Palestinian flag row at US graduation sparks outcry

A US university has amount below discharge after videos emerged showing a provost grabbing a palestinian arab signal flag from a Muslim student during a graduation ceremony. 

The video in question was reportedly recorded during Seattle University’s commencement ceremony earlier this month and then widely shared online. It appears to show Provost Shane Martin reaching for a Palestinian flag as a graduating student named Sumeyya Osman unfurled it while approaching him for an official photograph. Martin is seen pulling the flag out of camera view before briefly struggling with Osman over it and guiding her off the stage by the arm.

Osman later said she planned to display the flag while receiving her diploma, but Martin prevented her from doing so. She also said she declined to shake the provost’s hand because of her Muslim faith, which discourages physical contact with unrelated men. “But then he just proceeded to try and take the flag away from me aggressively,” she told the media.

Osman said the incident left her feeling anxious and in fear of possible repercussions, prompting her to leave the ceremony before it ended.

CAIR-WA condemns @seattleu provost disruption of Muslim student’s graduation. Physically accosting her after she said she doesn’t shake hands with men and held up the Palestinian flag. pic.twitter.com/spbE2FFrLC

The footage has triggered outcry and calls for a public apology. The Washington chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights organization, has condemned the incident, saying Osman was “physically accosted” by Martin. It went on to denounce his actions as an “aggressive” response to the student’s religious and identity expression.

Martin later apologized, saying he had not heard that Osman wished to avoid physical contact for religious reasons. CAIR-Washington subsequently argued that the apology failed to address Martin’s handling of the Palestinian flag.

The Seattle incident comes amid a broader wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have appeared at graduation ceremonies across the US since the outbreak of the Gaza war in 2023. Students at universities including Harvard, Yale, MIT and Berkeley, have staged walkouts, displayed Palestinian flags, called for divestment from Israel-linked companies, and demanded an end to Washington’s support for Israel. These demonstrations have drawn increased scrutiny under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Since returning to office, Trump has stepped up pressure on universities to address anti-Semitism and dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In February 2025, the Justice Department launched a multi-agency task force to investigate alleged anti-Semitic incidents, with particular attention on schools and colleges.

The administration has also taken financial measures targeting several major institutions for their handling of campus protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, as well as what it described as inadequate responses to anti-Semitic incidents. Among them is Harvard University, which saw more than $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts frozen after rejecting a list of White House demands.

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