May/Jun 2024

Editor’s Note: Due to limited space, the following passage consists of excerpts from Rev. Issac’s sermon. The full transcript is available at https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/49458. Although Muslims don’t believe that Jesus (‘alayhi as salaam) was crucified and resurrected — Islam rejects the Christian dogma of Original Sin — Islamic Horizons’ staff nevertheless believes that his powerful words deserve our attention and respect. Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac currently pastors the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem and the Lutheran Church in Beit Sahour.

Today [March 30] we commemorate the arrest, trial, and torture of Jesus and his execution on the cross… What a cruel scene of steel, and even more ugly. “He has no image and no beauty, so we look at him… We cover our faces from him.” There is torture, slow death, and pain.…

The Friday of pains has come upon us, and our land is in pain and sorrow and is ravaged by death, displacement, and destruction. Our people in Gaza are suspended between the earth and the sky, dying a slow death. They ridicule and curse them [the Palestinians] and put it all in front of the world. Today we cover our faces from the scenes of death in Gaza. About the shapes of children. About bodies found in the streets. No picture of them, so look at them.

We have kept this rubble in our church since birth, because Gaza is still under rubble, because our people in Gaza and our children are still … under rubble. Who would have thought that Easter would come and Gaza would still be destroyed in such a horrible way? Today we entered a new phase of the extermination war, in which we are killed by hunger, thirst, and disease. I was very hurt today [by] the cruel scene of a child under the rubble, who miraculously survived the bombing … [asking,] “Where is the water? I am thirsty.”

On the cross Jesus cried: “I am thirsty,” in solidarity with those who are being perished by famine and siege… with all the victims of the wars and famines, caused by the oppressive and authoritarian regimes in our world. …

And while Jesus was hanging on the cross, they ridiculed him, cursed him and challenged him to come down from the cross, [just] as they mock [us] today … as they tear Gaza [apart] neighborhood after neighborhood, house after house, and child after child…

The universe is saddened today by the silence of decision makers and their racism, [by] the absence of those who say the word of truth, fearing for themselves and their interests, armed with the blood of neutrality and silence, under the name of peace and reconciliation. The universe is grieving for those who called for fire to come down from heaven and destroy a people and cities, so that “the chosen ones [can] defend themselves,” as we understand it!

… Yes, today there are those who inherit and mourn with us, in the streets and international courts. There are those who stand in solidarity with Gaza. The warlords must respond! May their conscience wake up!

We [are] looking for God in this war. We always cry out to Him, and He doesn’t answer, while we see the Son of God hanging on the cross shouting, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why did you let me be crucified? Am I being tortured? And am I not guilty?”

[On] this earth, even God is a victim of cowardice, death, [the] machine[s] of war and colonization. He suffers with the people of this land, and shares with them the same fate. “My God, my God, why did You leave me?” It is a cry that has been echoed for hundreds of years on this earth. It is a cry renewed in the words of our [Druze and nationalist] poet Samih Al-Qasim (d.2014), in his influential poem “I am sorry”]:

I Am Sorry 

To Allah I raise my eyes 

I raise my heart and suffice me 

O Lord 

I am sad

 and the orphan exhausted me 

The fire destroyed my plants and my fields 

I cried 

and I turned my face

to the light of your throne

O Lord … People came to me 

paths were blocked in front of me 

 pleaded, I prayed with my supplication

and water springs were opened…

I’m so naughty 

and my robe is worn out 

the cold of the blues is cruel

and the freedom of abandonment is so disgusting

I’m so sad

and the soldier kicks me out of the door of my house

and I wish my life with my death …

O my God, there is no god but You

My pasture was stagnant with the poisonous grass

My sheep died on my arm

And my well they poured rocks on it

And a fig I damaged it

And an olive they swept it 

And a palm tree they swept it away

And a lemon they slaughtered it

And a mint they dried it

As a punishment …

My father’s country has become a cemetery

The houses of the believers are buried

The gardens of the believers are deserted

Their schools are denied

And their sorrows are a rainy darkness

My God

 My God and there is no other god but You… My Lord, my torment is long and harsh and unfortunate

And you are forgiving, merciful and fair

My Lord, my Lord, I am sorry

I am sorry, my Lord, my Lord I am sorry.

… It is the cry of Gaza’s people today. Gaza is thirsty for water, food, life, and justice.

Yes, Jesus on the cross today amidst the ruins of Gaza. Suffering with the despised. Jesus on the cross with the abandoned around the world, victim of racism and authoritarian regimes. Jesus is crucified today unjustly … amongst the rubble.

[What is] all this for? [On] the cross, God united with [humanity] in its pain, not out of love or glorification in pain, but to redeem us from pain and to rise with Him in His resurrection. Christ was crucified and on his way to resurrection. He faced death believing that his Heavenly Father is able to raise him from death, and thus brings salvation to all [humanity]. Here is his true power. His faith in his Father’s will, and His ability to raise him from death.

And it‘s all for the sake of love. [On] the cross love was manifested — He loved us to the end and gave himself up for those he loved. Jesus accepted the cross because he wanted our redemption and salvation. He accepted the cross because he loves us. Accept death voluntarily, not hatred. So which kind of love is this?

