As per reports, Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-years-old Turkish immigrant student was arrested in Massachusetts, US, on Tuesday. Ozurk was going to attend the Iftar dinner to break the fast when she was interrupted by a group of six people in civilian dress. A man approached first and tried arresting her without following any protocols or respecting her Hijab boundaries. CNN later confirmed that there were prior notice or arrest warrant issued raising concerns over the matter.
ICE (Immigrants & Customs Enforcement) had arrest the Rumeysa Ozturk who had written an Op-ed on the University’s newspaper website last year. She was in the US for a few years on F1-Student visa and was in the final year of Doctorial degree at Tufts University. She, along with three other students, published an Opinion article pointing out the ongoing Israeli atrocities against Gaza civilians. The article had a quotation of James Baldwin stating:
The paradox of education is precisely this: that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which [they are] being educated.
The article itself did not have anything provoking yet became an excuse to snub down the young human rights activist. When the surveillance video of her arrest became viral on social media, users seemed concerned regarding US’s stand on the ‘freedom of speech‘. Ozturk along with thousands other unknown detained persons have been shifted to the US’s detention camp. Her visa has been terminated and she will no longer be allowed to continue her degree.
This is not the first time when a female student has faced undefined detention, disappearance, or killing in suspicious way in the US. America’s misogynistic approach to silence the pro-Palestine voices has been since the creation of Apartheid state neighboring Palestine. So far, millions such claimed anti-semitic cases have been resolved outside court by American agencies.