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Why is the daughter of a terrorist group leader studying steps from the Capitol?Georgetown University has a problem that goes beyond mere ideological bias and straight into the realm of moral rot. It’s bad enough that the school rolls out the red carpet for convicted terrorists, as we’ve seen with Ribhi Karajah. But it turns out Georgetown isn’t just hosting terrorist sympathizers—it’s educating them.
Meet Mapheze Ahmad Yousef Saleh, a graduate student at Georgetown’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS) and, more notably, the daughter of Hamas commander Ahmed Yousef, who served as a top adviser to Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s political leader.
Who Is Her Father?
To understand the gravity of this situation, let’s examine Ahmed Yousef, Saleh’s father. He was not some mid-level bureaucrat in Hamas—he was one of its most senior figures, serving as an advisor to Ismail Haniyeh, formerly the group’s leader and one of its most infamous figures until his assassination in July 2024.
Haniyeh was killed in an explosion in Tehran, Iran, in an operation widely attributed to Israeli intelligence. Under his leadership, Hamas orchestrated countless terror attacks, launched thousands of rockets at Israeli civilians, and maintained close ties with Iran and other state sponsors of terrorism.
Following Haniyeh’s death, Yahya Sinwar, previously Hamas’s chief in Gaza and the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks, was elevated to lead the terrorist organization.
Ahmed Yousef has been deeply enmeshed in Hamas’s leadership. He plays a key role in shaping its public messaging and strategic direction. Yousef has directly impacted Hamas’s political positioning, foreign outreach, and rhetoric as an advisor to the highest echelons of Hamas leadership—instrumental in legitimizing and advancing Hamas’s broader objectives aimed at the destruction of America’s ally and its citizenry.
Given Yousef’s position within Hamas’s upper ranks, his daughter’s presence at Georgetown raises urgent questions—about national security, visa approvals, and foreign influence in U.S. academia.
So Who Is Mapheze Saleh?
This isn’t a case of guilt by association—though in this case, the association is damning.
It would be one thing if Saleh had publicly repudiated her father’s terrorist ties, renounced Hamas’s bloody track record, or even acknowledged that the organization her father helped lead is responsible for mass murder.
But there’s no evidence of that.
Instead, according to her now-scrubbed biography on Georgetown’s website, Saleh boasted of her work for the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Gaza, the Qatari embassy in New Delhi, and her contributions to Al Jazeera and Middle East Monitor—all platforms notorious for amplifying Hamas propaganda.
Yet, this profile brazenly portrayed her as an expert in “conflict resolution and security studies” with a “commitment to public discourse and cross-cultural communication.”
More damningly, archived social media posts reveal that she celebrated Hamas’s October 7 terror attack, shared videos of Israeli hostages being paraded through the streets, and expressed outright disdain for the United States.
How does someone who openly cheered on Hamas’s atrocities position herself as a voice for diplomacy and dialogue?
The hypocrisy would be laughable if it weren’t so insidious.
She is not merely connected to a terrorist group—she has been part of its political machinery and a mouthpiece for its violence.
So how, exactly, did the daughter of a senior Hamas leader—who has openly supported terrorism—end up as a first-year student at Georgetown’s Master of Arts in Arab Studies program?
Georgetown’s Arab Studies Program: A Gateway for Extremist Influence?
Saleh isn’t the first radical to come through Georgetown’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS).
- CCAS has long been a hub for anti-Israel rhetoric and activism. Professors and students frequently parrot Hamas talking points under the guise of “academic freedom.”
- Foreign funding from Qatar—which bankrolls Hamas to the tune of billions—flows directly into Georgetown’s programs, shaping what is taught and who is given a platform.
- Other CCAS students and faculty have had ties to terror-affiliated groups in the past. Is this part of a more extensive pipeline?
This raises a disturbing possibility for Americans:
Is CCAS being used as a soft-power operation for foreign regimes that support terrorism—with a beachhead so near our Capitol?
If so, why is U.S. taxpayer money subsidizing any of this?
Who Approved Her Visa?
This isn’t solely a Georgetown scandal—it’s a U.S. national security failure that needs immediate investigation.
Saleh’s multi-step visa approval would have involved:
- The U.S. Department of State (DOS) – The Bureau of Consular Affairs oversees student visas (F-1 or J-1). A U.S. Embassy or Consulate conducts the visa interview and makes the initial approval decision.
- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – USCIS handles visa applications, and ICE manages the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) (which tracks international students).
- The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) – Georgetown is SEVP-certified, meaning it sponsors international students and issues Form I-20, which is required for an F-1 student visa.
Given Saleh’s ties to Hamas leadership, her visa should never have been approved. Period.
Congress must investigate how this happened under the Biden-Harris administration, including whether political considerations played a role in bypassing national security concerns.
Additionally, the federal agencies in the Executive Branch must immediately investigate how this massive failure occurred, identify who signed off on it, remove them from visa reviews, and take swift action to revoke Saleh’s visa and send her home.
She has no business studying in the United States.
Enough Is Enough
Regrettably, this is part of a larger pattern of radical infiltration in America’s top universities. And Georgetown is Exhibit A.
Congress must investigate how international students with terrorist family ties are being admitted into American institutions. More broadly, Georgetown’s funding sources—especially from Qatar—deserve intense scrutiny.
And while Georgetown is a private institution, it receives massive amounts of federal funds.
These should be frozen until Georgetown comes clean about the extent of its ties to Hamas.
This isn’t just about one student; it’s about whether America’s universities are shaping the future architects of diplomacy and progress—or indoctrinating the next generation of ideological foot soldiers for terror.
And it’s long past time for our government to stop looking the other way and start taking action.
Charlton Allen is an attorney, former chief executive officer, and chief judicial officer of the North Carolina Industrial Commission. He is the founder of the Madison Center for Law & Liberty, Inc., editor of The American Salient, and the host of the Modern Federalist podcast. X: @CharltonAllenNC
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