A Temple Student Government official resigned amid pressure from TSG leadership to step down after he posted a video deemed anti-Semitic on his personal social media account.
Former Freshman Parliament Representative Karim Alazzam resigned on Jan. 10 after being given the option to do so or face impeachment, wrote Student Body President Quinn Litsinger in an email to The Temple News.
“TSG stands in solidarity with the Jewish community, and we stand firmly and unequivocally against all forms of hate and extremism,” wrote Lucy Niyazova, TSG’s publicist, in a press release signed by Litsinger and Vice President Mark Rey on Jan. 11. “We have no tolerance for hate crimes and will continue to actively pursue justice and to amplify the voices of our Jewish peers.”
The video, which Alazzam posted to his personal Snapchat account, shows someone gesturing their middle finger at a car with an Israeli flag on it and the caption, “Fuck outta here.”
Alazzam resigned due to his demanding position as a freshman in TSG and for no other reason, he wrote in his resignation letter.
“Notwithstanding this irrevocable resignation, I would like to express as well my willingness to assist the whole student government body in the necessary transition,” he wrote in the letter.
Alazzam declined to comment on the video to The Temple News.
Litsinger and Rey saw the social media post on Jan. 8 and decided they could impeach Alazzam with the help of a parliamentary counselor, Litsinger wrote in an email to The Temple News.
“So much of our work within the executive this year has revolved around diversity, equity and inclusion — and with that, accountability,” Litsinger wrote. “To see this from a member of Parliament was immensely disappointing and antithetical to all of our values as an organization.”
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