Saham Ali, also known as Saham David Ali or Saham David Ahmed Ali, is a 2024 graduate of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, where she earned a master’s degree in public health. She holds a bachelor’s degree in the biology of global health from Georgetown University, which she earned in 2021. Ali is known for her outspoken activism against Israel, particularly in the context of pro-Palestinian movements on university campuses.

May 14, 2024: Hatred of Israel During a Hamas War
On May 14, 2024, Ali delivered a controversial student address at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health graduation ceremony, less than two weeks after Columbia’s “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” was dismantled by police. During her speech, she condemned Israel, referring to the war against Hamas as “genocide of the Palestinian people.” Ali criticized the Columbia administration for remaining silent on what she viewed as the most publicized genocide in modern history, expressing frustration over the university’s lack of response to the war.

Support for Suspended Students
In her commencement speech, Ali also voiced support for students who had been suspended for their involvement in vandalism, breaking into buildings, and other disruptions during the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” at Columbia. She demanded amnesty for these students, calling on the university to reinstate them and to address the alleged injustices of Israeli occupation and Palestinian oppression. Ali’s support extended to Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), a coalition that advocates for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and the removal of the NYPD from Columbia’s campus.

Involvement with CUAD and BDS
CUAD is a coalition of over 80 student groups that advocate for collective liberation, focusing on divestment from companies that profit from Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Ali’s support for this coalition and the BDS movement was evident throughout her speech. She claimed that the university was complicit in what she described as Palestinian genocide and argued that the administration should take concrete steps toward divestment from Israel.

The Gaza Solidarity Encampment
In April 2024, students and activists, organized by CUAD, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), set up the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on Columbia University’s main lawn. The encampment, which protested Israel’s war against Hamas, demanded that Columbia divest from companies benefiting from Israeli policies. The encampment escalated into vandalism, the breaking of university property, and the illegal occupation of university buildings. More than 100 students were arrested, and many were suspended indefinitely from Columbia.

Current Status
As of May 2024, Saham Ali remains a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights and continues to promote the BDS movement. Her commencement speech at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health drew widespread attention and sparked debate, particularly around issues of free speech, campus activism, and the response to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.