On Thursday, Jan. 25, Pomona Student Union (PSU) hosted renowned author and activist Linda Sarsour for “A Discussion on Palestinian Liberation.” Zyad Sibai PO ’25, co-vice president of PSU development and operations, moderated the talk, which took place at Pomona College’s Rose Hills Theatre and featured a lively group of students and faculty members.
Sarsour’s discussion comes in response to Israel’s continued assaults on Gaza, which have escalated in retaliation to Hamas’s attack on Israel last October. Since then, over 25,000 people have been killed in Gaza and over 60,000 wounded. On Dec. 29, 2023, South Africa asked the International Court of Justice (IJC) to call for the prevention of what they described as “genocidal in character” by Israel in Gaza. The court has since ruled on Jan. 26 for “Israel to take steps to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza but stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.”
At the 5Cs, Israel’s siege on Gaza has prompted a series of protests and teach-ins at the 5Cs led by activists standing in solidarity with Palestine and calling for Pomona’s divestment from Israel.
In addition to discussing what Sarsour described as an urgent need for the safety and security of Palestinians, the speaker emphasized the importance of encouraging student mobilization, holding courageous conversations and finding the strength to fight for one’s beliefs.
The discussion began with Sarsour sharing the experiences that led her to become an activist.
“My aspirations and dreams were to be a high school English teacher,” Sarsour said. “And then the horrific attacks of 9/11 happened in New York, the city I was born and raised in.”
Following this pivotal moment, Sarsour became a translator, deciding to use her fluency in both Arabic and English to help Arabic-speaking immigrants navigate the American legal system. Since then, she has risen in recognition and influence, having served as one of the National co-chairs of the Women’s March on Washington in 2017.
She’s also the cofounder of both MPower Change, the first Muslim online organizing platform and Until Freedom, a non-profit organization focused on addressing systematic and racial injustice.
From the beginning of the discussion, Sarsour honed in on the importance of having difficult conversations. She said that to her, college is a time to engage, not detach, from the issues you are passionate about.
“Sometimes, parents say that they sent you to university to get your degree and go home — I reject that,” Sarsour said. “My issue here isn’t about whether you think Palestinian liberation is a fight worth having, the question is whether you agree that, on a college campus, students should be able to organize about the issues that they’re passionate about.”
Sarsour emphasized how although advances in technology have increased the visibility of violence against Palestinians for the world, that being faced with constant images and videos of Palestinian death and the destruction of Gaza can take a severe toll on mental health. Nevertheless, she continued to stress the necessity of having these difficult conversations.
“We gotta just be normal people and just do normal things,” Sarsour said. “And we’re watching the bloodshed of our people and then on top of that, we have got to fight our administrations to do even an event like this one.”
Identifying the influence students hold on campus, Sarsour continued to encourage students to use their power and position to take action and continue the call for divestment. She highlighted the importance of students taking a stand in spite of pushback from administration.
“This idea that the administration is more powerful than you is already a facade that [the administration] has taught you,” Sarsour said. “There would be no Pomona College without the 1,700 students. The administration works for you.”
Sarsour wrapped up the conversation with another call to action. She encouraged the audience to imagine themselves in the future, looking back at this time with the ability to say that they had organized, participated, voted and “[done] whatever I could with whatever I had.”
This sentiment, along with many others, resonated with students in the audience.
Dabira Alonge-Oludaye PO ’26 expressed her eagerness to do more for the movement toward Palestinian liberation.
“Everywhere I can get educated and just learn more about what’s happening, I’m always available, always eager,” Alonge-Oludaye said.
Gabriel Dalton PO ’24, a member of PSU, also expressed appreciation for the event, specifically praising Sarsour’s candidness with the audience.
“I really appreciated the way she navigated the [audience’s] questions,” Dalton said, pointing out that Sarsour often refrained from outright telling students what to do, instead leaving them to decide. “I really appreciated that sentiment.”
During Sarsour’s final moments on stage, she briefed the audience on two legal cases which went to trial last Friday: the Genocide Case South Africa brought against Israel in the ICJ and a suit against President Biden in the Federal District Court of Northern California in which Palestinian Americans sought to halt funding to Israel.
Finally, Sarsour concluded with a message of hope and resilience in the face of adversity.
“I hope that one thing that you got here today in this room with me is to walk out on this college campus with your back straight and your head held high,” Sarsour said. “That you can feel that you should be unapologetic about who you are and what you represent.”
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