Mahmoud Khalil has now had his green card revoked, and he is on his way — it will take months, given all the folderol and rigmarole that will be thrown in the government’s face — to being deported. To hear the fury coming from Ilhan, Rashida, Jameel, Alexandria, and others of that ilk, Khalil is a “martyr” on the altar of free speech, who has been condemned by the jackbooted brownshirted hellhounds of the Trump administration, for daring to speak his truth to power.
The musician, essayist, and son-in-law of Bob Dylan, Peter Himmelman, does not agree. His thoughts on Mahmoud Khalil can be found here: “Free Speech, Consequences, and the Extraordinary Case of Mahmoud Khalil,” Peter Himmelman, March 10, 2025
The uproar over the recent arrest and pending deportation of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil has begun. Like an unruly guest who has spilled one too many glasses of wine on my rug, I welcome his timely removal from our country.
Yes, his deportation is extraordinary and should give any American pause. It is not every day that the U.S. government takes such decisive action against a university student for their so-called “political speech.” But should Khalil’s advocacy for Hamas—along with his support for the hordes of zealous Palestinian “civilians” who gleefully and grotesquely committed the atrocities of October 7—not be regarded as even more extraordinary?
The real question is: Which should shock us more—Khalil’s likely removal, or the reality that a guest in our country, within one of our major American universities no less, was not only permitted—but actively aided in fomenting hatred for Jews and publicly supporting Hamas, a designated terrorist organization responsible for some of the most brutal atrocities in modern history?
Free speech is, of course, a central issue here. The First Amendment guarantees the right to express even the most offensive opinions. Yet, even in the freest societies, there are limits.
To refresh your memory:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
The government has long drawn a line between free speech and incitement. According to reports Mahmoud Khalil crossed that line—from ‘peaceable’ protest to incitement to the manifestation of actual violence.
The Limits of Free Speech
Khalil, an international student on a green card, allegedly engaged in activities that not only glorified Hamas but also actively disseminated its propaganda and facilitated campus demonstrations that escalated into outright intimidation of Jewish students.
This isn’t a simple case of a student voicing unpopular views. It’s about whether a person residing in this country should be permitted to openly advocate for a terrorist organization that has tortured, raped, and murdered civilians, including Americans, in cold blood. And as of this writing, Hamas is still holding 59 hostages in Gaza. This includes 24 individuals presumed to be alive—22 Israelis, one Thai national, and one Nepali national. Additionally, the bodies of 35 hostages who were confirmed dead remain in Hamas’s custody.
Imagine the Double Standard
Consider for a moment if a student had led massive rallies praising the Ku Klux Klan and calling for violence against Black students. Or if a campus group openly cheered attacks against LGBTQ+ people. Or imagine a university allowing a student to distribute materials praising the murder of Latinos and calling for the destruction of Mexico, El Salvador, or Colombia.
Would anyone hesitate to remove that student?…
It’s a cri de coeur, from a long way down. Read the rest here. I found it impressive. And, just possibly, you may, too.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
There are quite a number of immigration statutes he violated in doing what he did – threatening Jews trying to attend classes, among others. Also, his Hamas connections directly flies in the face of anti-terrorism laws, given that Hamas is joined at the hip w/ al-Qaeda via the muslim brotherhood
He and his pregnant wife should both be put on the next flight to Gaza, once his hearings are done. By then, she may well have given birth, but then they can take that as well w/ them
He may be the first, but he should by no means be the last
Nera says
You can’t give freedom of speech or human rights to people who come from peoples who existed for thousands upon thousands of years and generations like the rest of us and never invented them themselves. All they do which is heavily documented is abuse them regularly falling onto claiming human rights say because their “culture” is different they get to do things their way. The sociologists or anthropologists who insisted on calling all group habits and behaviors all over the world cultures even though they have no basis in Latin or Greek set the world up for the evils we’re living through now. It’s like calling protozoa mamals.
Pixie says
Article 9, para. 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights reads:
Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.
the interest of public safety, the protection of public order, health or morals and the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.
Hmmm, if you ask me, the riots this antisemite has taken part in were not in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.
I’ll pick one of these out: ‘the protection of morals’. Let’s begin with surah 2: 191: ‘kill them wherever you find them’. If you ask me, that is an immoral injunction. Again: surah 47: 4: ‘if you meet the unbelievers, strike their necks’. This too would seem to be an immoral injunction, if you ask me. Both from the koran. So the koran contains immoral injunctions. Ample reason to limit the manifestation of this ‘religion’, I dare say. Pooof, why is it still for sale then?
