The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has suspended Prahlad Iyengar, an Indian-origin PhD student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, over his pro-Palestine essay, “On Pacifism”. The essay, published in the student magazine Written Revolution, has also led to the termination of Iyengar’s prestigious five-year National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
MIT has barred Iyengar from campus, alleging that his essay contained language that could be interpreted as advocating violence. The administration has also banned Written Revolution, a multidisciplinary magazine that focuses on issues like the pro-Palestine movement.
The essay “On Pacifism” examines the role of pacifist tactics in the Palestinian resistance and suggests they might not be the most effective approach. The Commune Magazine reports that while the essay does not explicitly endorse violent resistance, it questions the efficacy of non-violent methods. The essay also includes an image of the logo of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department.
Iyengar, however, denies any intent to support terrorism. “The administration accuses me of supporting ‘terrorism,’ because the edition in which my article appears includes images of posters from the Popular Front for the Liberation and of containing violent imagery in the publication,” he stated through his lawyer Eric Lee.
According to MIT Dean of Student Life David Warren Randall, the essay included language that “could be interpreted as a call for more violent or destructive forms of protests at MIT.” Randall communicated this in an email to the editors of Written Revolution.
Iyengar’s suspension follows a history of tension between him and the administration, including a prior suspension last year over his involvement in pro-Palestine demonstrations. Calling the latest action “extraordinary,” Iyengar criticized the decision in a public statement.
The statement read, “These extraordinary actions should concern everyone on campus. Expelling me and banning Written Revolution from campus as a result of this article would mark an unprecedented attack on the rights of the entire student body and faculty. Consider the precedent MIT has set.”
The MIT Coalition Against Apartheid has organized protests against the decision, including a rally at Cambridge City Hall on 9 December. The coalition released a statement condemning the university’s actions, said, “Prahlad is now appealing his case with the Chancellor to reduce the unjust sanctions against him. We have launched a campaign to put pressure on MIT’s administration to stop criminalising students who stand on the right side of history. We call on all organisations and institutions of conscience to sign up and stand up to MIT’s repression.”
The MIT Graduate Student Union has also voiced strong opposition. Sophie Coppieters ’t Wallant, president of the union, said, “The fact that MIT is choosing to threaten student livelihood and careers simply because they don’t agree with what students are speaking up and protesting for is unacceptable.”
So far, Iyengar’s appeal remains pending with the university’s Chancellor. The case has sparked a broader debate about freedom of speech, campus activism, and the rights of students to engage in contentious political discourse.
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