The New York Post cover story reports on some of the evidence gathered against Tarek Bazrouk, one of the Hamas supporters who overdid it at Columbia last year: “Columbia protestor had direct link to Hamas’ deadly al-Qassam Brigades militant group.” According to the story, Bazrouk was “a member of a chat group that received regular updates from Abu Obeida,” the official spokesman for Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades, according to documents filed by prosecutors.
Bazrouk looks like a member of Hamas and seems to have relatives who are in fact members, but he is an American citizen who simply found a warm reception among the pro-Hamas crowd at Columbia last year. Bazrouk’s attorney told the Post that he rejects any connection between his client and Hamas, but did not comment further. In other words, Bazrouk may support Hamas. He may enthuse about Hamas. He may seek to emulate Hamas. But he is not formally connected to Hamas.
Columbia wants it known that Bazrouk was not actually a university student. However, he would have had no trouble finding like-minded Columbia students at the encampment on the East Butler law of the campus last year or elsewhere on campus this year. No trouble at all.
