UCLA to host 9/11 anniversary symposium with controversial speakers

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is scheduled to host a symposium titled ‘25 Years After 9/11: Reimagining Freedom, Justice, and Security’ to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

The event has drawn scrutiny due to its roster of speakers. Panelists include Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, who previously stated that ‘Israel should be attacked’ and compared Israel to Nazi Germany. Aslı Ü. Bâli of Yale Law School is set to participate; she has previously characterized counterterrorism efforts as a ‘racist gravy train.’

Other featured speakers include University of Minnesota professor Amna Akbar, who has described the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as a ‘spectacular act of protest,’ and a defense attorney for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The symposium includes discussions on imagining futures beyond militarization and addressing the legal and social transformations following the 2001 attacks.