BUZZ
Local imam said he’d like to see ‘additional prayer rooms around campus’
If you’re familiar with the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), you’ll soon realize it’s not really a place for in-depth discussion, and many users’ posts and/or comments are of the trollish, offensive variety.
Last month, Muslim students at Indiana University took issue with an X post which featured a photo of IU Muslim Student Association members and a sign reading “Meet a Muslim.”
The accompanying caption stated “I’m actually all good.”
The MSA members had been taking part in an event outside the Wells Library in which they “answer[ed] questions about Islam and t[aught] others about their religion,” the Indiana Daily Student reports. They also gave out free English-translation Qurans.
The post, by an account named Bennett Fitzpatrick III (that has a photo of Tucker Carlson as its profile pic), amassed numerous offensive responses, some with subsequent reactions by Fitzpatrick.
The first comment was a .gif of an exploding nuclear bomb, to which Fitzpatrick responded “Precisely.”
Other comments included “We love when non-white people take over our school! We love being replaced in our own country by disgusting people who can’t even speak English!” “Wow that sounds like an explosive time!” “I just smoked a rack of ribs and would love to share with them,” and “How far away should I be when you blow up?”
Precisely
— Bennett Fitzpatrick III (@bennett_fitzy) February 18, 2026
Although Fitzpatrick’s X account notes he’s a “Hoosier,” an online search doesn’t show a “Bennett Fitzpatrick” as an Indiana University student.
IU Muslim Student Association and student government member Kaylee Kramer said she was “shocked” by the post, and added it “went further” than incidents at past “Meet a Muslim” events such as people approaching their table “in a combative way.”
Islamic Center of Bloomington Imam Mohamed Syed “encouraged” Kramer and the MSA to file bias reports and to “get in contact with administrators including the chancellor and provost,” despite believing IU administrators are “often unresponsive.” At least one student did.
Careful they might blow 💣
— Reginald Alexander III (@Reginadthe3rd) February 20, 2026
Kramer said she would like to see more acknowledgement from administration and recognition of Muslim students’ experiences.
“I know that people have a lot on their plates, but it’s also like, we’re people too,” Kramer said.
Syed said he would like IU to add additional prayer rooms around campus. IU has one non-denominational prayer room, the Indiana Memorial Union Interfaith Prayer and Reflection Space, located on the building’s second floor. …
With more than 25,000 new undergraduate and graduate students in 2025, IU faces record-breaking enrollment. Because of this, Syed said, the Muslim community is growing and needs more spaces on campus.
“I think Muslims just want to feel like there is care and that there is attention being paid to the things that we’re experiencing,” Kramer said.
A year ago, “at least four accusations of anti-Muslim bias” at Indiana University proved suspicious after a College Fix review of bias reports, police documents, and other public records.
For example, no campus police report was filed for the claim “two white male students wearing Israeli flags and Jewish student organization hoodies” yelled “terrorist bitch,” “towel head,” and “go back to where you came from” to a Muslim female student.
MORE: Indiana State U. Muslim prof arrested for reporting bogus anti-Islamic threats
