This Editorial Board has spoken at length about how deeply it values the principles of free speech and debate within our community. The discriminatory statement made by an on-campus group this week demonstrated neither principle in good faith.
On March 8, responding to a post from the right-wing account Libs of TikTok, Georgetown University College Republicans (GUCR) wrote on their official X page, “Let’s Be Honest: Muslims have no place in American society. Their religion is incompatible with our Christian Nation.”
On March 11, GUCR posted a statement on its official Instagram page that the X post does not align with its values.
“This post is inconsistent with the values of our organization, and was made without the knowledge of the executive board,” GUCR wrote in a statement. “The executive board has taken appropriate action to ensure posts like these would not be made again. We reaffirm our commitment to Georgetown University’s values.”
While the post has been deleted, the harm it has caused will not simply disappear, nor could it be excused. Hate has no place on Georgetown’s campus, and it is not only disappointing but concerning that such expressly discriminatory statements permeate our student body. In response to this hateful statement and the others voiced by the same organization, the Editorial Board strongly believes the university should restrict access to benefits for GUCR or take other appropriate disciplinary action against those who made the initial statement.
Georgetown’s Policy on Speech and Expression does not protect any speech or conduct that violates its Harassment Policy or the Code of Student Conduct. These policies prohibit harassment based on an individual’s religion, race, sex and other parts of their identity. The Editorial Board believes that this post is in clear violation of these policies.
A university spokesperson said the post’s language conflicted with the university’s values.
“We are reviewing this matter through established university processes, and we take our community’s concerns seriously and condemn this language, which is deeply inconsistent with Georgetown University’s values,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya.
Supporting interreligious understanding is an integral part of Georgetown’s mission as a university. Thankfully, the administration recognizes this and has taken swift action. Less than a day after the post gained traction through various social channels, the university sent an email to the Georgetown community, reaffirming its commitment to religious diversity and condemning Islamophobia and saying they are actively reviewing this matter.
We believe that these actions are the correct first steps. However, emails and words of affirmation will not be enough. We strongly urge the university to follow these emails with tangible and effective disciplinary measures. Georgetown must prove that its policies are not just eloquent messaging, rather words that they commit to and will enforce accordingly.
Students, faculty and staff alike must also consider the impact this language has upon our community.
The statement risks making Muslim students feel unsafe and alienated from their own campus, while having serious consequences beyond the Hilltop. In our current social climate, where Islamophobia was at its high just this past year, this post is not simply offensive –– it is dangerous. All members of the Georgetown community and beyond have a responsibility to be conscious of the language we use instead of making uninformed blanket statements against any one group.
Dima Al-Quzwini, a first-year Muslim student, said GUCR’s claims are exclusionary toward an important part of the student body.
“As a Muslim woman, it is deeply frustrating to see Islam misrepresented through uneducated claims about Sharia law or the treatment of women,” Al-Quzwini wrote to The Hoya. “It is especially disappointing to see rhetoric like this emerge at Georgetown, a university that prides itself on faith dialogue and intellectual rigor. To be a Hoya is to dedicate yourself to a mission of pursuing truth and caring for the whole person. These values demand curiosity instead of ignorance and solidarity instead of exclusion.”
To be clear, we are not calling for conservative voices to be silenced on campus. This would only perpetuate a cycle of harsh rhetoric and a narrative of martyrdom. Beyond that, students of all political ideologies should be able to express their ideas as they see fit. After all, students seek out a school like Georgetown to experience a full range of political perspectives, and we are at our strongest when we have an ideologically diverse student body.
That being said, it is alarming when hate speech is conflated with a valid political point of view deserving of university recognition or societal acceptance. The speech displayed on GUCR’s social media is not seeking any sort of debate or even making a political argument. This was not an instance of a mere difference in political beliefs –– it was a hateful claim against others.
Georgetown’s administration, faculty and students all have an obligation to balance political discourse with the creation of a safe and inclusive community. While it is heartening to see how members of the Georgetown community have banded together in the fallout, it is imperative that these efforts continue and lead to tangible action. Our university must leave no room for ambiguity in its commitment to religious tolerance and protecting the student body.
The Hoya’s Editorial Board is composed of six students and is chaired by the senior opinion editors. Editorials reflect only the beliefs of a majority of the board and are not representative of The Hoya or any individual member of the board.
