Nerdeen Kiswani (Arabic: نردين كسواني[1]) is a Palestinian-American activist and organizer.[1][2][3][4] She is a co-founder and chair of Within Our Lifetime, a pro-Palestinian activist group in New York City.[5]
Nerdeen Kiswani | |
|---|---|
نردين كسواني | |
| Alma mater | CUNY School of Law |
| Organization | Within Our Lifetime |
Early life
editShe is the child of Palestinian refugees from Beit Iksa[3] and was raised in Brooklyn.[6] She has stated that growing up in a post-9/11 United States in which Muslims "were used to being called terrorists at school" was freeing in that her generation is no longer affected by that kind of propaganda.[3]
Student activism
editAs a student at the School of Law of the City University of New York (CUNY), she helped pass two resolutions in favor of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS).[1]
Along with other students, she was involved in the establishment of NYC Students for Justice in Palestine, representing a coalition from across the various CUNY schools.[1][3]
She has studied revolutionary movements and stated armed resistance has always been a part of them.[3] She has described her use of the phrase "by any means necessary" as echoing Malcolm X.[3]
She was elected to be the graduation speaker for the class of 2022.[3] Her speech was widely shared and discussed.[3] It addressed the Israeli assassination of the Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.[3]
Harassment and defamation
editShe stated that she was subject to harassment and death threats from Zionists attempting to suppress pro-Palestinian speech since she enrolled at the school.[1] She has faced intense slander, intimidation, and smear campaigns coming from rightwing media, Zionist organizations, city politicians, and Hollywood actors.[7] Palestine Legal reported that Kiswani, as a "vocal and visibly Muslim advocate for Palestinian liberation," was subject to character assassination and vilification campaigns, including cyberbullying.[5] A social media app affiliated with the Israeli government "rewarded hundreds of users if they sent pre-scripted emails to the CUNY administration that falsely claimed Nerdeen had threatened a Zionist 'fellow student' and called for her to be punished."[5] The app, called Act.IL, gamified Israeli hasbara and Israeli military communications strategy, transforming its advocacy into a "massive multiplayer online game."[8] According to Kiswani, Zionists inundated the school administration with emails claiming she was antisemitic.[6] CUNY School of Law released statements in condemnation of her, which exacerbated the "racist and violent vitriol" to which she was exposed.[5]
Zionist organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League,[9] Canary Mission,[10] and StopAntisemitism[11] have targeted her and claimed she is antisemitic.[3] Nerdeen Kiswani has stated that she is not antisemitic.[3]
In June of 2021, in response to student pressure, the school's administration released a statement in support of her.[5] She was ultimately absolved of any wrongdoing.[12]
Within Our Lifetime
editIn 2015, she co-founded Within Our Lifetime, a pro-Palestinian activist group in New York City.[5][3] The organization has organized marches that have shut down the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge, and the flow of Midtown motor vehicle traffic.[3]
Political views
editShe does not believe in a two-state solution, stating in 2024 that it has "been dead on arrival for years now."[3] She points to the fact that it's already a one-state reality "that’s controlled by Israel in every sense."[3]
She believes Palestine has a right to defend itself and supports armed resistance, stating that "people need to be able to defend themselves."[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e خاص, الجزيرة نت-. "نردين كسواني.. طالبة فلسطينية حاربت الاحتلال الإسرائيلي بأميركا فاحتشد ضدها اللوبي الصهيوني". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ صيام, عبد الحميد (28 May 2022). "الناشطة الفلسطينية نردين كسواني: كسرنا شوكة الصهاينة في الجامعة وسنلجأ للقانون نفسه للرد على محاولات إسكاتنا". Al-Quds Al-Arabi.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Otterman, Sharon (5 Oct 2024). "Pro-Palestinian Group Is Relentless in Its Criticism of Israel, and It Isn't Backing Down". The New York Times.
- ^ زيداني, نايف (4 August 2024). "إسرائيل تحذر الناشطة الفلسطينية نردين كسواني بزعم نشرها "رسائل تحريضية" ضد الاحتلال". Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
- ^ a b c d e f "Palestinian CUNY Law Student Viciously Harassed". Palestine Legal. 2021-08-20. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ a b "Who's behind the pro-Palestinian protests that are disrupting Biden's campaign events and blocking city streets?". NBC News. 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ "Meet Nerdeen Kiswani, the most targeted Palestinian activist in America". Mondoweiss. 2022-10-12. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ Lark, Daniel (10 August 2020). "Call of Duty: An app called Act.IL has adapted IDF communications strategy into a massive multiplayer online game". Jewish Currents. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ "Nerdeen Kiswani and Within Our Lifetime-United for Palestine: What You Need to Know | ADL". www.adl.org. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ "Nerdeen Kiswani". canarymission.org. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ "Nerdeen Kiswani Named 2020 Antisemite of the Year - StopAntisemitism". stopantisemitism.org. 2020-12-22. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ "Statement on Palestinian Activism | CUNY School of LawCUNY School of Law". CUNY School of Law. Retrieved 2024-11-11.