CAIR Designates UC Berkeley a ‘Hostile Campus’ for Systematic Suppression of Anti-Genocide Speech

“UC Berkeley built its reputation on free speech, but it has clearly made a discriminatory exception when it comes to speaking up about Palestine,” said Dr. Maryam Hasan, Research and Advocacy Specialist at CAIR. “University leaders who discipline students for demanding human rights in Gaza are not only cowardly but are also complicit in injustice.”

In a statement, CAIR San Francisco Bay Area (CAIR-SFBA) Civil Rights Managing Attorney Jeffrey Wang said:

“While UC Berkeley purports to be committed to ensuring freedom of expression and dialogue, their actions have shown otherwise. UC Berkeley has instead repeatedly demonstrated hostility towards Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian students and students of conscience who speak out against genocide. The school must course-correct—clearly, publicly, and immediately.”

In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo said:

“UC Berkeley cannot claim a free-speech legacy while students are intimidated, surveilled, or punished for speaking about Palestinian freedom. Labeling dissent as ‘unsafe’ or ‘hate’ is a censorship tactic. The university must end selective enforcement, investigate misconduct, and ensure Palestinian, Muslim, and allied students can learn and speak without fear.”

Earlier this year, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report, Unconstitutional Crackdowns, which reveals that Islamophobia remains at record-high levels nationwide. CAIR said viewpoint discrimination against those speaking out against genocide and apartheid was a key factor in many cases.

BACKGROUNDER:

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) gave UC Berkeley an alarming overall low score of 34.22 in its 2025 College Free Speech Rankings. According to CAIR-California’s 2024 report, 85% of Muslim students at UC Berkeley experienced Islamophobic harassment, which was the highest percentage among all 87 campuses surveyed. Additionally, 88% of Muslim students reportedly felt targeted by peers due to their religious identity, compared to a state average of 53%. Most alarmingly, 71% reportedly felt unfairly singled out by professors and instructors, nearly double the state average of 37%.

UC Berkeley’s ongoing failure to protect Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab students from harassment and discrimination is part of a deeply embedded culture of institutional neglect and bias. UC Berkeley previously silenced pro-Palestinian voices in 2016 when it suspended a course on Palestine just one week in. In October 2024, UC Berkeley police reportedly tore down a Gaza solidarity sukkah built by Jewish Voice for Peace at Sather Gate, calling it “unauthorized.” The UC Berkeley administration made a direct attack on protests for Palestinian rights when it updated its free speech policies in fall 2024.

UC Berkeley now joins a growing list of 28 universities across the country that have suppressed students advocating against apartheid, genocide, and U.S.-backed military occupation. To read more about CAIR’s Unhostile Campus campaign and how to take action, visit: https://islamophobia.org/reportcampus/

CAIR urges students, faculty, and community members to nominate institutions that suppress free speech and academic freedoms using the Hostile Campus reporting tool.


CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

https://ca.cair.com/press-release/cair-designates-uc-berkeley-a-hostile-campus-for-systematic-suppression-of-anti-genocide-speech/