REPORT: Feds investigating SFSU for inviting hijacker terrorist to speak
San Francisco State University invited an airplane hijacker to speak during an event on Zoom.
The federal government is now looking into the university to see if any federal laws were violated.
The Department of Education is reportedly investigating San Francisco State University to determine whether any federal laws were violated when terrorist hijacker Leila Khaled was invited to speak at a virtual event in September.
The virtual event in question occurred on Sept. 23 when SFSU’s Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diaspora Studies (AMED) Department invited terrorist hijacker Leila Khaled to speak, as previously reported by Campus Reform.
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After Zoom told the group it was not allowed to use the platform for the event, AMED ended up streaming via YouTube. However, about 30 minutes into the event, exclusive footage from Campus Reform shows the live stream cut off by YouTube for violating terms.
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The U.S. Department of Education is now reviewing the case and has recruited the Justice Department and U.S. Treasury to help, according to the New York Post.
The Post reported that Lawfare Project Senior Counsel Gerard Filitti stated that the university attempted to use Zoom to “indoctrinate” students.
“In normal circumstances, people like Leila Khaled would be barred entry into the United States. However, now we’re living in a world in which Zoom and teleconferences and videoconferences are the norm, and it would be a perversion of justice if terrorists were allowed to spread their message and indoctrinate students by Zoom,” Filitti said.
The non-profit also claims that SFSU violated anti-terrorism statute 18 USC Section 2339B by giving Khaled a platform to speak.
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An official from the Department of Education, Reed Rubinstein, stated in an Oct. 8 letter that the university could be subject to sanctions.
“SFSU’s conduct concerning Leila Khaled and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine may be subject to the Department of the Treasury’s sanctions authorities,” he said, the Post reported.
Lawfare Project Executive Director Brooke Goldstein indicated that an investigation could result in fines, criminal charges, and reduced federal funding.
Khaled and fellow members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a group designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization, hijacked planes in 1969 and 1970 using hand grenades and pistols. Khaled became the first female hijacker the world had seen at the age of 21 and she became an icon for members of the Palestinian resistance.
Campus Reform reached out to SFSU, the Department of Education, Department of Justice, U.S. Treasury, AMED, and the Lawfare Project for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @mn_turn
