Professor Muhammad Abdou, who until recently taught students at Columbia University, appeared online this week to spread calls for religious-based violence and glorify the murder of Jews. He did so as part of an event at the Union Theological Seminary, an institution associated with Columbia. While the university recently ended Abdou’s teaching, it is important to remember that this unhinged fanatic was previously chosen by Columbia faculty and administrators to teach their students. Those individuals remain at Columbia, and Abdou is just the latest example of the radical chic of higher education.
The Islamic studies scholar called on students to “be a threat” as part of the event titled “Death to the Akademy: How to be a thorn in their throat amidst snakes in the grass.” Teachers in higher education are often called “the academy.”
According to a video on X from Manhattan Institute investigative analyst Stu Smith, the talk involved deeply disturbing and hateful comments.
Abdou told the students: “Let us engage in jihad, and there are rules for jihad, and Muslims know that Allah has commanded rules. We don’t engage in wanton violence, but we don’t accept the negative peace either.”
One of the most chilling moments came when he praised Elias Rodriguez, the man facing multiple charges for the murder of a young Jewish couple. In what Abdou called the “assassination of two Zionists,” Rodriguez is accused of murdering Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, the two Israeli employees in 2025 in Washington.
Abdou does not discuss how this young couple dreamed of a life together or sought to bridge religious divides. They are just a couple of “Zionists” in his eyes. He then reportedly praised their accused killer: “God bless him. He took action. … Take action. Not only that kind of action, just to be very clear, because there’s also building. We need to destroy. We need to create alternatives.”
The seminary stopped his in-person appearance, which led to condemnations from student groups. In an Instagram post, Queer Muslims NYC accused the seminary of “flagrant Islamophobia and utter disregard for Muslim students.” However, they claimed that the union continued to support the event with a virtual component.
This video is reminiscent of the speech of other radical faculty like Cornell Professor Russell Rickford, who celebrated the massacre in Israel on Oct. 7th. Their extremism was not a barrier to being hired. It was likely an enhancement.
They are examples of why faculty members are unlikely to change the overwhelmingly liberal appointments. Conservatives and libertarians have been largely purged from most departments. While even a moderately conservative faculty candidate will often face organized opposition, radicals like Abdou and Rickford find an eager audience on faculties.
I encourage you to watch this video. This is the man who was interviewed and selected by faculty and administrators, not just at Columbia but at Cornell University and the University of Toronto. He was appointed as the Arcapita Visiting Assistant Professor at Columbia University’s Middle-Eastern, South Asian and African Studies (MESAAS) Program at the Middle-East Institute. He was also a Postdoctoral Fellow/Visiting Scholar at Cornell.
According to his bio, “he is a self-identifying Muslim anarchist and diasporic settler of color.” His credentials include “his organizing towards BIPOC and Palestinian liberation and involvement with post-anti-Globalization Seattle 1999 movements.”
That appears to be the perfect resume for someone who wants to teach at leading universities. Those faculty and administrators are still at these institutions, and so is the radical culture that has taken hold of higher education in the United States.
What is most striking about this video is how Abdou offers just pure hate. There is no discernible intellectual content or insight. Just rage masquerading as scholarship.
Professor, thank you for yet another example of higher education gone wild. In my opinion, “Professor” Muhammad Abdou, albeit despicable, is not the most serious, immediate threat to our American values. Instead, I believe the most serious threat was yesterday at the intersection of two main streets in the small Texas town in which I live. At that intersection about twenty-five people, all Democrats, stood holding and waving signs (many of them hateful) condemning Trump. This time, instead of “No Kings”, the signs mainly were because of the war in Iran, the holders obviously unconcerned about an Iran armed with nuclear weapons. These were ordinary looking Texans, someone you would see everyday at the local grocery store. In the recent Democrat Senate primary, both candidates, U.S. Rep. Crockett and Tex. Rep. Talarico enjoyed a very large turnout of Democrat voters even though both are comfortably ensconced in the far left wing of the party. As just one example, in years past in the Texas House, Talarico’s office worked to add pronouns to all House staffers’ business cards as “a small way to tell trans Texans: You are welcome here” and recently when asked to describe a very moving event for him, he talked about the day trans children came to the Capitol. He has described white men (of which he is one) as the greatest violence threat to the US, and supports taxing the rich, along with all of the other left-wing policies. A recent poll showed him with a slight lead over either of his two possible Republican opponents. I say all of this to say that the Professor Abdous in US education appear to have already succeeded in shaping the minds and values of many, if not most, “ordinary” Americans. If far left Democrat ideas have found a home in central Texas, our society and its western values may already be circling the drain.
