Threatening Messages Target Pro-Palestine Groups at UConn

WASHINGTON, DC (IQNA) – Two student groups at the University of Connecticut, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Muslim Student Association (MSA), have been the targets of threatening messages in the past two weeks.

The messages, which they received via their Instagram accounts contained racist slurs, death threats, and hateful remarks, have sparked outrage and support from thousands of followers.

The first message was a voicemail that a member of SJP received on Oct. 31, which accused the group of being "terrorists" and "baby killers," the Daily Campus reported on Monday. 

UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said that the call came from an Oklahoma number and had no apparent connection to UConn or Connecticut.

The second message was an email that the MSA's Stamford campus branch received on Nov. 8, which celebrated the rising death toll in Gaza and made similar threats and insults.

The MSA said that the police and local authorities have been active and reached out to them, but they also criticized the UConn administration for not taking proactive measures to ensure the safety of the Muslim community.

The MSA and other affiliated groups also called for a thorough review of the university's responses to global events and a public discussion about the Palestinian struggle for freedom and justice.

They claimed that UConn President Radenka Maric attended a pro-Israel protest but ignored the pro-Palestinian events.

The incidents at UConn reflect a larger trend of hostility and polarization on American campuses, following the attacks by Hamas on occupied territories on Oct. 7 and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian students across the country have reported harassment, intimidation, and doxxing from pro-Israel groups and individuals. Protests, arrests, and clashes have also occurred at several universities, such as MIT, Cornell, and Brown.

Reitz condemned the hateful messages in the strongest terms and said that UConn has been made aware of the situation. Gov. Ned Lamont also announced that he will hold a roundtable of security representatives to address the issue of hate incidents on college campuses. He said that Connecticut has zero tolerance for antisemitism, Islamophobia, or hatred of any kind.

Source: Agencies