The Council on American-Islamic Relations have issued an advisory to prospective students and their families over US universities they consider "institutions of particular concern" due to their treatment of those protesting Israel's war on Gaza.
This comes after repeated instances of clashes between pro-Palestinian student protesters demonstrating against Israel's war on Gaza and university administrations, which have largely cracked down on these gatherings.
In August, CAIR started what it called its UnHostile Campus Campaign, which they say aims to foster free speech among Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, Jewish, and other students, faculty, and staff, so that they are not punished for their views.
The universities that CAIR have identified as being "institutions of particular concern" include George Washington University (GWU), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Emory University, Columbia University in New York City, University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), New York University (NYU), Northwestern University, Pomona College in Claremont, California, University of Michigan (U-Mich), University of Georgia (UGA), University of Chicago (UChicago), Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, and Portland State University in Oregon.
"Your education should be about learning and growing into a great career. Having university administrators mistreat you due to your faith or viewpoints is not part of that," said Corey Saylor, CAIR's director of research and advocacy, in a .
"We encourage students and staff to choose universities that truly value academic freedom and create an inclusive environment, the designated locations have failed that very basic test by turn on Muslim, Arab, Jewish, African American, Asian American, and other students and staff who oppose genocide and apartheid," he said.
CAIR are encouraging prospective students to make informed decisions in choosing their universities, such as asking students about their experiences, particularly when it comes to activism related to Palestinian human rights.