Maryam Iqbal, a student at Barnard College (a part of Columbia University), has repeatedly used her position as a student activist to glorify Hamas terrorism, spread anti-Semitic rhetoric, and promote the destruction of Israel. Her involvement with the pro-Hamas encampment at Columbia University in April 2024, as well as her leadership within Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (Columbia SJP), demonstrates her dangerous alignment with violent extremism. Iqbal’s incendiary statements, glorification of terrorism, and unapologetic anti-Semitism have made her a polarizing figure on campus and beyond.
Maryam Iqbal’s Support for Hamas Terrorism
Iqbal openly celebrated the brutal murder of approximately 1,200 Jews by Hamas, including infants. Her social media profiles prominently featured an inverted red triangle, a symbol used by Hamas to glorify its violent acts.
On Instagram, Iqbal’s bio read:
- “مريم [Maryam] / 🍁🔻انقلاب زندہ باد [Long Live the revolution] / @sjp.columbia / cuapartheiddivest.org.”
She also referred to the violent “intifada” as a call for global resistance, stating on Twitter:
- “☭ free kashmir, victory to the intifada 🔻 @columbiasjp land & women are not for conquest.”
Iqbal repeatedly justified Hamas’s violence by calling it “resistance,” a euphemism frequently used to whitewash terror attacks targeting civilians.
Denial of War Crimes
Iqbal went further to deny documented war crimes committed by Hamas. On March 27, 2024, she tweeted:
- “zionists always make up the most egregious lies that anyone with half a brain should be able to see through…‘40 beheaded babies’ yeah right.”
This tweet blatantly disregarded verified reports of Hamas’s barbarity, including the murder and beheading of Israeli infants. Such denial is not only appalling but mirrors Holocaust denial tactics often employed to diminish the suffering of Jewish communities.
Anti-Semitic Rhetoric
Iqbal’s rhetoric frequently targeted Jewish individuals and communities. On April 6, 2024, she retweeted a post trivializing Jewish suffering with the statement:
- “This is how white slave owners were crying when they couldn’t have slaves anymore.”
This post was in response to concerns expressed by Jewish individuals about the rising anti-Semitic environment following the Hamas attacks. Iqbal’s disregard for the safety and dignity of Jewish communities was also evident during her leadership in campus protests, where she dismissed Jewish students’ fears and labeled their concerns as overblown.
Glorification of Terrorism
Iqbal actively glorified violence and repeatedly called for the elimination of Israel. She proudly claimed responsibility for creating chants at Columbia SJP protests, including:
- “Intifada, intifada! Globalize the intifada!”
- “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free! From the Sea to the River, Palestine will live forever!”
These chants are widely recognized as calls for the destruction of Israel and the replacement of the Jewish state with a Palestinian-controlled entity. On November 15, 2023, at a rally organized by the extremist group Within Our Lifetime (WOL), Iqbal led crowds in shouting:
- “Columbia, you can’t hide! You’re supporting genocide!”
Her alignment with groups like WOL, known for glorifying terrorism and inciting violence, further underscores her commitment to extremist ideologies.
Arrest at Pro-Hamas Encampment
Iqbal was arrested in April 2024 during the pro-Hamas encampment at Columbia, where activists barricaded themselves in university buildings and took a worker hostage. Despite these egregious actions, Iqbal defiantly tweeted after her release:
- “Just got out of jail after Columbia called NYPD to mass arrest 100+ students. I have been suspended and evicted from housing by Barnard.”
The encampment, organized in support of Hamas and the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, was part of a broader effort to promote anti-Semitic and anti-Israel agendas on campus.
Conclusion
Maryam Iqbal is not merely a controversial figure; her actions and rhetoric represent a dangerous embrace of terrorism, anti-Semitism, and extremist ideologies. Her unapologetic glorification of violence, coupled with her active role in denying Hamas atrocities and targeting Jewish communities, highlights her role as a divisive and harmful influence within her academic and activist spheres.
