Mahmoud Khalil’s False Martyrdom

For the better part of two years, Mahmoud Khalil has held himself out as a martyr for free speech, persecuted by a dissent-crushing tyrant for advocating on behalf of Palestinians. Khalil’s new memoir, No Land to Stand On, reveals that he’s been preparing for this his whole life. Growing up in Syria, Khalil was shot in the leg trying to invade Israel; the incident earned him the nickname “the living martyr.” His sense of martyrdom only grew more profound throughout his time at Columbia University, and during two months in ICE detention.