The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) today welcomed a decision by the Rutgers University Senate to censure the Dean of the School of Engineering for cancelling a commencement speaker for expressing his views on Israel’s genocide of Palestinians.
The Dean of the Rutgers School of Engineering, Alberto Cuitiño, cancelled a commencement speech by CEO and Rutgers alumnus Rami Elghandour after some students expressed discomfort with Elghandour’s views and threatened to skip the ceremony. The Senate resolution, approved by its executive committee, censures Dean Cuitiño for what it called “one-sided, opaque, and harmful” handling of the matter and calls for a formal review.
SEE: Rutgers Senate censures dean over canceled 2026 graduation speaker
In a statement, Naureen Akhter, Public Affairs Director at CAIR-NJ said:
“We welcome the principled stand by the Rutgers University Senate opposing this act of cowardly censorship by Dean Cuitiño. They are right to criticize his catering to a select few over the collective good. If Rutgers has any interest in earning back the trust of students, faculty and alumni and demonstrating a commitment to freedom of expression, the administration should immediately reverse this decision and allow Mr. Elghandour to speak.”
CAIR-NJ previously condemned the decision to rescind the invitation to Rami Elghandour and encouraged those in the Rutgers community to email Dean Cuitiño at alberto.cuitino@rutgers.edu to express their disappointment in his decision.
SEE: CAIR-NJ Condemns Rutgers School of Engineering Dean’s Removal of Anti-Genocide Commencement Speaker
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CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Public Affairs Director Naureen Akhter, nakhter@cair.com, 908-921-1238