September 16, 2016
State Sen. Anthony Williams, D-Philadelphia, wants Harrisburg to officially condemn a controversial professor for his "treacherous hate speech," specifically regarding his recent remarks about the massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
In a memorandum to fellow senators, Williams asks his colleagues to also call for the revocation of Dr. Kaukab Siddique's tenure at Lincoln University, a state-related institution in Chester County.
In June, a gunman opened fire inside the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, killing 49 and injuring 53. Siddique sparked outrage and anger for saying, among other things, the media did not give ISIS enough credit.
Siddique has a history of riling people up with offensive statements, particularly on his Facebook page. In no particular order, he has (per FOX43):
• Made references to the “homo lobby” and “dirty Jewish Zionist thugs.”
• Said "many women are sluts" in regard to the Bill Cosby scandal.
• Denied the Holocaust.
Williams' memorandum was introduced in June; however, no official resolution has been introduced. The Senate reconvenes on Sept. 26.
This isn't the first time Williams has attempted to urge Lincoln University to punish Siddique. Last year, Williams wrote a letter to Interim President Dr. Richard Green, asking him to discipline the professor for using his "public platform of social media to express his private views on homosexuality, sexual violence against women and the Jewish community."
In the past, Lincoln University has condemned many of Siddique's rants, but also said that he's "entitled to express his personal views in conversation or in public forums, as long as he does not present such opinions as the views of the University."
A spokesperson for Lincoln University released the following statement regarding Williams' memorandum:
“We have been informed about the resolution by Senator Anthony Williams. We are awaiting information regarding further legislative action.”
