Columbia University has issued a clarification after an anti-Israel student group posted “Death to America” on social media, triggering widespread backlash. The controversy erupted a day after the United States and Israel carried out airstrikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, escalating tensions across the Middle East.
The post was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), a group that previously organised campus protests over the Gaza war. The message included the phrase “Marg bar Amrika” — Persian for “Death to America,” a slogan historically associated with Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini.
The post was later removed, with the group claiming that the platform compelled them to delete it to regain access to their account.
University Distances Itself
In response to mounting criticism, Columbia University stated that CUAD is not affiliated with the institution in any official capacity.
“There is no evidence that anyone currently in control of their account is a current Columbia student, staff, or faculty member. They are illegally using the Columbia name,” the university said in a statement.
The Ivy League institution reiterated its zero-tolerance policy toward discrimination, harassment, or promotion of violence, adding that any organisation encouraging disruption of its academic mission would not be engaged with by the university.
Background and Reactions
Khamenei had previously praised CUAD and similar campus protest groups in 2024, calling them part of a broader “Resistance Front” opposing Western and Israeli policies. His remarks had drawn criticism at the time for appearing to endorse student-led anti-Israel demonstrations in the US.
The latest controversy has once again placed campus activism, free speech, and geopolitical tensions at the center of public debate in the United States.