is a continuation of his "Death to the Akademy" series. Expect more of the same — promotion of an Islamic takeover of the West and death to Zionists/Jews."
The post added, "Expect Virginia Tech to claim no responsibility or connection with this event. While this may be true, the school can still identify which students are organizing this event and take the necessary steps to stop them from radicalizing the students of Virginia Tech."
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Virginia Tech spokesperson Mark Owczarski said, "The event in question is not sponsored by a university-affiliated organization nor is it a university-registered event. Any claims otherwise are simply not true."
He added, "False claims of similar events held at other colleges and universities have occurred. Virginia Tech continues to monitor the situation."
Fox News Digital reached out to Abdou for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
"Be proud of your hate for America," Abdou said over Zoom during the event. "You love Islam, and you should be loving Islam more than this barbarous colony," he said. "It’s a plague upon the Earth. And yes, in that sense, you need to be a threat. We all need to be a threat."
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