@honestlawyermostly
Yes, and it is due to complacency.
The, ‘Texas can never flip.’ Mentality has to go. Yes, yes it can, and quite easily. All the left needs is Austin, Houston, and Dallas/Ft. Worth. They already have two and have made ground in the third. Popular sentiment has nothing to do with it, just enough population in the voting bloc. And when it’s done, it’s done: everyone in a state is subject to state law – such as, say, changing voting laws – regardless of their opinion.
Obviously this is why dems want to skip ahead and simply federalize everything, which they will if given the opportunity. It is the very definition of tyranny.
This same logic can be applied to education, corporate culture, what have you. Alas, we are lazy people, both physically and intellectually.
“no discernible intellectual content or insight. Just rage”
The lefts “Final Boss”, mask off. Age of leftard rage.
One of the problems in these discussions is that criticism gets shut down instantly with the label “Islamophobia.” But that accusation only works if we pretend there is no difference between Muslims, Islam, and Islamism.
A Muslim is a person and deserves the same protection of law and dignity as anyone else. Islam is a religion practiced by over a billion people. But Islamism is a political ideology that seeks to impose religious doctrine through political power, and in its more extreme forms openly celebrates hostility toward Jews, the West, and America itself.
Opposing that ideology is not hatred of Muslims. It is a rejection of a political doctrine that is incompatible with a free society.
The problem is that too often the word “Islamophobia” is used to blur those distinctions so that any criticism of Islamist rhetoric, antisemitism, or calls for violence is treated as bigotry rather than legitimate criticism.
A free society cannot function that way. People must be protected. Religions can be debated. Political ideologies must be open to criticism.
Calling out hatred of Jews or calls for violence is not Islamophobia. It is simply moral clarity.
More stupid from olly. You get that from a Hallmark card?
How many times are you going to post this same comment?
OLLY,
Well said.
Unfortunately many Muslims and those who practice Islam are more inclined to remain silent while others call for violence against Jews and all non-believers.
Then there are those students who chant from rive to sea as if it is some benign slogan.
Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles may be correct…..
The first confirmed sighting of an Ogles-ite.
Has Columbia U (along with Harvard and a cr@plo@d of other Fascist “liberal” colleges) been completely cut off from all Federal funding and aid? Or has that proven to be nothing but another in a seeming endless litany of BS empty threat rhetoric from the Trump administration? When is Linda McMahon going to actually take care of the business of removing the Dept Education from all activities that are not authorized by the Constitution (after which, the no-brainer conclusion would be dismantling the Department itself)?
” When is Linda McMahon going to actually take care of the business of removing…’ There is a pesky thing called laws.
The DOE is not authorized under the Constitution? You are obviously not a sober or serious person.
In a few minutes X (George) will come on here and state that the Republicans are worse, this guy isn’t bad, Columbia doesn’t have him on their staff any longer and Turley should write a column about Trump or something.
Come on George (X), come here and say that this is an abomination, that Columbia should be ashamed for hiring this guy, that this guy’s rhetoric is abhorrent and that he needs to be shunned. Come on X, just once do the right thing. I bet it is impossible because you are just a contrarian weirdo.
The same stupid crap you post here non-stop. Why don’t you go put a bullet in your head. End your misery.
His problem is that he thinks everyone has to swear allegiance to his ideology. Or else get bullied nonstop. Just go away hullbobby.
HullBobby has never demanded anyone to swear allegiance to anything. That is just you projecting.
Come On Man! The Columbia Illuminati recruited Jihadi Abdou so they could have a diversity of opinion for the students, right? The impressionable MORON students need to hear Global Hate from any and all sources so they can freely choose to join the hate movement as well and become pariah’s of society! Besides, Jihadi Abdou just wants to ensure Islam takes its rightful place in the world as the destroyer of Infidels and the Caliphate stretches across the planet! Could this possibly be a problem for more than half the worlds population? What absolute nit wits are in LOW IQ HIGHER EDUCATION!
