USC’s valedictorian Asna Tabassum, a first-generation Muslim student, was unable to deliver her commencement speech at this year’s graduation ceremony at the University of Southern California (USC) due to pressure from pro-Israeli groups and concerns over her social media support for Palestinians.

The university administration cited safety concerns as the reason for cancelling her speech.

Tabassum released a redacted version of her speech, which was originally intended to be delivered to the class of 2024.

The speech was published by Annenberg Media and the Daily Trojan, showcasing exact words written by Tabassum with no major or minor changes.

In the speech, Tabassum began by addressing USC President Carol Folt, USC Provost Andrew Guzman, faculty, staff, families, and her fellow classmates, expressing her honour at being chosen as the valedictorian.

However, several paragraphs were redacted, leaving the audience to speculate on the content of the censored portions. The speech ended with a brief message of congratulations to the graduating class.

Tabassum received a standing ovation during the Viterbi School of Engineering graduation ceremony when she received her diploma, the university faced backlash for cancelling her speech.

The exact nature of the safety issues that led to the cancellation was not disclosed by the university.

Tabassum stated that she was shocked by the decision and felt abandoned by the institution she had called home for the past four years.

She emphasized that the revocation of her invitation to speak seemed to stem from a campaign of hate aimed at silencing her voice rather than solely being based on safety concerns.

Tabassum received a thunderous applause as she walked across the stage to accept her diploma at the Viterbi School of Engineering graduation ceremony and standing ovation at a student recognition awards ceremony the day before.

The university also cancelled the main-stage commencement ceremony, which typically draws a large crowd to the Los Angeles campus.

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The cancellation of Tabassum’s speech prompted student protests at USC, with demands for the university to divest from companies with ties to Israel.