Jesus suffered for us and died for us, [so] let us live with him. Jesus cried [in] pain with us that we may be comforted in the resurrection. Jesus experienced loneliness and pain, [so] let us experience God’s love and presence in our lives. He abandoned himself from glory and accepted pain and death, to sit with him in the presence of the Father. Pain wasn’t meant for pain. The cross is a station on the way to resurrection. It is a means, not an end, to see love and to live.

This is how we understand the verse: “If a kernel of wheat does not fall on the ground and die, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). Christ’s death and pain opened our way to the Father… Eternity… Where there is no death, no sorrow, no sickness, no pain.

… I repeat: Gaza will rise and rise from its rubble. And her children’s blood will not go in vain. Here is the endurance of our people, and here we look at Christ, the endurance with us and in us. Who is stronger: Rome, or the one whom Rome executed on the cross and cried [out,] “Forgive them”? Herod and Pilate, or [the one] who faced them with his faith, determination, steadfastness and power of his creed? Caiaphas [the Jewish high priest] and the Pharisees, or the one they blasphemed … ?

Today and a thousand years later, by carrying the cross we are defeated and ridiculed by the empire and its gods. … Let’s face our reality with the faith of the resurrection, and [realize] that sorrow and death in Christ are only our way to [Easter’s] Sunday dawn, where there is no oppression, no occupation, no racism, no war, no hunger, no thirst, no disease, no cancer, no tears, no poverty, no oppression… [On] the cross, love conquered death. Amen.

Tell us what you thought by joining our Facebook community. You can also send comments and story pitches to horizons@isna.net. Islamic Horizons does not publish unsolicited material.  

The post A Palestinian Christian Reflection on the Meaning of Easter appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Sanaa Asif

May/Jun 2024

The illegal occupation of Palestine has persisted for decades, often overshadowed by political interests and historical narratives. As the current genocide in Gaza continues, Black scholars, religious leaders and civil rights activists are again calling attention to the ties and similarities between the Palestinian conflict and the Black struggle in the U.S. for sociopolitical equality and the right to self-determination. 

U.S. Role in the Holocaust

Jimmy Jones, Ph.D. (professor emeritus, Manhattanville College, Purchase, N.Y.; executive vice president, The Islamic Seminary of America) believes that the U.S. had a significant role in inspiring the Holocaust. “Americans set the framework for the Holocaust,” he says. 

“Historically speaking, the Nazis learned from racial segregation in the United States. And they felt that what we did in the United States was too radical in terms of racial segregation.” In fact, during the Holocaust, pro-Nazi movements were very popular in America. Groups such as the German American Bund (founded 1936; outlawed 1941) and the American fascist movements were gaining more support. Various public figures such as Henry Ford were even distributing pro-Hitler pamphlets.

He notes that after WW2 ended, Americans felt guilty about their treatment of the Jews and tried to reconcile it through many types of rhetoric, such as books and songs. Israelis took the American apology in stride, using it to their advantage to gain unchecked support, military prowess and political dominance. He mentions the post-victimization ethical exemption syndrome, which has created and defines as “the notion that because my people either are or have been oppressed, you shouldn’t be able to hold me to any ethical standards. I should be able to do whatever I wish.”

Jones explains how this syndrome became a major reason that enabled Israel to occupy so much of Palestine. Because the West felt guilty about the Holocaust, it allowed Israel to do whatever it wished. In his essay “Zionist Logic” (The Egyptian Gazette, Sept. 17, 1964), Malcolm X, who traveled from Egypt to Khan Younis, Gaza, on Sept. 5, 1964, argues, “Zionist logic is the same logic that brought Hitler and the Nazis into power… It is the same logic that says that because my grandfather came from Ireland, I have the right to go back to Ireland and take over the whole country.”

Racism Within Israel

Jones analogizes Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian land and its widely criticized use of military tactics against Palestinians to the Americans’ invasion of Native American territory. During the 1800s and early 1900s, both Indigenous and African American individuals were targeted with legislation designed to reduce their civil rights and limit their representation in government. According to Jones, Israel is doing worse to Palestinians — reducing their civil rights by illegal occupation of their land and eliminating their representation in the government.

He emphasizes that Israel also discriminates against its own people — an example being the Ethiopian Jews. They make up more than 1 percent of the population, and yet are treated very harshly. For example, there are widely publicized reports of involuntary sterilization (Phoebe Greenwood, Feb. 28, 2013, www.theguardian.com; Alistair Dawber, Jan. 27, 2013, www.independent.co.uk/). In addition, they experience much higher levels of poverty, police brutality, arrest rates and incarceration. 

“This is where you can take a good look at the racial relationships right there on the ground, when you look at how Ethiopians and other African immigrants are treated so harshly, very harshly, in Israel,” Jones says.

Voices Within the Black American Community

Black church leaders are among the loudest voices within the Black American community calling for Palestinian rights. “This [Palestinians] is a proud, resilient people who have suffered over at least 75 years and still walk proudly, still value education, still value their identity as Palestinians. And I think particularly for the leadership of the Black community, this really resonates for them because this is Black people, right? This is Black people having to be resilient, having to step up despite what people say about you, despite what they do to you,” Jones says. 

