Resignation of a Muslim religious scholar from Emory University

Vaid resigned from his part-time position in a letter Wednesday that also disputed the video recording, which he said “distorts and misrepresents my views.” The Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations provided a copy of his resignation letter to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday.

The nearly nine-minute video that led to his suspension consists of edited clips that, according to the social media account @V24Investigates, were shot in February when Vaid was unaware he was being filmed. Accuracy in Media, a self-described “watchdog organization with a special focus on higher education,” then referenced the video as part of a campaign to force Vaid’s resignation.

In the video, Vaid reportedly said that Hamas is “a humanitarian organization” that “gives money to widows, sends children to school and builds hospitals.” He also reportedly said that “every single Israeli is obligated to serve” in the Israel Defense Forces and that “you are therefore a military target.”

In a statement to the AJC released Thursday, Emory said, “Following the suspension of Dr. Isam Vaid on Wednesday, July 3, Emory launched an internal investigation into the extremely troubling comments attributed to him.” The school confirmed that Vaid had “resigned from his Emory-affiliated positions” a week later.

In his resignation letter, Vaid described the video as “heavily edited” and called the situation “defamatory targeting.” He said the recording was made while he was speaking to a person “falsely identifying himself as an Emory student” who had asked him to speak “about an emotional crisis he was experiencing because of Gaza.”

Vaid wrote: “After the student expressed views that seemed extreme to me and suggested that he was considering leaving school and moving to the Middle East, I tried desperately to calm him down and change his mind. During our conversation, I tried to show compassion for him, repeat some of his claims, engage him on the points he had made, gain his trust, and – in doing so – convince him to ultimately trust my advice.”

“I thought I had successfully changed his mind. It wasn’t until last week, when a heavily edited and distorted video of our conversation appeared online, that I realized that this person was apparently a member of a hate group posing as a student to defame me.”

Vaid said his decision to resign was already in preparation, as Emory has hired a full-time Muslim chaplain. Vaid called on Emory to protect students and faculty, including those of the Muslim faith, “from such harassment, disinformation and other abuses.”

Accuracy in Media said a mobile billboard will drive around the Emory campus on Wednesday, raising awareness about Vaid’s situation, a tactic the organization has used before on campuses across the country “to combat anti-Semitism.”

Emory has been embroiled in controversy over such issues since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7.

Last fall, Emory placed an assistant professor on leave, citing “anti-Semitic comments” he posted on a private social media account. Emory later confirmed that the professor, a Palestinian-American physician, was no longer employed by the school, but declined to answer questions about the results of its internal investigation, which it said was a personnel matter.

In late April, 23 people, including 15 students, were arrested during pro-Palestinian protests on campus. Emory’s handling of the incident sparked an outcry among some students and faculty and led to several votes of no confidence in President Gregory Fenves. The university has hired an Atlanta lawyer to review its handling of the protests.

Also this spring, civil rights groups filed a complaint in federal court accusing Emory of allowing anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab and anti-Islamic discrimination.