Novelist Salman Rushdie has decided not to deliver the graduation speech for Claremont McKenna College, pulling out days before the Saturday, May 17, commencement.
The decision follows criticism from Muslim advocacy groups and students.
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Rushdie, an Indian-born British and American author known for writing about religion and politics, has drawn controversy before, including receiving death threats in the 1980s for his novel, “The Satanic Verses.”
“I write with news that Sir Salman Rushdie notified us yesterday of his decision to withdraw as our keynote commencement speaker,” Claremont McKenna President Hiram Chodosh wrote in a campus-wide email provided Tuesday, May 13, by the Claremont Colleges Muslim Students Association.
“This decision was his alone and completely beyond our control,” Chodosh wrote. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to Sir Salman’s visit to CMC and have extended an open invitation to him to speak on our campus in the future.”
Kumail Afshar, co-president of the Muslim students group, welcomed the news.
“I’m surprised, relieved and happy,” Afshar said after learning Tuesday that Rushdie had withdrawn.
Dr. Richard Heinzl, founder of Doctors Without Borders Canada, will now deliver the keynote address at Saturday’s ceremony, the letter states.
The Muslim student group criticized the college’s choice of Rushdie in a Friday, May 2, statement, calling it “disrespectful” and out of step with Claremont McKenna’s commitment to inclusion.
On Wednesday, May 7, the Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said in a news release that Rushdie has “made troubling statements about Islam and Palestine.”
Claremont McKenna officials, including public relations representatives, have not returned multiple phone calls and emails seeking comment since May 7. Rushdie’s representatives also could not be reached for comment over that period.
Afshar said Tuesday that students sent emails, met with administrators, and spoke to news outlets to make their concerns known. Tuesday’s email from the college was the first response the group had seen after a week of trying to get a reply from school administrators, Afshar said.
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“I don’t know exactly why he pulled out, but I wouldn’t discount the fact that our students were so loud in expressing our disappointment in this choice,” Afshar said.
Afshar added: “I don’t know exactly how much it affected the outcome. Maybe it was completely unrelated, but I do think it was at least in part because of the actions students took on campus.”
Graduation is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, May 17, on the Claremont McKenna campus.
“As we approach commencement this weekend, more than anything else, we are excited to celebrate our distinguished Class of 2025,” Chodosh wrote in the email.
Editor’s note: This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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