Malcolm X also drew significant parallels between the Palestinian struggle and the Black American fight for equality. After breaking away from the Black nationalist and separatist Nation of Islam, Malcolm X traveled abroad to meet and interact with African and Middle Eastern leaders. 

“I, for one, would like to impress, especially upon those who call themselves leaders, the importance in realizing the direct connection between the struggle of the Afro-American in this country and the struggle of our people all over the world,” he said upon his return. One of those causes was the Palestinian people’s struggle, about which he was most vocal during the last six months of his life, describing it “as a blistering battle for the most fundamental human rights” (https://www.gqmiddleeast.com/).

While on a trip to Gaza, he wrote one of his most famous and extensive essays on the Palestinian cause, “Zionist Logic,” in which he described Zionism as “a new form of colonialism” and warned African countries against being exploited by Israel.

Similarly, Muhammad Ali was an active proponent of Palestinian civil liberties, calling the occupation unjust and unsustainable. In January 1988, he participated in a pro-Palestine rally in Chicago during the first intifada. He condemned the annexation of Jerusalem and other Palestinian lands, and, after visiting multiple Palestinian refugee camps, declared, “In my name and the name of all Muslims in America, I declare support for the Palestinian struggle to liberate their homeland and oust the Zionist invaders” (“Ali Belts Zionism,” March 8, 1974, www.jta.org/archive/ali-belts-zionism). 

A significant activist in the Black liberation struggle, Ali also refused to fight in Vietnam to protest the lack of civil rights for Black Americans and wrote poetry in tribute of Black leaders in the Attica prison uprising. His activism represents a deep and meaningful legacy of resistance to Zionism, anti-Black imperialism and the struggle to free peoples ruled by the oppressive systems these ideologies create.

Recommended Reading

Jones recommends Mazen Qamsiyeh’s “Sharing the Land of Canaan: Human Rights and the Israeli-Palestinian Struggle” (Pluto Press, 2004) for those wanting to learn more about the roots of the Palestinians’ resistance to Israeli settler colonialism. Written by a geneticist, it delves into the technicalities of who is indigenous and who a Jew really is and using genetics to back up his claims. He also recommends “I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor’s Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity” by Eladim Abu-Laish, a world-renowned physician and academic (Bloomsbury USA, 2012) who recounts his experiences in a Jabali refugee camp in 2009, when his daughters and niece were killed by Israeli forces.

Sanaa Asif, a Hinsdale Central High School student, is an avid reader and loves to learn and write about other people’s stories.

Tell us what you thought by joining our Facebook community. You can also send comments and story pitches to horizons@isna.net. Islamic Horizons does not publish unsolicited material.  

The post Black American Muslim Perspectives on Palestine appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

May/Jun 2024

The Genocide continues. As this issue goes to press, nearly 1.8 million Palestinians are cooped up in Rafah. So far, 32,000 and counting have been slaughtered under the guise of eliminating Hamas — the acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (Islamic Resistance Movement). At the onset of The Genocide, it was stated that Hamas’s armed forces, under the name Al-Qassam Brigades, numbered 15,000 men.

Before The Genocide, Rafah, a 25 square-mile city in Gaza’s southernmost part, housed about 200,000 people and had a population density of 7,000 people per square mile. Today, nearly 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering there.

Before the U.S. marked “abstain” on the UN Security Council ceasefire vote, Congress passed a bipartisan bill, which President Biden signed into law, giving Israel another $3.3 billion. Such cash handouts are in addition to the periodic weapons transfers. AIPAC triumphantly announced that the handout is “without added political conditions.” Israeli and American Jews, many of them dual citizens, blamed the UN vote on Democrats looking for votes in swing states like Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

The Genocide continues, irrespective of the semantic campaigns denying it as such. Before The Genocide, over 2 million Gazans lived in approximately 141 square miles. Its largest city, Gaza City, had a higher population density than any major U.S. city, including Los Angeles — 650,000+ people living within its 18 square miles.

Skeptics were asking what the rallies in the U.S. would accomplish. The reality is that this resolution – innocuous as it — comes after months of public pressure, activism and organizing by millions of Americans and the global community demanding an end to The Genocide.

The Palestinian Representative to the UN Security Council, Ambassador Riad Mansour, stated, “It has taken 6 months, over 100,000 Palestinians killed and maimed, 2 million displaced, and famine, for this council to finally demand an immediate ceasefire.”

The U.S. had vetoed three UNSC resolutions asking for a ceasefire. This heartlessness was not only intrinsic, but also shaped by lobbying. Luke Peterson notes that lobbying remains part and parcel of our government’s function, as well as an essential pillar of the American system, a legitimated form of barely regulated bribery enshrined within the right “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” and sustained by generations of legal precedent self-sustaining policy decisions.

On Jan. 21, 2010, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a controversial (5:4) decision that reversed century-old campaign finance restrictions, enabled corporations and other outside groups to spend unlimited funds on elections. The gates were opened, and politicians began — and still are — brazenly taking in millions to dance to their giver’s tune.

This has been more than evident in The Genocide.

It behooves all Americans to strive to end this abhorrent situation, because it makes all talk about “democracy” meaningless. As Exodus 23:8 states so clearly, “Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth.”