And so on for the other conditions.
So why are the authorities not using para. 2 more often? Surely it can’t be for reasons of freedom of religion now, can it, in view of these execrable invective!
Sharon says
Why would it take months,
send him back to shitistan now .
No doubt the terrorist would join Al queda butchers in Syria .
Or Afghanistan.
Scream for jihad over there .Hamas supporters .
Hugh Fitzgerald says
You ask why it will take months to depr ot thim. .
Due process. The law’s delay, as Hamlet says.
Shakespeare — he was never wrong. See Hamlet, Act III, scene I, l. 65 or so (I may have the lineation wrong)
crown says
“ Due process. The law’s delay, as Hamlet says.”
In this particular case, as another fairly well-known English fellow noted in one of his novels “… the law is a ass — a idiot”
I of course am not saying that due process is bad. Just that it can be extremely infuriating at times.
OLD GUY says
And but of course the Lawyers love the money they make prolonging these hearings and appeals. And guess who pays the bill on all sides of the case? We the American tax payer pay for it all. A lawyers dream come true.
somehistory says
Take a regular American …one who has never and will never praise the terrorists…and put that person in gaza. Tell him to march about condemning hamas and the other terrorists who committed the atrocities of Oct 7. What would likely happen to him? He wouldn’t be deported. More likely, decapitated.
This mozlum ghoul should have already been sent packing. He shouldn’t have been allowed inside the country in the first place.
There is a new *remake* of Snow White. The actress chosen to play the main part is Latino (brown skin) and she is all for promoting the “palestinains’ cause. The actress playing the wicked step mother/queen is all for Israel.
The actress playing the wicked queen part says she finds it hard to believe what is happening on the streets where hamas is glorified. (my words for what she said).
The questions everyone should be asking their ****reps***** in Congress: Why are you working for this ghoul who praises what hamas did to those poor babies? Why do you not condemn his *speech*? Why have you not condemned the violence and called for arrests and deportations?
And if you won’t stand up for what is right, why should you be in the business of making laws?
James Lincoln says
somehistory says,
“There is a new *remake* of Snow White.”
If Disney had any sense at all, they would not release this film.
Overall, they would lose more money by releasing it…
somehistory says
thank you, James. It’s supposed to be “politically correct,” but nothing in that category is “correct.”
࿗Infidel࿘ says
That Snow White story has been all over the entertainment news ever since it was conceived. There are too many things wrong w/ it. It has been delayed several times
Gal Godot plays the evil queen, and this is the first time in any Snow White that people were rooting for the queen – and the apple!
Daily Wire was doing a competing movie called “Snow White and the Evil Queen”, where Brett Cooper played Snow White. However she left the company, so don’t know who her replacement is
gravenimage says
Many of these bowdlrized films *have* lost money. Political correctness seems to be more important…
Smooth Lee says
Mr. Himmelman’s “Free Speech, Consequences, and the Extraordinary Case of Mahmoud Khalil” is spot on.
Larry Estavan says
And, I would like to ad – There are no two sides to October 7, it was an atrocity, and we need to stop acting as if it was anything else.
gravenimage says
Spot on, Larry.
ed says
Deport omar while you’re at it
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Saw a news somewhere – not sure how true it is – that some conservative congressman is looking at introducing a bill that requires that not only presidents, but also all congressmen – senators and house members – have to be naturally born citizens just like POTUS does. Sure hope this passes, so that we can be rid of not just Ilhan, but also a few others like Pramila Jayapal. In Rashida Tlaib’s case, we are SOL, since she was born in Detroit
But if such a bill becomes law, it sure would prevent more Dems from running again than Republicans
James Lincoln says
Infidel,
If the bill passes and eventually becomes law (doubtful), just wondering if it would be “retroactive”.
somehistory says
they should be able to put both ratshida and her pal, ilhan elmi behind bars for committing fraud, and elmi for lying to Congress.
It is no secret that elmi and tlaib committed fraud….talib’s own father ratted her out. Fraud is a crime. bernie madoff and sons could attest to that.
And elmi lied to Congress when she told them she didn’t know where her brother (also her husband) was.
Put them both behind bars and kick jayapal and any others like her. to the curb.
ANDRES ARANGO says
Von voyage despicable muslim. Have your kid in Syria. where you can éducate’ him/her early in life to behead jews,
Andres
gravenimage says
Mahmoud Khalil and the Freedom of Speech
………………………
Freedom of speech does not include preaching murder.