The Former President of Columbia University, Minouche Shafik Of Egyptian-Muslim Religion Faces Criticism

Minouche Shafik is the former President of Columbia University, and she shares the Egiptian-Muslim Religion. However, she faces scrutiny amid the Israel-Hamas war while handling protests on the campus.

Minouche Shafik, also known as Nemat Talaat Shafik or Baroness Shafik, was born on August 13, 1962, and grew up in Alexandria, Egypt, with Muslim parents.

She completed her undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a Bachelor of Arts.

Later, in 1986, she earned a Master’s degree in Science and specialized in Economics from the London School of Economics.

She then pursued a Doctorate of Philosophy in Economics from the University of Oxford in 1989.

Despite Minouche Shafik’s mixed religion, she excelled in her career as an academic, economist, deputy governor, and university president.

The Disturbances That Challenged The Presidency of Multi-Ethnic Minouche Shafik

Minouche Shafik was born in the Middle East in a Muslim family, with many Jewish and Christian friends.

Thus she has enormous international working experience with every nationality, religion, and ethnicity.

Shafik later grew up as a dual American and British citizen who can speak multiple languages, including English, Arabic, and French.

However, after nine months of her tenure, Shafik felt overwhelming pressure from the Columbia Campus Protest over the Israel-Hamas war.

She faced difficulties in handling and overcoming different views of multiple communities residing on the campus.

Minouche Shafik Steps Down as President of Columbia Universityhttps://t.co/GJnElwW6LN pic.twitter.com/iKWVflQwg6

— Columbia University (@Columbia) August 15, 2024

The other perspective states that Shafik faced criticism while handling the campus protest over the war differently.

When the protest started in mid-April 2024, Minouche, along with a team of academic leaders, tried to negotiate with the students involved.

The goal was to influence the students to move their protest from the lawn used for the commencement ceremony.

However, the students refused to leave the lawn, making the negotiation unsuccessful, and they broke into the main academic hall. 

Therefore, with the uncontrollable situation, she called upon the NYPD, which resulted in the detention of around 300 students.

This decision was called reckless and dangerous as the demonstration of students in the protest was non-violent.

She faced backlashes from students, faculties, and some lawmakers who even demanded cutting off economic and academic ties with Israel.

Shafik’s presidency even encountered hostile harassment and discrimination against Jewish students and faculties.

Thus, she failed to protect Jewish students and failed in the negotiation with pro-Hamas revolutionary, causing her resignation.

Therefore, Minouche’s presidency faced a crisis with the escalation at Hamilton Hall that nearly brought the university to a breaking point.