This struggle is also a duty upon Muslims, for as the Quran 2:188 proclaims, “And do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you [to] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know [it is unlawful].” Abdullah bin ‘Amr also narrated that the Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) warned, “The curse of God is upon the one who offers a bribe and the one who takes it” (“Musnad Ahmad” [6984] and “Sunan Ibn Majah” [2313]).

We at Islamic Horizons pray that God hears and answers the prayers of the oppressed. 

Tell us what you thought by joining our Facebook community. You can also send comments and story pitches to horizons@isna.net. Islamic Horizons does not publish unsolicited material.  

The post Editorial: The Lobbying That Sanctifies the Genocide appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Luke Peterson

May/Jun 2024

AIPAC has been on a spending spree. In the last quarter of 2023 and in the first two months of 2024, it has been working overtime pouring millions of dollars into the outstretched hands of avaricious American politicians on both sides of the aisle in the politically divided United States. Its current spree is setting records; in November 2023 alone the fervently pro-Israeli political action committee donated $3.7 million dollars to politicians — ostensibly to fund their election campaigns. According to the Federal Election Commission, this one-month total marks the single highest month of giving in AIPAC’s famously generous history.

The largest single recipient of this lavish aid was Rep. Richie Torres (D-N.Y.), whose November 2023 gift totaled more than $200,000. In return, he has suddenly become incredibly vocal in his criticism of fellow party members who have been outspoken against Israel’s indiscriminate bombing in Gaza. This progressive end of the Democratic Party in federal government, the pejoratively named “Squad,” includes diverse, female party members like Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. 

Tlaib, a Palestinian-American, has publicly called upon the Biden administration to denounce Israeli war crimes in Gaza and end military aid to Israel. Torres responded to legislation designed to mitigate the prolific death and destruction wrought by Israel by voting with nearly all House Republicans to censure Tlaib for “promoting false narratives” about the situation in Gaza and, absurdly, for “calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.” 

Donald Shaw, writing for https://truthout.org (Jan. 3), reported that Torres received his largest single payment — about a third of the overall $200,000 haul — just one day after he voted to censure his colleague and fellow party member.

And Torres is not alone. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the second largest recipient, has come out strongly against conditioning all or part of the annual $4 billion aid package to Israel and has continued to loudly and proudly proclaim his support for Israel. His devotion to Israel has paid off, literally. According to Open Secrets, AIPAC has gifted him more than $1,250,000 over the last decade. As payment for his support of Israel’s ongoing post-Oct.7 indiscriminate bombing of Gaza, it awarded him an additional $200,000 contribution to his future electoral campaigns. It seems clear that being a vocal supporter of Israel in Washington, in addition to being a vocal critic of voices championing Palestinian humanity, pays very well indeed. 

But AIPAC is far from unique in using financial leverage to steer Washington in the direction of specific policy outcomes. Indeed lobbying, technically defined as “the deliberate attempt to effect or to resist change in the law through direct communications with public policymakers including legislators, legislative staff, and executive branch officials,” has long been entrenched in American politics — even predating the establishment of the federal government (Ostas, D. T. [2007]. “The Law and Ethics of K Street.” Business Ethics Quarterly, 17(1), 33–63. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27673157). Jan. 21, 2010 will mark the day when the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a controversial (5:4) decision that reversed century-old campaign finance restrictions and enabled corporations and other outside groups to spend unlimited funds on elections.

During the colonial period, land agents and manufacturing and shipping firms’ representatives beseeched lawmakers to advance the policies most favorable to their interests. Adopting tactics learned from negotiations with British parliamentarians, these special interest groups provided lavish gifts and decadent suppers to legislators. After the revolution, groups organized to petition the newly created federal government for preferential laws around commerce, trade, traffic and taxes. 

For example, former soldiers in the Continental Army of Virginia lobbied Congress for the back pay they felt they were owed for fighting the British. Their success quickly taught them that, when petitioning the government, there was strength in numbers. But this strength was clearly not nearly as formidable as the strength of the dollar.

By the 1870s, in the midst of the Gilded Age, a period of profound division between haves and have-nots. In the full embrace of the Industrial Revolution, hand-to-mouth workers could scarcely sustain themselves on the paltry wages paid by their industrial managers in the North; freedmen and sharecroppers continued to be brutalized and denigrated in the South. But lobbying continued in Washington apace with well-known lobbyists serving as indispensable middlemen between big business and lawmakers on the take. 

Perhaps the most famous member of this clique was Sam Ward, the “King of the Lobby,” whose lavish parties and easy-going charm were the stuff of legend among the propertied and influential classes. In 1875, though, in a rare case of a court bringing lobbying to heel, Ward was charged and ultimately convicted of bribery. But despite this, he famously quipped, “I do not say I am proud—but I am not ashamed—of the occupation.” Further restrictions on lobbyists, both foreign and domestic, were still to come (“Lobbying Timeline.” [July 2014] https://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/lobbying_timeline.php).

In 1938, Congress passed the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which forced representatives working for foreign political or domestic capital interests to disclose their relationships with politicians. The act was intended to make it easier for officials to identify colleagues who had any connections with, or even sympathy for, Germany’s burgeoning Nazi Party and the fascist ideology it represented. Congress worried that those officials with interests in Germany would become a fifth column and begin to flood American airwaves with pro-Nazi propaganda just as the U.S. was moving closer to war against Germany. Narrow in scope though it was, this act marked the first significant piece of legislation concerning the widespread practice of lobbying passed by the U.S. government. 

