City
Epaper

Indian-American prof fired for joke about Iranian bomb list of US sites

By IANS | Updated: January 13, 2020 10:10 IST

13 An Indian-American professor, who posted a joke on Facebook about Iran choosing 52 US cultural sites to bomb, has been fired by his college.

Open in App

Babson College said Asheen Phansey was fired because the post on his "personal Facebook page does not represent the values and culture of the College", according to WBZ television.

He had apologised for the post last week calling it "sloppy humour" that was "read as a threat".

His post was a reaction to US President Donald Trump's tweet about targeting sties "very high level and important to Iran and the Iranian culture".

Bombing cultural sites is a war crime under international law and contradicting Trump, US officials said that Washington would not target them.

Phansey suggested on Facebook that Iran selected 52 US sites such as the Mall of America in Minnesota or the residence of the Kardash, a family of American celebrities made famous by the reality TV series "Keeping Up with the Kardash".

He was the director of sustainability at Babson College, an institution that specialises in business and entrepreneurship education. It is located in Wellesley, about 20 km from Boston.

"I am really concerned about what this portends for our ability as Americans to engage in political discourse without presuming the worst about each other," Phansey said in a statement quoted by WBZ.

"People willfully misinterpreted a joke I made to my friends on Facebook," and had hoped the college "would have defended and supported my right to free speech".

The college however, said that it "condemns any type of threatening words and/or actions condoning violence and/or hate".

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: usiranamericaKardash
Open in App

Related Stories

BusinessHow Donald Trump's 25% Tariffs On Iran May Impact India

InternationalOhio: Hundreds Left Without Power on Cleveland’s West Side After Transformer Explosion (Watch Video)

InternationalIran Protest: US Military Considering ‘Strong Options’ on Iran, Says Donald Trump

InternationalLos Angeles: 2 Injured After U-Haul Truck Ploughs Into Anti-Iranian Regime Protest in Westwood (Watch Videos)

OpinionsWhy has the Fire of Rebellion Erupted in Iran

International Realted Stories

InternationalEAM Jaishankar meets Macron aide Emmanuel Bonne; discusses India-France strategic partnership

InternationalRubio, EAM Jaishankar talk nuclear law, trade, Indo-Pacific

International"A good conversation": Jaishankar-Rubio call focuses on trade, defence and critical minerals

InternationalIndia's Pinaka elevates defence capabilities: Report

InternationalNepali Congress on verge of split as efforts to keep party united continue