The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the University of Maryland to drop punitive charges against student journalists Riona Sheikh and Rumasya Drissi, who covered protests against an event featuring Israeli soldiers on campus.
SEE: The paper was her lifeboat — UMD called it interference (The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression)
University of Maryland police detain student journalist covering protest (U.S. Press Freedom Tracker)
“The punitive charges handed to Riona Sheikh and Rumaysa Drissi are a violation of press freedom and free speech,” said John Fossum, staff attorney at CAIR Legal Defense Fund. “These student journalists were not disrupting anything—they were reporting. If the University of Maryland truly values fostering an environment for the free exchange of ideas, they will dismiss these absurd charges.”
“These charges represent a deeply troubling attack on student press freedom,” said CAIR’s Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry. “These students were performing the essential role of journalists by documenting a newsworthy event. The University of Maryland must drop these charges immediately and ensure that student reporters are protected – not punished – for doing their jobs.”
BACKGROUNDER:
On October 21, 2025, Sheikh, who is the founder of the university’s Muslim newspaper Al-Hikmah, and her colleague Rumaysa Drissi, decided to cover protests outside of Jimenez Hall, where a student group, Students Supporting Israel (SSI). was hosting an event that featured Israel soldiers. Prior to the event, Sheikh and Drissi had asked SSI if they could report on the event from the classroom and were told no. So instead, they covered the protesters’ response outside, until they noticed protesters entering the building with their signs. Sheikh and Drissi decided to follow to capture first-hand footage and photography of a controversy as it unfolded – Sheikh filming on her cellphone, and Drissi taking photos on her camera.
The two student journalists were detained and slapped with student conduct charges by the university, including “intentionally and substantially interfering with the lawful freedom of expression of others” and “engaging in disorderly or disruptive action that interferes with University or community activities.” Videos of the incident show Sheikh and Drissi holding cameras as protesters held signs and chanted. Neither of the student journalists chanted, shouted or held signs while outside the event, according to the footage.
CAIR recently released a new report, “Designated: CAIR’s 2025 Hostile Campus Ratings Report,” evaluating 51 campuses that have engaged in the suppression and targeting of Muslim, Palestinian, Arab, and allied students speaking out against genocide from October 2023 to December 2025.
SEE: CAIR Report on Islamophobia and Free Speech Rates Columbia U., CUNY as Most Hostile Campuses
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR Staff Attorney John Fossum, jfossum@cair.com; CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com