After the war and amidst continuing fears over the undue foreign influence within the federal government, Congress passed the Lobby Registration Act of 1945, identifying professional lobbyists as anyone who spent at least half of his/her working hours directly lobbying members of the U.S. government. 

In addition to being publicly identified as professional lobbyists, these individuals now had to register with the Secretary of the Senate and/or the Clerk of the House of Representatives and file quarterly reports disclosing the details of their activities within these bodies. The registration, regulation and transparency inherent within this act identified lobbying as a problematic practice on Capitol Hill and attempted to curb the influence of prolific donors and outside operators within American halls of power. 

But the postwar trend of leaning toward transparency of governmental operations naturally couldn’t last. In 1954 (United States vs. Harriss), the Supreme Court narrowed the act’s purview by determining that it applied only to face-to-face meetings between lobbyists and lawmakers, and even then, only when a specific piece of legislation was the exclusive topic of discussion. This extensive mitigation opened the door for the return of old school American lobbying and all but ensured that no federal court would ever catch or prosecute any of its violators. Lawlessness through lobbying had returned to Washington. 

By the 1980s, lobbyists from every major corporate interest made permanent landfall in Washington, wining and dining Senators and Representatives without any concern for legal consequences. Eventually the recklessness that inevitably results from abandoning regulation led to systemic abuse. In 2004, Jack Abramoff, a Gilded-Age style lobbyist, was arrested for bribery, fraud and embezzlement and was ultimately convicted for what had become common practice among lobbyists overseen and embraced by the Washington elite. This conviction, and the common knowledge that bribery was rife in Washington, led to the passage of the comically titled 2007 Honest Leadership and Open Government Act. Lobbyists were now required to file reports twice per quarter, and the size and scope of the gifts congresspeople were allowed to receive from them were limited (“Lobbying Timeline.” [July 2014]. https://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/lobbying_timeline.php). 

But even these miniscule restrictions on the tradition of legitimate bribery were considered too onerous. The solution was simple: rebranding. As a result, since 2011 the number and expenditure of professional lobbyists has decreased dramatically. During that same period of time, though, the number of “advisers,” “consultants” and “counselors” working on behalf of foreign and domestic interests has risen precipitously. And despite its lofty title, federal legislation has not yet caught up to this completely predictable loophole. 

And so lobbying remains part and parcel of our government’s function. More than that, it remains an essential pillar of the American system, a legitimated form of barely regulated bribery enshrined within the right “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” and sustained by generations of legal precedent self-sustaining policy decisions. These developments leave AIPAC and other blindly unapologetic pro-Israel super-PACs, like the Democratic Majority for Israel, comfortably unconcerned about their conduct within the American political circus. It also leaves the status quo, wherein vocal supporters of Israel are financially rewarded while critics of Israeli brutality are categorically censured, as the operating order of the day. 

To date, AIPAC has contributed more than $18 million to candidates for office in the 2024 election cycle. Experts suggest that they will spend more than $100 million in Democratic primaries alone before this year’s election cycle is over. To date, Israel has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.

Dr. Luke Peterson received his Ph.D. from the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at The University of Cambridge – (King’s  College). His new book, The U.S. Military in the Print News Media:

Service and Sacrifice in Discourse is now available for preorder through Anthem Press  The U.S. Military in the Print News Media (anthempress.com)

Tell us what you thought by joining our Facebook community. You can also send comments and story pitches to horizons@isna.net. Islamic Horizons does not publish unsolicited material.  

The post Government by the Highest Bidder appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Sara Swetzoff

May/Jun 2024

From the municipal ceasefire resolution movement to local Democratic party elections to the “vote uncommitted” campaign, young Muslim organizers are bringing together diverse community coalitions to transform democracy in Connecticut. Sara Swetzoff interviewed Ebaa Mohmed (co-founder, the Islamic Association of Central Connecticut Impact Organization; press liaison, Vote Uncommitted CT), a recent candidate for Democratic Town Committee in New Britain’s Ward 3.

Last month I was honored to join your campaign canvassing in New Britain, Conn., ahead of the Democratic Town Committee (DTC) elections. Can you give some background on your slate and why you all decided to run for DTC?

Our slate comprised an amazing group of individuals, including Councilwoman Candy Scott (D). It was a predominantly Muslim slate, primarily focused on a pro-Palestine initiative and seeking to pass a ceasefire resolution in New Britain. 

The way we came together happened very quickly. This past January [2024], we presented the ceasefire resolution to our local DTC. We had gathered a large group of New Britain residents and supporters to attend the public meeting. After a tense session, the resolution was tabled. 

I was baffled by how easily the politics of it all overshadowed the ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis plaguing the Palestinian people. Subsequently, a group of us, including DTC members along with Councilman Nate Simpson (D), convened and decided that we were done being ignored. 

This wasn’t the first time we felt our local elected officials had sidelined us, and we knew it wouldn’t be the last. With the two-year DTC term nearing its end and possible primaries in March, we formed our slate.

For readers outside our region, how would you describe New Britain and its communities? What makes New Britain special? What was it like to grow up there?

