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US3 min(s) read
Published 15:19 10 Sep 2022 GMT
A Pennsylvania university has issued a statement after one of its professors tweeted that she wished Queen Elizabeth II "excruciating" pain prior to the monarch's death.
On Thursday, September 8, Buckingham Palace released a statement that Queen Elizabeth II was under "medical supervision" after her doctors had become concerned with her health.
Roughly six hours later, it was announced that Her Majesty had passed away peacefully at the royal estate of Balmoral in Scotland.
However, while the nation - and the world - braced itself for the death of the Queen, Dr. Uju Anya, professor of linguistics and race at Carnegie Mellon University, tweeted her disdain for the monarch.
Dr. Anya shared a post on her social media page - which has since been removed by Twitter for violating community guidelines - which read: "I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating."
The tweet was posted roughly one hour before news of Queen Elizabeth II's death was shared.
Explaining her reasoning behind her initial tweet, Dr. Anya tweeted shortly after: "If anyone expects me to express anything but disdain for the monarch who supervised a government that sponsored the genocide that massacred and displaced half my family and the consequences of which those alive today are still trying to overcome, you can keep wishing upon a star."
The tweet was met with some support, but also strong backlash, with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos writing in response: "This is someone supposedly working to make the world better? I don’t think so. Wow."
Now, representatives for Carnegie Mellon University have responded to Dr. Anya's tweet, writing in a statement: "We do not condone the offensive and objectionable messages posted by Uju Anya today on her personal social media account.
"Free expression is core to the mission of higher education, however, the views she shared absolutely do not represent the values of the institution, nor the standards of discourse we seek to foster."
Once again, the response was mixed, with some Twitter users feeling that the university should have shown more support for their faculty member and her expression of free speech.
"This is cowardly. You must understand the power dynamics at play here, and yet you set up one of your Black woman professors as a target for harassment for speaking on her and her family’s loved experience," Dr. Uché Blackstock responded.
However, others argued that Dr. Anya should lose her job for the comments, with one Twitter user arguing: "I’m sorry but this lady, through her profile and position, represents your university and whilst freedom of speech is important, spreading hate is inexcusable. You quite rightly don’t condone these words and as such those spouting them should have no place at your institution."
us3 min(s) read
Published 16:27 11 Sep 2022 GMT
The university professor who tweeted her disdain for the Queen and the Royal family has said that she will not apologize for wishing the monarch an "excruciating" death.
On Thursday Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II was under "medical supervision" in Balmoral after her doctors came concerned with her health. Approximately six hours later, the palace then revealed that Britain's longest-reigning monarch had passed away at the age of 96.
Between the announcements, many people around the world were glued to their screens - anxiously awaiting any news on the Queen's condition.
However, while many people tweeted out messages of support for the Royal Family, Dr. Uju Anya - a professor of linguistics and race at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania - shared the following message on social media, roughly one hour before the monarch's death was announced:
"I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating."
The tweet has since been removed by Twitter for violating community guidelines.
In a follow-up tweet, Dr. Anya provided an explanation for her sentiment, writing: "If anyone expects me to express anything but disdain for the monarch who supervised a government that sponsored the genocide that massacred and displaced half my family and the consequences of which those alive today are still trying to overcome, you can keep wishing upon a star."
Nevertheless, Dr. Anya has continued to face backlash - as well as support - from fellow social media users.
In a recent interview with The Cut, the Nigeria-born Dr. Anya spoke about her personal experience of British colonialism, describing it as a "very painful one".
Throughout the interview, Dr. Anya also referenced the Nigeria-Biafra war that resulted in the deaths of millions.
The professor stressed that this was something that has directly impacted her family and her life, adding that she Dr found it "deeply offensive" to be told she has to cry over somebody she views as a "violent oppressor".
She then added: "In my tweet, I did not wish her death. I did not tell anyone to kill her. I said nothing except wishing her the pain in death that she caused for millions of people. There’s not going to be any apology from me. I stand by what I said."
On Thursday, representatives for Carnegie Mellon University responded to Dr. Anya's initial tweet, writing in a statement: "We do not condone the offensive and objectionable messages posted by Uju Anya today on her personal social media account.
"Free expression is core to the mission of higher education, however, the views she shared absolutely do not represent the values of the institution, nor the standards of discourse we seek to foster."
However, even the university's response has drawn more division, with some people continuing to call for Dr. Anya to be fired for her comments.
One person tweeted: "If she is still employed by you and still teaching impressionable youngsters then this statement is null and void!!!! I await your statement saying she as been sacked!!!!"
But many others believe the university should have shown more support for their faculty member and her expression of free speech.
"This is cowardly. You must understand the power dynamics at play here, and yet you set up one of your Black woman professors as a target for harassment for speaking on her and her family’s loved experience," Dr. Uché Blackstock responded.
us4 min(s) read
Published 12:18 15 Sep 2022 GMT
A professor who wished Queen Elizabeth II "excruciating" pain prior to her death will not be fired after firm support from her university, she says.
Dr. Uju Anya, a professor of race and linguistics at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, set Twitter ablaze after posting a seething tweet about the late Queen - who died one week ago - upon hearing she was seriously ill.
Dr. Anya's original tweet, which has since been deleted for violating Twitter's community guidelines, reads: "I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating."
Shortly afterwards, the professor posted another tweet in an attempt to justify her words, writing: "If anyone expects me to express anything but disdain for the monarch who supervised a government that sponsored the genocide that massacred and displaced half my family and the consequences of which those alive today are still trying to overcome, you can keep wishing upon a star."
As previously reported, Dr. Anya's Tweet was met with some support. One user replied with: "Don't mind the hypocrites! I still remember in my secondary school years my dad sat me down and told me the story of what Britain and Nigeria did to Biafrans! I looked at my tall, strong powerfully built dad cry as he narrated the story of the genocide against Biafrans, ahhhh [sic]."
Overall, however, Dr. Anya was subject to intense backlash - with Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos even replying: "This is someone supposedly working to make the world better? I don't think so. Wow."
Many other users shared their opinions underneath Dr. Anya's tweet, with one person commenting: "If after more than six decades, your family and all those alive today are yet to overcome the past, then it's certainly not the fault of the queen. Perhaps it's time you took a critical look within your own selves."
While someone else added: "Nobody expected you to express anything. But you could have the decency of respecting our pain and mourning. Millions of people are hurting and you seem to be enjoying that. That says a lot."
In response to the wide media coverage Dr. Anya's tweets received, Carnegie Mellon University posted a statement on their own Twitter account, stating: "We do not condone the offensive and objectionable messages posted by Uju Anya today on her personal social media account. Free expression is core to the mission of higher education, however, the views she shared absolutely do not represent the values of the institution, nor the standards of discourse we seek to foster."
Since then, Dr. Anya spoke to The Cut, where she detailed her "painful" experiences of British colonialism, saying that she would not be apologizing for any offence caused: "In my tweet, I did not wish her death. I did not tell anyone to kill her. I said nothing except wishing her the pain in death that she caused for millions of people. There's not going to be any apology from me. I stand by what I said."
Despite calls for her dismissal, Dr. Anya has now announced that - while her university didn't approve of her words - she will be keeping her position and would not be fired.
Once again taking to Twitter, the professor wrote in two separate tweets: "I am not in a battle with Carnegie Mellon University. As the letters of support from the students, faculty, staff, and others in my university community clearly show, I am wanted and I belong here."
"From what I've been told, there is no plan to sanction or fire me, and my job is not in jeopardy. My university leadership showed very clearly they did not approve of my speech; however, they stand in firm support of my freedom of expression on my own personal social media," she added in a further tweet.
Regardless of the mixed opinions surrounding Queen Elizabeth II's passing, her death has undeniably impacted all of us - whether positively or negatively. Her funeral on Monday (September 19) is expected to be streamed to over four billion people and is slated to be the most viewed live event in TV history.
uk3 min(s) read
Published 10:15 09 Sep 2022 GMT
Jeff Bezos has criticized a university professor for her tweets in the lead-up to Queen Elizabeth II's death.
Around an hour before news of the late Queen’s death broke on September 8, Dr. Uju Anya, professor of linguistics and race at Carnegie Mellon University accused the monarch of genocide - which incurred wrath from the 58-year-old billionaire.
Anya shared a post on her social media page, which has since been removed by Twitter for violating community guidelines. It read: "I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating."
The founder of Amazon soon was quick to call her out and quoted her post by writing: "This is someone supposedly working to make the world better? I don’t think so. Wow."
Read the tweets below:
Soon after the third world's richest man's tweet, the professor - who was born in Nigeria, which achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1960 - responded by criticizing Bezos' "merciless greed" and declining to apologize for her previous tweet.
In a thread with her original tweet, she continued her rant, writing: "If anyone expects me to express anything but disdain for the monarch who supervised a government that sponsored the genocide that massacred and displaced half my family and the consequences of which those alive today are still trying to overcome, you can keep wishing upon a star."
After the associate professor's tweet sparked backlash on the social media platform, the school condemned her in a statement obtained by Fox Business, writing: "We do not condone the offensive and objectionable messages posted by Uju Anya today on her personal social media account."
"Free expression is core to the mission of higher education, however, the views she shared absolutely do not represent the values of the institution, nor the standards of discourse we seek to foster," Peter Kerwin, a spokesman for Carnegie Mellon, said.
Bezos did not immediately respond to Anya’s reply but instead posted a separate tweet to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II, writing: "I can think of no one who better personified duty. My deepest condolences to all the Brits mourning her passing today."
The back-and-forth came just before Buckingham Palace officially announced that the 96-year-old monarch had died peacefully after seven decades of ruling.
Following the loss of his mother, the new king, King Charles III, released the following statement: "The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.
"We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms, and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.
"During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held," he added.
uk2 min(s) read
Published 11:52 08 Sep 2022 GMT
Buckingham Palace has released a statement regarding the health of Queen Elizabeth II.
On Thursday (September 8), the Palace revealed that the 96-year-old monarch is currently remaining "under medical supervision" following an evaluation by her doctors.
The brief statement reads, in full: "Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision.
"The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral."
BBC News adds that Her Majesty's immediate family has been informed, with Prince Charles reportedly with her.
The Duchess of Cornwall has also traveled to Balmoral and Prince William is reportedly on his way.
The announcement comes after she was forced to pull out of a virtual Privy Council on Wednesday, with doctors advising her to rest.
On Tuesday, Her Majesty appointed Liz Truss as the United Kingdom's new prime minister after the latter won the summer Conservative leadership bid.
The occasion took place at Balmoral, as the Queen did not travel into London for the event.
In response to today's news, the new PM tweeted that the country should be "deeply concerned" about the Queen's wellbeing.
"The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime," Truss tweeted. "My thoughts - and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom - are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time."
Back in June, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, with the entire nation enjoying a long weekend of celebrations to mark Her Majesty's 70-year record reign.
uk2 min(s) read
Published 11:08 09 Sep 2022 GMT
A BBC reporter has apologized after "incorrectly" announcing the passing of Queen Elizabeth II after news emerged that doctors were "concerned" about her health.
Shortly after 3:00 PM UK time, BBC's Yalda Hakim tweeted: "BREAKING: Queen Elizabeth has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace has announced."
Just a few minutes later, the post was deleted and Hakim shared a follow-up tweet that read: "I tweeted that there had been an announcement about the death of the Queen. This was incorrect, there has been no announcement, and so I have deleted the tweet. I apologise."
Meanwhile other users on the platform, including journalists, had also been duped by a fake BBC account that also claimed that Queen Elizabeth II had died before it was announced by Buckingham Palace officials.
Vivian Salama, a National Security reporter at Wall Street Journal, was one such journalist. She wrote: "1000 apologies all: I retweeted news about the queen from what appears to be a fake BBC account. Good reminder to double check even the most authentic-looking tweets!"
At the time, a statement from Buckingham Palace merely revealed that doctors were concerned about Queen Elizabeth II's health.
It read: "Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral."
Moments before the statement, the UK's new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, was given a note in Parliament informing her of the state of Queen Elizabeth II as she was unveiling her plans to freeze energy bills until 2024.
In response to the news, Truss said on Twitter: "The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime. My thoughts - and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom - are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time."
Ultimately, the UK's longest-serving monarch died at her Scottish estate Balmoral after 70 years of service.
Her son King Charles III said the passing of his mother was a "moment of great sadness" for him and his family and that her loss would be "deeply felt" all over the world.
He said: "We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world."