Cornell University, one of the leading universities in the US, was shaken by the recent arrest of one of its students accused of promoting the murder of Jewish students on campus.
The 21-year-old Patrick Dai, who was pursuing his engineering degree at the Cornell School of Engineering, was accused of threatening to kill Jewish students and "shoot up" an on-campus kosher dining facility, as per CBS News.
Cornell Student Arrested for Promoting Hate Crimes Against Jewish Community
The culprit was apprehended following an investigation that traced the threatening messages through an IP address. In an interview with law enforcement authorities, Dai admitted to posting the wrong messages on a website about fraternities and sororities that were not affiliated with Cornell.
His arrest was hailed as an example of the Justice Department's priorities in combating hate crimes. Meanwhile, the Cornell community responded with alarm and disgust.
Understandably, Cornell President Martha E. Pollack expressed her utter disdain and disappointment for the act of antisemitism that went against the values that Cornell University stood for. Pollack's message to the university community indicated that Cornell would not tolerate any form of hatred, such as antisemitism, racism, and even Islamophobia.
The discriminatory comments left on a forum prompted police to increase security for Jewish students. One post contained threats to stab and slit the throats of Jewish males, while another post's title was "gonna shoot up 104 West," the university dining hall that caters to kosher diets and is located next to the university's Center for Jewish Living, according to NBC New York.
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Action Against Rising Hate Crimes
Dai's arrest comes at a time when hate crimes and targeted violence have seen an unfortunate surge across the United States. As we continue to experience a rise in hate crimes, the need for effective measures to counter the trend has become more urgent.
It's unclear what prompted Dai's hatred or threats. Although Patrick Dai's parents have claimed he is innocent and that their son is "depressed" and "did not commit the crime," he reportedly confessed upon his arrest. His posts included calls for Palestine to be liberated and indicated threats to target "104 West" - the Cornell campus Center for Jewish Living. In one of his posts, he wrote, "Watch out, Jews, jihad is coming."
The authorities, however, are not taking any chances and have arrested Dai, who now faces up to five years in prison and fines of $250,000. While the accused has been suspended from Cornell, the university has announced that Friday will be a 'community day.'
There will be no classes, and faculty and non-essential staff will be excused from work. The incident raises concerns about the rise of antisemitism on campuses and the safety of Jewish students in educational institutions in the US.
It also highlights the urgency in implementing measures to combat the rising trend, which threatens to poison the fabric of the peaceful coexistence we aspire to build in our communities, Mail Online reported.