New Britain has always been home to diverse and rich communities, all intertwined in various ways. Growing up, I learned Spanish from my neighbors while we rode our bikes around town, and in return, I taught them Arabic.

New Britain has one of the largest Arab populations of any town in Connecticut, with the Yemeni community being especially prominent. I’ve come to view New Britain as a city filled with people who may differ in many aspects, but at a fundamental level, we stand united. I have yet to encounter a single constituent who does not support a ceasefire resolution. 

New Britain thrives on marginalized communities supporting each other through our shared struggles, and it’s also home to leaders I deeply admire. For instance, Imam Zaid Shakir, co-founder of Zaytuna College, spent his formative years here. Simply knowing that genuine leaders have emerged from our town fills me with hope that we can continue to drive meaningful change forward.

Nationwide, the municipal ceasefire resolution movement has been such a powerful expression of solidarity with Palestine. What was it like to build that local coalition in New Britain?

I was fortunate to find myself among many people who had been fighting for Palestinian liberation long before the start of the genocide. So, in terms of expanding this coalition further, it was about tapping into our communities that aren’t normally heard from. 

We did a lot of legwork reaching out to our vast Muslim community, who was already very emotionally involved in the matter but did not know what steps to take to get materially involved. We held educational seminars on voter registration, how the DTC works and how voting for our slate would better reflect New Britain’s values. We received amazing feedback and garnered many allies who are still involved with the movement.

You are also the press liaison for the recently launched “Vote Uncommitted CT” campaign, a project of the Connecticut Palestine Solidarity Coalition’s Political Engagement Committee. Who is in the coalition and what inspired the group to take on this campaign?

The coalition comprises many organizations that are doing amazing work to advocate for a liberated Palestine. Coalition members include Abandon Biden, We Will Return, Connecticut Democratic Socialists of America, New Britain Racial Justice Coalition, Bristol Anti Racism Brigade, Hartford Jewish Organizing Collective, Party for Socialism and Liberation Connecticut, Connecticut Students 4 Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace Action Connecticut and the Islamic Association of Central Connecticut Impact Organization. 

We decided to take on this campaign because it is directly tied to the freedom of the Palestinian people. This campaign sends a clear and direct message to the Biden administration that they cannot simply wash their hands of this genocide come November. This protest vote makes it known that we have taken note of the unfulfilled promises made at the start of their campaign and that we will hold them fully accountable while they attempt to cover up their numerous ongoing atrocities.

By the time this interview reaches readers, it will be after the April 2nd primary. Regardless of the outcome, what do you think the Vote Uncommitted CT campaign will have accomplished?

The campaign has already accomplished so much by raising awareness of the genocide, their occupation by Israel and U.S. complicity and funding of it all. By April 2, I am hopeful that we will have garnered over 6,000 uncommitted votes and will have sent a strong message that their voters will not support a candidate who perpetuates the Genocide in Gaza. I’m confident that this message will resonate far beyond this campaign and will contribute to the broader fight for a free Palestine.

Going back to your Democratic Town Committee slate in New Britain: It’s tough to get people out for local primaries at the town level, and this was your slate’s first campaign. You didn’t win any seats on the DTC this year, but nevertheless you grew our movement for local democracy and learned valuable lessons for the future. What were your biggest take-aways?

The number one thing I learned is that all our struggles are interconnected. Even though we didn’t win any seats, I made amazing lifelong allies and I’ve learned from it every step of the way. This fight isn’t a one-and-done. It’s a lifelong battle that needs to be fought by a collective that believes in a better and brighter future where we don’t allow genocides to take place and the human rights of millions of people to be violated every day. 

Whether it be via ceasefire resolutions or the Vote Uncommitted campaign, we will always win when we are building the movement. This campaign was my first, but it will not be my last. I’ve learned invaluable lessons regarding running a campaign and all of its inner workings, and I will not stop until the needs of my community and those who have been silenced for decades are rightfully represented.

Thank you so much, Ebaa. Any closing thoughts or advice to share with readers who are thinking of getting more politically involved in their own towns or cities?

I’d like to emphasize that anyone can get politically involved. As someone with no prior political experience, I was very intimidated to throw my hat in the ring at first. But I firmly believe that we must involve more people in politics who aren’t afraid to stand up for the right thing. We need more Muslims, more people of color and more young people to step up and take the reins from those who are currently pushing for genocide and refuse to represent our beliefs.

Anyone can run for a seat in their local election, and I know that if we encourage those who have been marginalized and pushed to the outskirts of our communities, we can build more inclusive, humanity-driven electoral bodies starting at the local level and working our way up. That is one of the major ways we can make change.

Sara Swetzoff is faculty in the Department of Political Science, Philosophy and Geography at Eastern Connecticut State University.

Tell us what you thought by joining our Facebook community. You can also send comments and story pitches to horizons@isna.net. Islamic Horizons does not publish unsolicited material.  

The post Justice in Palestine Starts with Democracy at Home appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Monia Mazigh

May/Jun 2024

Since the Israeli military’s violent assault upon Gaza, the world has watched in complete horror, feeling powerless and despair at the complete destruction of what was home to 2.2 million Palestinians. We are wondering about the meaning of public opinion in liberal democracies, where a majority has been calling for a ceasefire while many politicians oppose it. We remain struck by the double standards vis-à-vis human rights — a principle that justified the U.S. NATO, and Western military interventions in Bosnia, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere and today is being totally dismissed in the case of Israel. 