Just thinking how empty the lives, emotionally vapid, of the kids must be that they are so easily indoctrinated. At 20 I was looking for booty, drinking, and other “normal” male pursuits, while at college. Decades later, still am.
In an Instagram post, Queer Muslims NYC accused the seminary of “flagrant Islamophobia and utter disregard for Muslim students.” Queer Muslims NYC? Seriously?
What is even more disturbing is the failure of our Government to take the threats and actions seriously. We have apparently entered the stage of the Islamic Jihad in America that our Legislative and Judicial branches have been infiltrated sufficiently by Islamic combatants and sympathizers that these voices and Islamic Soldiers feel comfortable enough to expose themselves. Wake up America!!!!
Which government are you referring to? Every 4 years were have a new gov. with diff. goals and policies. Think Bush, then Obama, then Trump, then Biden, now Trump again. Can’t run a stable gov. if there is no stability. I got no answer to fix gov. other than fight like hell to preserve what we have today. Vote, get like minded people to vote.
GOP President Trump
END ALL Federal Aid and Loan backing to Colleges
End Federal Aid to cities, states, nonprofits
Outlaw Public Unions
BREAK Democrats by Defunding them!
Jail this psycho
Really? You obviously are a stupid person. All those programs are mandated by laws. And it’s already been tried. Guess what the outcome was?
‘Just rage masquerading as scholarship’, indeed. It’s madness, and anyone that doesn’t see it by now is willfully blind. Then again, ‘Queer Muslims NYC’ should tell you the level of intellect involved on the receiving end. Not to mention our truly, epically vile media that manages to invent new lows to sink to every week.
This is not tenable, and this IS the modern left. As always, it’s madness, and we all need to wake up before November.
Talk with a licensed firearms instructor, purchase a handgun/weapon appropriate for you, study and take a concealed carry class and be prepared to protect yourself and your family from these psychos if and when the need arises.
Does that only apply to Jews?
No.
It should apply to every law abiding American citizen. I would hate to see vigilantism here but we cant wait until we end up like our European cousins.
Okay. I’m thinking that vigilantism already exists in the USA but not the way we normally think. How about at the neighborhoods, schools, colleges, work places levels. Dems are infusing their hate into very aspect of daily existence… to hurt conservatives at their core. Walking around with a hidden gun ain’t gonna solve the problems.
So you exist in a world where your daily existence is threatened by unseen evil forces?
“So you exist . . .”
The far greater threat is the likes of you, who willfully refuse to see the obvious.
Paranoid much Sam?
Being prepared to act if necessary isn’t being paranoid. Being unprepared to act, by design, when necessary is foolish.
Prepared huh? You seem like the kind of guy with a monstrous chip on your shoulder.
Ever kill someone? Not yet huh?
Democrats let monsters like this guy out of jail, time and time again.
How Many Times Does This Have To Happen?
Americans are shocked and appalled after Virginia Democrat policies let ILLEGAL ALIEN R*PIST Abdul Jalloh kill a 41-year-old mother at a Virginia bus stop
30 prior arrests. 30.
The woman’s mom is FURIOUS with leftist prosecutors: “DO YOUR JOB! PROTECT THE PEOPLE,… pic.twitter.com/MEAEsN792k
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 12, 2026
https://modernity.news/2026/03/12/how-many-times-does-this-have-to-happen/
“I will remember not the words of my enemies, but the silence of my friends.” —MLK
This is a great piece. I particularly appreciated your description of a titillated faculty as the “radical chic of higher education.” These withered professors, far removed from their own era of activism, seem to seek vicarious excitement when a colleague incites students toward violence. Remarkably, they still cling to the fantasies of benevolent communism and honest politburos.
Geez Don, a rare logical comment from you.
@gdonaldallen
So do their coddled students who missed out on it in the first place. Having grown up with the fruits of the struggles of others in the most peaceful and prosperous time the Western world ever saw, they manufacture crises, and at every level of their lives. We also have the aging hippies who think they are still voting for JFK, fighting Nixon, and not trusting anyone over 30 when they are supposed elders. None of them are well.
James,
Aging hippies. Yep. Saw them at the “No Kings” protests.
