One major criticism focused on Yasin’s support of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF). When Yasin was HIS president, the organization held a dinner fundraiser initially scheduled to benefit HLF, a group the U.S. State Department later alleged has ties to Hamas, an Islamic terrorist organization. HIS eventually decided, however, to donate the dinner’s proceeds to the Red Crescent, the Middle Eastern equivalent of the Red Cross.

“A person who shrugs off State Department warnings as merely an attempt ‘to criminalize the care of widows and orphans’ and ‘a very underhanded way of pursuing a political agenda,’” wrote David Montes ’03 in an Eliot House list e-mail, “is not the person I would want delivering the undergraduate English

Oration at Commencement.”

Some of the criticism has gotten personal. On the Eliot list, Deon D. Falcon ’02 wrote that the speech’s content would be “fine,” but that Yasin was “a ick for intellectualizing and expounding upon the meaning of the word ‘jihad’...he is hitting too close to home too soon, and is an ass for it.”

The following week, criticism reached a seeming high point with a few e-mails sent by Beau Briese ’01-’02 over the Christian Impact list. “Yasin is an apologist for men who do great evil,” read the second message’s concluding paragraph. “I pray for him; I pray that he changes his mind. But, if he does not reject Hamas and Al Qaeda, he should not speak at graduation.”

Briese says he speaks only for himself, but goes on to explain in a subsequent e-mail that “You must also mention what most of us, against Yasin’s speech, and as strongly against the administration for picking it, believe: That evil committed in ignorance is evil nonetheless, because you are responsible for your ignorance.”

“Yasin has publicly rejected terrorism and violence, and said that Hamas is not fronting HLF,” he continues. “That is not the same as saying he publicly rejects Hamas and Al Qaeda, though you may interpret it that way. Many people, unfortunately, play with the meaning of words.”

On the other side, many students lined up to support Yasin.

“A few more points about Zayed’s so-called anti-Semitism and support for terrorist groups: during his tenure as president of the Islamic Society, he arranged for several dialogue groups with Hillel, and HIS also started its regular interfaith dialogues between itself, Hillel and CSA, which have continued through to today,” wrote Rita Hamad ’03, former president of the Society of Arab Students (SAS) and a close friend of Yasin’s, on the Eliot list. “And he defended the HLF based on his work with them in Albania, where he was doing public service work.”

That Friday, May 24, a group of students, including Levey, started a petition drive opposing Yasin’s speech.

“In the wake of the events of September 11th, which have been described as part of a Jihad against America, it is essential that well-meaning members of all faiths condemn the use of violent Jihad anywhere in the world,’’ the petition reads. “Unfortunately, Mr. Yasin’s own public actions and statements undermine his ability to deliver this important message on peaceful Jihad.’’ The petition concludes by urging that Yasin “publicly condemn violence in the name of Jihad and condemn organizations associated with violent means.”

Concerned students met with Dean of Continuing Education Michael Shinagel, who read excerpts from the speech to the students, but said the University would not release the speech or replace Yasin.

Shinagel also sent an e-mail reassuring Harvard community members about the provocative title, which he and Yasin came up with together. Yasin says he had originally considered the final title, “Of Faith and Citizenship: My American Jihad,” but that Shinagel recommended a shorter, punchier title, and the two shortened it to simply “American Jihad.”

The First Interview

By Saturday afternoon, when Yasin sits down in the Adams House dining hall for his fifth Crimson interview of the week, he already sounds tired of talking about the controversy.