After about six months of continuous bombing, often compared by historians to the carpet bombing of German cities during World War II, along with the deliberate targeting of hospitals, schools, and UNRWA refugee centers, what is left of Gaza is complete devastation. Aljazeera (Dec. 23, 2023) estimated that 60% to 70% of all residential buildings have been destroyed. From the satellite images, the very densely populated Gaza of today looks like the surface of the moon, desolate pictures of what used to be tall, crowded buildings flattened into craters, large holes, and rubble all around. 

Meanwhile, Israel persists in repeating that this is all Hamas’ fault. According to this distorted logic, killing civilians is legitimate or justified either under the debunked assertion that Hamas is using civilian targets to hide its “militants” and launch its attacks, or by the “fact” that all Gazans implicitly support Hamas and thus deserve to be targeted. 

This supposed logic isn’t new. Although the post-9/11 global “war on terrorism” (GWOT), has never officially ended, the U.S. considered civilians killed in drone attacks launched by it or its allies as “militants” because they were near the intended target. 

After 9/11, the U.S. launched its GWOT on Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and later on in Yemen and sub-Saharan Muslim countries. Despite the subsequent death of hundreds of thousands of civilians, many Muslim governments cooperated directly or indirectly with the American forces, offering military bases on their lands, having their intelligence officers collaborate with Western countries to arrest their own nationals at home and abroad, and then rendering them to black sites, torturing them to extract information, and keeping them indefinitely in dungeons or quietly executing them. 

Many of these countries passed harsh anti-terrorism legislation that was sold to the populations as “protecting and defending national security.” But this same anti-terrorism legislation was instrumental in harassing and arresting opposition politicians, dissidents, or journalists.

With the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Muslim-majority countries have been pretending to be trying to stop it. But they are frozen in stillness. Worse, countries like Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia have been directly and indirectly cooperating with Israeli intelligence to prevent international aid from entering Gaza and to attack Yemen, which has launched rockets and drones against merchant and naval vessels in the Red Sea to get Israel to stop the genocide.

Meanwhile, many of the world’s governments, watching the genocide unfold, have undertaken no serious initiatives to secure an immediate ceasefire or restore the international aid abruptly cut by several Western countries after Israel alleged that some UNRWA workers had participated in the attack. 

A strong parallel exists between the aftermath of 9/11 and the Hamas attack. Both events were used as excuses to start violent wars against civilian populations. The extent of civilian casualties surpasses by far the initial reasons used to justify the counter offensives. The length of the military operations is linked to goals that cannot be achieved: the end of global terrorism (in the case of 9/11) and the toppling of Gaza’s military resistance (in the case of the October 7). 

But most interesting is the reactions of the region’s Arab Muslim countries to these wars and how their autocratic regimes played with them to their own political and populist advantages. 

At the beginning of the assault on Gaza, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Jordan, Egypt and many others allowed public protests to show solidarity. The regimes likely not only tolerated or even encouraged these events to dissipate the popular anger, but also to give the impression that both of them were aligned to stop the war. Nevertheless, as the months passed and the Israeli forces massacred roughly 45,000 Gazans, these marches almost disappeared — except in Yemen, where massive protests have been organized weekly — and the Gazans’ fate was left to Gazans. 

Post-Arab Spring

Naturally, any post-Arab Spring protest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), is heavily monitored and authorized by the authorities.

Even in countries like Syria, where the regime has been hiding under empty slogans like “the resistance” and “the liberation of Palestine,” its fellow regimes have been shamelessly silent and inactive. 

The freedoms of expression and of assembly that briefly characterized the aftermath of the Arab Spring in places like Tunisia and Egypt were replaced by populist reactions controlled by the regimes or official governmental reactions that falsely portrayed the regime as the sole and only liberator or the heroic champions of the Palestinian struggle. Behind the scenes, however, they are either silently supporting the war or directly helping the Israeli regime to eliminate Hamas.

In its origins, Hamas is either affiliated with or inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood. Many of the region’s Muslim regimes have been combatting its ideology for decades. After the Arab Spring’s initial relative success during its first years, particularly in Tunisia and Egypt, most of the Gulf royals were extremely bothered by the political changes and nervous about the future of their thrones. 

Countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia went a step further. They funded the counterrevolutionary forces, in the media and through various political parties, in those countries where the Arab Spring had brought Islamically oriented parties to power through elections. Such countries played a major role in the Arab Spring’s failure and the return of autocratic regimes in the region. 

Today, the MENA countries can be roughly divided into three categories: those who had a democratic experience and failed (Tunisia and Egypt), those who did nothing to change and fiercely protected the status quo (Morocco and most of the Gulf countries, except Bahrain) and those who tried to change their regimes but failed and swirled down into war (Yemen, Libya, and Syria). In Algeria there were some attempts to change the regime; however, the military establishment was very “successful” in changing the president without changing the regime. 

Overall, these Arab/Muslim populations are either tired and scared of political change or simply continuing to live under heavy state control of their livelihoods. Any form of protest and solidarity with Gaza are being considered potential threats because the organized people might turn against their respective current regime. 

