Dr. Rasha Alawieh traveled overseas to attend the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral before being detained by authorities on the way back.
A petition signed by 1,170 doctors and other medical professionals urged Brown University not to allow a pro-Hezbollah professor to teach at the institution, regardless of the outcome of her deportation hearing.
The petition, authored by the National Jewish Advocacy Center, pleads with Dr. Louis Rice, head of the Department of Medicine, not to welcome Dr. Rasha Alawieh back in her role as assistant professor after she expressed support for the Lebanese terror group.
According to Homeland Security, Alawieh, who is a kidney transplant specialist, said she supported late Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an IDF strike, and even traveled overseas for his funeral before being detained by authorities on the way back.
The Boston Globe reported that Alawieh had photos of Nasrallah and Hezbollah terrorists on her phone.
When asked why she deleted the photos upon arriving in Boston, Alawieh said, “Because I didn’t want the perception. But I know I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m not related to anything politically or militarily.”
According to the petition, Alawieh “is a threat to fellow faculty, as well as to patient safety and care for which Brown University is on notice, making her also a liability threat to the University itself.”
Since October 7, 2023, there have been several high-profile cases of antisemitism in the medical profession, including two Australian healthcare workers who boasted on social media that they intend to murder or have already murdered Jewish patients.
Peggy Shapiro, the executive director of the Center for Combating Antisemitism, noted that 40% of Jews employed in the medical profession “have experienced antisemitism in their professional or academic environment since the October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel.”
The news that Alawieh was detained and was facing deportation hearings was greeted with shock by some of her colleagues.
“She’s an outstanding physician, an outstanding person. She’s a pleasure to work with, and we’re horrified by this entire event,” Dr. Paul Morrissey, the director of Brown’s transplant program, told WCVB-TV.
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