Zainab Khan, also known as Zainab Parveen Khan, was as of April 2024 a graduate student at Columbia University, pursuing a master’s degree in social work and expected to graduate in 2024. She previously earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Georgia State University in 2019.
In early 2024, Khan became active within the Columbia University Apartheid Divest coalition, a campus umbrella group aligned with the Boycott Divestment Sanctions movement. CUAD has publicly demanded divestment from Israel, a ceasefire in the Israel Hamas war, and the reinstatement of campus chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace after their suspension by the university.
Khan’s activism intensified in the aftermath of the October 7 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians, which included mass murder, sexual violence, torture, kidnappings, and executions. Despite the scale and brutality of the attacks, Khan’s public activity and writing framed Israel as the sole aggressor and characterized Israeli counterterrorism operations as illegitimate or criminal.
On January 19 2024, Khan reportedly participated in a CUAD organized rally on Columbia’s campus held in support of Palestine and Yemen. The protest took place amid Houthi terrorist attacks on commercial shipping and missile launches toward Israel. During the rally, protesters chanted slogans including “Globalize the Intifada” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” both of which are widely understood as calls for violent uprising and the dismantling of the State of Israel.
The “Globalize the Intifada” campaign originates with Within Our Lifetime, a New York based organization that promotes resistance against Israel by any means necessary and has a documented history of violent confrontations and extremist rhetoric. Khan was affiliated with Within Our Lifetime during early 2024 and participated in events and demonstrations associated with the group.
On February 6 2024, Khan published an article on Mondoweiss titled “Police violence will not deter our stand for Palestine.” In the article, she alleged that the NYPD and Israeli security forces train each other in racialized violence through police exchange programs, a claim frequently used to demonize Israel despite repeated clarifications that such programs focus on policy, leadership, and counterterrorism education rather than tactical training.
In the same piece, Khan explicitly linked domestic policing in Harlem with Israeli military actions, asserting that identical tactics are used to terrorize Palestinians and Black and brown residents in New York. She also employed the derogatory term “IOF” in place of Israel Defense Forces, a linguistic marker commonly used in extremist anti Israel activism.
Professionally, Khan’s LinkedIn profile indicated that since August 2023 she had served as a part time coach with the United States Campaign for Palestinian Rights, a national coalition that promotes BDS initiatives, lobbies Congress to end U.S. support for Israel, and provides training and strategic support to campus activist groups.
Record of Advocacy and Ideological Bias
Academic and Organizational Roles
Graduate student in social work at Columbia University
Former undergraduate at Georgia State University
Part time coach with the United States Campaign for Palestinian Rights
Public Statements and Activism
Participation in CUAD organized rallies endorsing extremist slogans
Public support for Globalize the Intifada campaign
Publication of articles framing Israeli security forces as equivalent to U.S. police brutality
Use of language denying Israeli legitimacy and promoting collective blame
Minimization or omission of Hamas terrorism while labeling Israeli actions as criminal
Collaborations and Affiliations
Active member of Columbia University Apartheid Divest coalition
Affiliation with Within Our Lifetime and participation in its protest ecosystem
Professional involvement with USCPR and BDS aligned advocacy networks
Impact on Campus Climate and Accountability Concerns
Khan’s activism reflects a broader pattern in which extremist rhetoric, violent symbolism, and rejection of Israel’s legitimacy are normalized within certain campus movements. By endorsing slogans historically associated with terror campaigns and aligning with organizations that openly advocate resistance by any means necessary, her conduct contributes to an environment that increases hostility toward Jewish and pro Israel students. Such activity raises serious concerns about campus safety, ideological radicalization, and the institutional tolerance of movements that blur the line between political advocacy and support for violence.
