The arrest of Turkish PhD Tufts student, Rumeysa at Tufts University on March 27 triggered outrage in Muslim and progressive circles. Social media filled with accusations of Islamophobia, suppression of free speech, and Western hypocrisy. But Pakistani writer and commentator Imran Owais Kazmi-who publishes under the name Dr. CrystalHeart Kazmi-broke ranks.
In a fiery essay titled “The Elephant in the Room: Why I Envy Trump and Defend the Arrest of Rumeysa,” Kazmi challenged prevailing narratives. He not only defended Rumeysa’s arrest, he called it “understandable” in light of U.S. foreign policy and the role of Muslim identity politics.
Tufts Student Rumeysa
Rumeysa, a Turkish national, was studying in the U.S. on an academic visa. Her arrest reportedly stemmed from actions and affiliations U.S. authorities believe cross the line into support for extremist ideologies. While few official details have been released, her case ignited protests across American campuses and online, framed by many as a crackdown on speech and activism.
Kazmi’s response focused not on legal technicalities but on what he sees as the Muslim world’s moral blind spots. “I not only understand the arrest-I support it,” he wrote. “If you’re on someone’s soil and you bite the hand that hosts you, do not cry foul when that hand slaps back.”
Kazmi, a Pakistani Muslim, said the incident forced him to speak, despite recent illness. He sharply criticized the way many Muslims treat the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as binary and emotionally absolute. In his view, pro-Palestinian activism often ignores any empathy for Israelis, while denying the contradictions within Muslim societies.
“Muslims in the West can protest for Palestine, often calling for Israel’s destruction,” he wrote. “But would any Jew-or even a fellow Muslim-dare to voice pro-Israel sentiments in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, or Iran without fear of arrest or violence?”
Slogans or Diplomacy
His essay argued that much of the Muslim world views the Jewish state not through diplomacy or reason, but through rage and slogans. He described the popular call for a Palestinian “Right of Return” as a thinly veiled strategy to dissolve Israel demographically, not a genuine call for peace or coexistence.
Kazmi’s most surprising turn came when he wrote: “I envy Donald Trump.” Not for wealth or fame, but for the former U.S. president’s clarity and unapologetic support for Israel. “I envy him and the American administration for having the moral and strategic courage our own Muslim leaders have never displayed.”
He challenged his community to consider Islam’s deep similarities with Judaism-shared dietary laws, rituals, and theological roots-and questioned why Muslims remain among the Jewish people’s fiercest critics rather than potential allies.
Over-Reaction
Kazmi says Muslim communities must do more than simply react. “It’s easy to chant slogans, harder to look in the mirror,” he wrote. He believes true progress begins when Muslims recognize the double standards in their own societies and reclaim the Islamic tradition of intellectual honesty.
“Empathy should not be selective,” he said, urging fellow Muslims to see both Palestinian and Israeli pain – and to seek a path forward based on shared humanity, not slogans or dogma.
