Muslim high school student speaks out on being harassed after graduation speech

By Kristin Thorne

Huda Ayaz told Eyewitness News in her first interview that after she received her diploma – before she could even get to her parents – several men bombarded her and used expletives to describe her speech.

(ABC7NY) EAST WILLISTON, Long Island (WABC) — A 17-year-old Muslim high school graduate was harassed by adults following her graduation speech at a public high school on Long Island.

Huda Ayaz told students during her speech on Sunday at The Wheatley School in the East Williston School District, “Educate yourselves about international dilemmas including the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and Uighur Muslims. Families are continuously torn apart and real human lives are being lost, but ignored.”

Some viewers who contacted Eyewitness News over social media say “ethnic cleansing” is considered an attack on Israel and people of the Jewish faith.

Ayaz told Eyewitness News in her first interview that after she received her diploma – before she could even get to her parents – several men bombarded her and used expletives to describe her speech.

“One of the parents told her to go back to Pakistan,” said Ahmed Mohamed with the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Eyewitness News observed cell phone video which shows Ayaz going up to the podium and the man who appeared to be holding the phone saying to her, “Why didn’t you say anything about Hamas?”

Mohamed and Ayaz said one man had to be escorted off of the property for harassing Huda.