UW-Madison Professor Defends Iranian Bombings of American Service Members, Congratulates Khamenei on “Martyrdom”

Alatout did not respond to The Madison Federalist’s request for comment.

UW-Madison sociology professor Samer Alatout said that Iranian bombings of U.S. military bases are “highly logical” and praised Iranian dictator Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a recent series of social media posts.

As first reported by Campus Reform, Alatout made heated claims on X in the aftermath of U.S.-Israeli airstrikes that killed Khamenei.

On March 6, Alatout wrote, “I hope you’d be willing to condemn your own country if and when it displays arrogant imperial power like mine is doing.”

Four days earlier, he made a post responding to the U.S.’s report of the deaths of American soldiers in Operation Epic Fury, saying, “Sacrificing American youths, mostly poor and people of color, only to assist Israel’s dark powers and genocidal government to establish demonic rule, is a disgrace, let alone traitorous.”.

On March 2, a post written in Arabic claimed that the bombings of American bases by Iranian forces were either “highly” or “completely” logical, depending on the translation. In the same message, he voiced his belief that Arab states should prevent other nations from using their territories to strike Iran, calling this not a mere political demand, but a “moral and spiritual one.”

After Khamenei was confirmed to be dead, Alatout praised him for leading “resistance against colonialism and the Zionists” and congratulated him on his “martyrdom.”

Gillian Drummond, UW-Madison’s Director of Public Affairs, told The Madison Federalist that Atalout’s comments do not reflect the view of the university and that “UW-Madison does not monitor the social media of students and staff.” She added that when a faculty member decides to voice their opinion, “they speak for themselves, not the university” and that “as an institution, UW-Madison supports freedom of expression and the civil exchange of all ideas and views.”

Alatout did not respond to The Madison Federalist’s request for comment via email.

Alatout’s RateMyProfessor profile has a 2.6-star rating out of 5 stars. Students left anonymous reviews with one saying that his “personal opinions on tense situations made the classroom uncomfortable for those in class” and that “he let real life events dwell in the classroom.” Another reviewer called his teaching “erratic,” and another added that “he fails to provide insight into the textbook material, instead he goes off on tangents.”

In May 2024, Alatout was arrested for obstructing a police officer in connection with the anti-Israel encampment at UW-Madison. In an interview with WMTJ-TV Milwaukee, Alatout said his objective was to “protect students’ right to protest and to protect their safety.” He added that he locked hands with others around the encampment to “protect the students from any violence by the police.” He accused the university administration of “racist shit” and claimed he was specifically targeted.

On the one-year anniversary of the October 7th terrorist attacks, Alatout decried “Jewish supremacy” when he addressed a Students for Justice in Palestine protest. Pro-Israel students mocked Alatout throughout that speech. Alatout is a former faculty advisor for UW-Madison’s SJP chapter.

Other recent posts by Alatout include one saying Tucker Carlson is “ideologically consistent, smart, sincere, and direct” and an endorsement of democratic-socialist gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong.