The wife of Sami al-Arian, a former college professor convicted of terrorism-related charges, was observed at Columbia University’s encampment before the recent raid, according to reports. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, in a press conference, attributed the campus chaos to external agitators and revealed that the NYPD had already begun identifying individuals who were not Columbia students. Although he did not mention anyone by name, Adams stated during interviews that “one of the individual’s husband was arrested for and convicted for terrorism on a federal level.”
Sami al-Arian, who pleaded guilty in 2005 to fundraising and providing support for the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, had previously boasted on social media about his wife Nahla’s participation in anti-Israel protests at the Ivy League campus. It remains unclear whether Nahla al-Arian was among the hundreds of individuals detained during the Tuesday night raid or if she had solely joined the tent encampment the previous week.
When pressed about the potential terror ties, Mayor Adams declined to provide further details, stating that the Intelligence Division would determine which information should be released. He suggested that interested parties could find relevant information on social media platforms where individuals might acknowledge their involvement.
