Ummay Nahian

Overview

Ummay Nahian has called for Israel’s destruction, spread hatred of Zionists and Israel, promoted incitement and is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

On July 19, 2020, Nahian indicated on Twitter that she had “1 month left” until she was to become a “licensed Occupational Therapist in NY!!” and then would continue “onto achieving” her master’s degree.

On January 27, 2020, Nahian indicated on Twitter that she worked “as a night shift therapist.”

As of September 2021, Nahian’s LinkedIn page said she was a Front Desk Receptionist at the SUNY Upstate Medical University (SUNY Upstate) since May 2018, and was located in the Greater Syracuse-Auburn Area, New York.

Nahian’s LinkedIn also said she graduated from the University at Buffalo (UB) with a bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy in 2021, and graduated from SUNY Upstate with a master’s degree in Biological and Biomedical Sciences in 2021.

As of September 2021, Nahian used the handle “thisisaksa” and the screen name “Aqsa

” on Twitter. As of the same date,Nahian’s Twitter bio read: “tryna be a doctor or whatever || IG: @thisisaksa.”

Nahian also went by “Aksa” and used the handle “thisisaksa” on Instagram. For her second Instagram account, Nahian used the name “Queen Aksa” and the handle “thisisaksa2.”

Calling for Israel’s Destruction

On May 19, 2019, Nahian tweeted: “Israel needs to disappear.”

On May 12, 2021, Nahian tweeted: “Can’t wait for the day Israel becomes somebody we used to know.”

Nahian retweeted a May 8, 2021 tweet that read: “This laylatul qadr [Qadr Night] we pray for the downfall of Israel.”

Hatred of Zionists and Israel

On May 18, 2021, Nahian tweeted: “If you’re a Zionist block me. Please I beg you.”

On May 10, 2021, Nahian tweeted: “F**k Israel and their mf [mother f**king] dumba** army. Dhur [Stupid].”

On December 10, 2020, Nahian tweeted: “Lmao [Laughing my a** off] Morocco ugly for recognizing Israel.”

On December 10, 2020, Israel established diplomatic relations with Morocco.

On July 17, 2020, Nahian tweeted: “iOS 14 should remove the Israel flag emoji.”

Nahian retweeted a January 15, 2016 tweet that read: “@chrisbeensad I don't need Zionists amongst my fans...”

Promoting Incitement

On May 7, 2021, Nahian tweeted: “Another day of Masjid Al-Aqsa under attack

may Allah protect these innocent souls.”

In May 2021, violent clashes broke out between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa compound following claims the Al-Aqsa Mosque was in danger. The subsequent incitement was a leading factor in Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists firing over 4,300 rockets from Gaza into Israel later that month. Israel responded by launching “Operation Guardian of the Walls (OGW),” carrying out targeted military strikes in Gaza. Allegations of Jews “threatening” to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque have been a traditional pretext for Arab attacks on Jews predating the State of Israel.

Supporting BDS

Nahian retweeted a May 18, 2021 tweet that encouraged Twitter followers to sign Bill H.R 2590

U.S. Representative Betty McCollum introduced Bill H.R. 2590 in April 2021to “ensure that United States taxpayer funds are not used by the Government of Israel to support the military detention of Palestinian children… or further annexation of Palestinian land in violation of international law.”

BDS

The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement was founded by Omar Barghouti in 2005 to challenge “international support for Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism.” BDS is an allegedly “Palestinian-led movement,” although leading BDS activists have admitted [00:01:01] this is not true.

One of the demands of BDS includes [point 3] what is generally known as the “right of return,” a demand discredited as a way to eliminate Israel. Barghouti said the “right of return” is a means to “end Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.”

Barghouti has said that BDS “aims to turn Israel into a pariah state, as South Africa once was.”

In his activism, Barghouti has also said [00:05:55] regarding Israel: “Definitely, most definitely, we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine. No…rational Palestinian, not a sellout Palestinian, will ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine.”

The movement has been linked to numerous terrorist organizations and received a public endorsement from Hamas in 2017.

BDS initiatives include calling on institutions and individuals to divest from Israeli-affiliated companies, promoting academic and cultural boycotts of Israel, and organizing anti-Israel rallies, protests and campaigns.

The movement’s most notable achievement has been the infiltration of university campuses through lobbying for “BDS resolutions.” In these cases, student governments and student groups, backed by their own anti-Israel members and affiliates, have proposed resolutions on some form of boycott of, or divestment from, Israel and Israeli-affiliated entities.

Boycott resolutions, although non-binding, have been passed by student governments on numerous North American campuses.

BDS activity is often aggressive and disruptive. It has been noted that universities that pass BDS resolutions see a marked increase in anti-Semitic incidents on campus. On one campus, when the student government debated a BDS resolution, reports emerged of violent threats against those opposing it.