Maz Jobrani: UC Berkeley commencement speaker makes case for campus free speech

Comedian and UC Berkeley alumnus Maz Jobrani made a strong plea for students to support free speech in his Berkeley commencement address May 13. “As someone born in Iran where free speech is limited and people fight for it on a daily basis, even dying for it, I would urge you to not take that freedom for granted,” said Jobrani. “Recently U.C. Berkeley has found itself in controversies around Milo Yiannapolis and Ann Coulter. To prepare for this part of my speech I went online and read some of their writings. Oh God! Talk about cruel and unusual punishment! They say a lot of stupid stuff Berkeley so I can’t blame you for not wanting them to talk here! However, as much as I’m appalled by their despicable words, as an American and as a comedian, I would encourage you to defend their rights to free speech.” (Time, May 15, 2017, by TIME Staff)

Jobrani also said, “If we limit free speech from the right, then we sound hypocritical when we criticize Trump for trying to delegitimize our free press. Let’s not be the ones attacking free speech, but the ones defending it.”  (Berkeley News, May 13, 2017, by Yasmin Anwar)

Students and outsiders across the country have prevented conservative speakers from completing speeches or even appearing on campus. In response, fueled by the conservative Goldwater Institute, state legislatures are introducing free speech bills. (The Chronicle of Higher Education, May 15, 2017, by Chris Quintana and Andy Thomason)