There is no doubt among honest historians that today’s Democrat party is the direct descendant of the National Socialist party. None. Democrats foment violence against their perceived enemies, and some of them single out the Jews for particular attention. Yet, Democrats are nearly universally silent in condemning the violent speech in their midst. Silence is complicity.
“today’s Democrat party is the direct descendant of the National Socialist..” No it is not. Saying so does not make it so. Just because Jews are a target? Idiot.
There are far more evil political parties on this planet, even in this country, than just Nazis. Peruse the extremist groups in Camboia, Japan, Soviet Union, China (Maoist), put the Nazis to shame. Try comparing them to Democrats; lots of similarities. But using only Nazis is the lazy man’s option.
BTW, democrat’s can’t speak German. Can’t be a Nazi if you can’t speak German.
But Jonathan, you have to acknowledge his genius, his passion for peace, his devotion to love and inclusion. He’s really just a big sweetie-pie.
“…queer Muslims and queer Egyptians across various demarcations of colonialism/imperialism, race, gender, class, nation, and religion. Puar’s seminal Terrorist Assemblages: Homonationalism in Queer Times examines the particular paranoia surrounding the War on Terror, and the appropriation of sexuality and queer bodies by U.S. patriotic discourses.”
I confess. My Homonationalism, particularly, the paranoid plagues of imperialism, given the appropriation of queer bodies in the erotic pleasures, specified scrupulously with deviant donations of colloquy and donutisms, far far more than the oppressed proletariat, but fortunately less than obese tree climbers threatening Peace Keepers in downtown Nigeria.
His Majesty, The One, The Only, The Most Distinguished, The Dr. Professor Muhammad Abdou IX.
Book by Jasbir Puar
The Right to Maim: Debility, Capacity, Disability is a 2017 book by Jasbir K. Puar that analyzes how states use the concepts of debility, disability, and capacity to control populations, arguing that “maiming” (debilitation) has become a biopolitical tool alongside killing, exemplified by Israeli policies in Palestine.
I seen the kingdoms of the world and it’s making me feel afraid. I need a shot of love
Seems even the crazies are attracted to Turley’s brand of liberalism. Whew …..
What the heck are you talking about? Uttering total nonsense.
I begin my morning with 2 things every day; my Bible reading from Day-By-Day and JT’s latest. What a contrast in religions. Our government is concerned about “sleeper cells.” These folks aren’t sleeping—they are in plain sight and they are not stopped. Not by government, as it is now just talk, but by the people of this country. If they don’t have an audience it would help tremendously. (Queer Muslim Union—🤦)
So priming the bible every morning for your jihad on liberals?
The radical leftist takeover of academia has given rise to an institution rife with the self-righteous fanaticism of ideologues. These are the intellectual descendants of the Jacobins of the French terror, whose guillotine filled the streets of Paris with blood, and the fanatics responsible for the deaths of millions under Lenin, Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot.
It’s one thing to harbor heinous political views, but when you combine such ideologies with political power, the results are inevitably heinous.
The takeover was happening in front of everyone for decades; the spawn of the 7o’s have entered the system with their ideas of a newer, better society, aka progressivism. Now radial Islamists have made inroads and are greeted as ideological brethren by the now Marxist generation, in the great struggle to destroy conservatives. Oh woe is us.
online this week to spread calls for religious-based violence and glorify the murder of Jews
__________________________
Just maybe these colleges should check on the history of the folks they hire.
What am I saying, liberals would never do that. They support this craziness.
Can you translate that into an understandable comment.
Simple even for you. Don’t hire crazies. But libs never listen. They support this.
Just sitting there and waiting for someone to comment eh dustoff? Tell us about your two “collage” degrees? Are they in stupidity or basket weaving?
Have you ever applied for a teaching job at a college or university?
Why do you keep repeating the same, worn out ad hominem attack?
Bereft of ideas? Have no arguments? Are intellectually impotent? Just like to sting?
All of the above?
It obvious with you too Sam. Nothing to add eh, just attack? You SF.
Dustoff, they not only do check the history of these professors but they support most of their ideology and therefore they hire them. It is sad, scary and a fait accompli.
So what? All jobs require some degree of background check. People put their employment resumes on the internet for all to see. Does that make them liberals?