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Indian-Origin Researcher Badar Khan Suri Detained In US Over Alleged Hamas Ties And Antisemitism

March 21, 2025
The Commune

Badar Khan Suri, an Indian-origin researcher at Georgetown University, has been detained as part of an ongoing crackdown on individuals allegedly linked to extremist organizations within U.S. academic institutions. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has accused Suri of spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism, citing his close familial ties to the Palestinian militant group.

Suri, a post-doctoral fellow at Georgetown’s Alwaleed Center for Christian and Muslim Understanding, is married to Mapheze Ahmad Yousef Saleh, the daughter of senior Hamas leader Ahmed Yousef. According to reports, Saleh is currently a graduate student at Georgetown’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies. The Middle East Forum, a think tank monitoring extremism, revealed that Suri has repeatedly endorsed Hamas, denied the group’s 7 October 2023, massacre in Israel, and justified violent resistance on social media.

Suri’s posts include dismissals of well-documented atrocities, such as beheadings, rapes, and mass killings, while also praising Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. In a particularly controversial post, he shared a video of Hamas terrorists holding Israeli child hostages, writing, “This is how Hamas men dealt with kids on Oct. 7,” a statement seen as defending their actions.

The DHS has classified Suri as having close connections to a “known or suspected terrorist,” referring to his wife and father-in-law. Georgetown University, however, has stated that it was unaware of any illegal activity by Suri on campus. “Dr. Khan Suri is an Indian national who was duly granted a visa to enter the United States to continue his doctoral research on peacebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan,” a university spokesperson told Politico. “We expect the legal system to adjudicate this case fairly.”

Suri’s lawyers argue that he has no criminal record and has been unfairly targeted due to his marriage. However, his case follows a broader effort by U.S. authorities to investigate extremist ties in academia. Other scholars, including Columbia University’s Mahmoud Khalil, Brown University professor Dr. Rasha Alawieh, and researcher Ranjani Srinivasan, have also been scrutinized for alleged sympathies toward Hamas or Hezbollah.

A U.S. federal judge has ordered that Suri not be removed from the country following his arrest and impending deportation over alleged ties to Hamas.

Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles of the Eastern District of Virginia issued the order Thursday evening (20 March 2025), stating that Suri “shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the court issues a contrary order.” The ruling comes after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed an emergency motion to stop the deportation, arguing that his detention was politically motivated and aimed at suppressing dissent.

As Georgetown faces growing scrutiny over its ties to figures linked to Hamas and extremist ideologies, the Middle East Forum, in collaboration with the Clarity Coalition, is preparing to release a detailed report exposing deeper connections between the university and radical networks. The report is expected to reveal links to foreign states and domestic extremist groups that have allegedly gained influence over one of the nation’s most prestigious institutions.

Research from CAMERA and the Middle East Forum exposes that his wife, Mapheze Saleh, has openly worked for Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, and praised its attacks. Suri himself has ties to Hamas leaders and extremist groups. Politico fails to challenge misleading claims by Suri’s lawyers and conflates support for Hamas with Palestinian rights.

Recently, an increasing number of Indian-origin students have been influenced by these terrorist organizations and have expressed support for them, only to be apprehended by the law.

Riddhi Patel

Riddhi Patel, a 28-year-old pro-Palestine protester, was arrested inside the Bakersfield City Council chambers in April 2024 for making violent threats against council members and the mayor. She faces 16 felony counts, including eight for intent to terrorize and eight for threatening city officials. During a council meeting, Patel opposed new security measures, calling them criminalization of the public, and made threats, stating, “We’ll murder you.” Her inflammatory remarks went viral, sparking outrage. The Bakersfield City Council proceeded with approving security enhancements, refusing to be intimidated by her threats.

Prahlad Iyengar

In December 2024, Prahlad Iyengar, an MIT PhD student, was suspended until January 2026, effectively ending his NSF fellowship, after publishing an article in Written Revolution that critiqued pacifism in resistance movements, particularly in Palestine.

He argued that nonviolence alone is insufficient against oppression and suggested violent resistance could be a legitimate strategy. MIT accused him of promoting violence, citing his article’s imagery, including the PFLP logo. His suspension has sparked controversy, with supporters claiming a violation of free speech, while critics see him as aligning with extremist ideologies.

Ranjani Srinivasan

Ranjani Srinivasan, a Columbia University PhD scholar, self-deported from the US in March 2025, using the CBP Home App to avoid potential legal complications after her student visa was revoked. The US Department of Homeland Security cited her failure to disclose two court summonses from a pro-Palestine protest at Columbia University in April 2024 as a violation of immigration law. Additionally, she was found to have participated in activities supporting Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. This involvement, along with her omission of legal interactions during her visa renewal, led to her visa revocation.

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