Interim UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz took to social media to respond to a song that was sung during a recent conference on campus.

In a video taken by filmmaker Ami Horowitz, rapper Tamer Nafar encourages the audience to sing along with him. “Let’s try it together,” he says. “I need your help. I cannot be anti-Semitic alone.”

Nafar tells the audience to sing “I’m in love with a Jew” as the chorus of the song. Nafar also tells the audience they “look beautifully anti-Semitic.”

The performance was part of the Conflict Over Gaza: People, Politics and Possibilities conference held from March 22-24 at the FedEx Global Education Center on UNC’s campus.

Per the description on UNC’s website, the conference aimed to “shed much needed light on the current realities in the Gaza Strip, giving participants a deeper understanding of the context of these realities and offering concrete options that can better the lives of Gazans.” The conference was sponsored by the UNC Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies and the Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies.

“A performance during a recent conference held on our campus contained some disturbing and hurtful language,” Guskiewicz wrote. “I stand steadfast against anti-Semitism and hate in all its forms.”

UNC Global also sent out a response, saying they welcome “students, faculty, and staff from over a hundred countries, represented by a diverse range of perspectives, traditions, and faiths—and we stand steadfast against hate in all its forms.”

“Many members of our community,” the statement says, “including Interim Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, are heartbroken and offended by a musical performance during the three-day “Conflict over Gaza” conference held at UNC-Chapel Hill in March and included in a recent video shared on social media.

“Leaders of UNC Global and the Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies—including Raymond Farrow, associate provost for global affairs and interim chief global officer; Rudi Colloredo-Mansfeld, senior associate dean for social sciences and global programs; Carl Ernst and Charles Kurzman, co-directors of the center; and Shai Tamari, associate director of the center—stand firmly with Chancellor Guskiewicz in absolute rejection of anti-Semitism.

“The center and sponsors supported the conference as an educational opportunity to focus on the situation in Gaza. While the video misconstrues the breadth of discourse that took place during the panels, UNC Global regrets any offense that the video and performance have had for members of the Jewish community.”

Related Stories
‹
UNC Requests Submissions Amid Renaming of Campus Buildings
After removing four namesakes of university figures from campus buildings due to their ties to white supremacy, UNC is asking for help from the community to rename those buildings. In a message to the campus community on Friday, UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said the university’s goal is to broaden options of new names for the […]
In a Tumultuous Period, Guskiewicz To Be Installed as UNC Chancellor
Kevin Guskiewicz will officially be installed on Sunday as the 12th chancellor of UNC, a formal ceremony to establish him in the position amid a tumultuous chapter for the university that’s continued since the resignation of his predecessor. Guskiewicz will be sworn into the chancellorship as part of a two-day celebration of University Day, which […]
UNC Announces Calendar for Spring 2021 Semester, Delays Start by 2 Weeks
UNC has announced its calendar for the spring 2021 semester amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which will include a delayed start. “We have been carefully listening to the voices of our community as we consider the important lessons learned from planning for the fall and prepare to make updates to our Roadmap to offer classes […]
UNC Shares Updates on Spring Semester, Budget Planning in Trustees Meeting
In its first meeting of the new academic school year, the UNC Board of Trustees convened to share updates on the university’s operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic and classes being conducted remotely. Most of the board members gathered in the Carolina Inn ballroom Thursday, socially distanced and wearing masks, while others participated virtually. The group […]
Coronavirus at UNC: A Timeline
UNC is one of the first major universities to move back to remote instruction this fall after attempting to hold in-person instruction amid the COVID-19 pandemic. What happened between the last time in-person instruction was held and when UNC students were asked to leave the Chapel Hill campus once again? Chapelboro’s extensive reporting laid out […]
Wearing Face Masks and Standing Apart, Students Restart Classes at UNC
The first day of classes at UNC looked a little different this year — with students wearing face masks and abiding by social distancing guidelines. There was no line of students taking a sip from the Old Well for good luck and no crowd in the library getting an early start on studying. Instead, volunteers […]
Read Letters From the Orange County Health Department, UNC Faculty, Local Elected Officials Regarding UNC's Reopening
On July 29, Orange County Health Director Quintana Stewart submitted a letter to UNC campus leadership urging the university to begin the semester with virtual classes due to the coronavirus pandemic. The letter was shared with the county’s Board of Commissioners on Monday, August 3 and has since gone viral on social media. Read the letter […]
Orange County Recommends UNC Begin Fall Semester Virtually, Restrict On-Campus Housing
The Orange County Health Department is recommending that UNC consider begin the fall 2020 semester with virtual classes and restrict on-campus housing to at-risk students with housing needs. Orange County Health Director Quintana Stewart said in a July 29 letter to campus leadership that she “received a massive amount of emails from community members, UNC […]
Photo Gallery: The Carolina Blood Drive Continues in Chapel Hill Despite COVID-19 Concerns
Guskiewicz: UNC Planning to Return in the Fall
Like hundreds of universities across the country, UNC-Chapel Hill has moved its coursework online due to the coronavirus pandemic. After an extended spring break, the university moved the entirety of its classes online and encouraged students not to return to campus. Since then, UNC has also announced that summer classes will additionally be held online. […]
›