The Arab/Muslim populations’ current apathy is a direct result of the Arab Spring’s failure. The major reason for their political inaction is the crushing of any form of dissent in the past years and the imprisonment of many political figures, both of which have contributed to the disappearance of any sustainable, serious and effective form of solidarity.

The boycott of some American and Israeli brands that seem to be popular in countries like Egypt and Jordan merely emphasize individual actions and don’t focus on governmental or economic policies like disinvestment or reexamining the existing economic treaties that favor Israel, American or European interests. 

Once again, the peoples are encouraged to adopt these “feel good” initiatives that don’t pressure countries (e.g., Turkey, Morocco, Jordan, and Egypt) to cut their diplomatic ties with Israel or threaten to support their security cooperation with the U.S. (e.g., Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE).

Regardless of the war’s outcome, the Arab/Muslim countries in the MENA region will remain MIAs — missing in action — because they’re being led by incompetent and autocratic regimes who keep them “obedient” via soaring prices of food and other necessities, the lack of jobs, and a state-based media that keeps pretending that their rulers are true champions of the Palestinian cause. 

Monia Mazigh, PhD, an academic, author, and human rights activist, is an adjunct professor at Carleton University (Ontario). She has published “Hope and Despair: My Struggle to Free My Husband, Maher Arar” (2008) and three novels, “Mirrors and Mirages” (2015), “Hope Has Two Daughters” (2017) and “Farida” (2020), which won the 2021 Ottawa Book Award prize for French-language fiction. She has also published an essay/memoir “Gendered Islamophobia: “My Journey with a Scar(f)” (2023), which was nominated for the Governor General Literary Non-fiction Award.

Tell us what you thought by joining our Facebook community. You can also send comments and story pitches to horizons@isna.net. Islamic Horizons does not publish unsolicited material.  

The post After the Destruction and Devastation appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Jehan Hakim

May/Jun 2024

Muslims should experience life and endure hardships together as a unified people, rather than being complacent in the face of injustice. The Prophet (salla Allah ‘alayhi wa sallam) emphasized unity, comparing the believers to a single body in which suffering is shared collectively. Al-Nu’man ibn Bashir reported the the Prophet said, “The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6011, Sahih Muslim 2586)

Amidst this collective pain, affluent nations remain conspicuously silent, with some actively contributing to the ongoing violence. Conversely, only a handful of nations have exhibited the courage to align themselves with Palestine. 

South Africa Acts

Having grappled with apartheid and foreign occupation, on Dec. 29, 2023, South Africa took the unprecedented step of filing a case against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in an attempt to hold it legally accountable for its policies and actions in occupied Gaza. By accusing Israel of genocide and drawing poignant parallels with its own history, South Africa is underscoring its commitment to justice, human rights and adherence to international law.

Born in response to the atrocities of World War II, UN resolution 96 (I) seeks to define and prevent genocide. On Dec. 11, 1946, it declared genocide “a crime under international law, contrary to the spirit and aims of the United Nations and condemned by the civilized world,” in times of both war and peace. But despite its adoption in 1951, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the Genocide convention), has only officially recognized and prosecuted only three instances of genocide (Rwanda in 1994, Bosnia [and the 1995 Srebrenica massacre], and Cambodia under the 1975-79 Pol Pot regime).

Israel vehemently denies committing genocide in Gaza; however, the ICJ recently ruled that it has the jurisdiction to hear South Africa’s case against Israel for alleged breaches of the convention. This case is ongoing and will likely not halt Israel’s current genocide of Palestinians.

While various countries and institutions have taken measures to oppose Israel’s actions, such as severing diplomatic ties and implementing divestment strategies targeting pro-Israeli entities like McDonald’s, Sabra, and Chevron, the international response has notably lacked military intervention — aside from Yemen. 

Yemen Acts

Since 2015, Yemen has been subjected to its own harrowing genocide, marked by relentless bombings and starvation inflicted by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with the support and backing of Western nations. This prolonged conflict has plunged the country into the depths of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crisis (Fatma Tanis, www.npr.org, June 17, 2023), spanning over seven years and wreaking havoc upon the lives of millions. Despite the gravity of the situation, the international community’s response has largely fallen short in terms of providing meaningful assistance and intervention to alleviate the Yemenis’ suffering.

In November 2023, Ansar Allah took control of an Israeli-owned ship, showcasing a resolute opposition to the latter’s genocidal actions. Subsequently, Yemen has persistently prevented vessels from entering its waters, resorting to missile launches when necessary, and strategically leveraging the Bab al-Mandab Strait. 

This significant maritime passage, sought after by Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and Israel, manages the transit of more than 5 million barrels of oil each day and acts as the gateway to the Red Sea. Yemen’s unwavering protection of this crucial trade route underscores the essence of genuine alliance and solidarity.

During my childhood trips to Yemen, I vividly recall a pervasive sense of solidarity and connection to Palestine. It has been ingrained in me that our freedom is intricately linked to the liberation of Palestine; we are not free until they too are free. This shared sentiment resonates deeply within Arab and Muslim-led nations.

Sadly, we find ourselves in an era dominated by fear, silence and imperial bullying.

Yemen’s actions demonstrate a unique commitment to solidarity with the Palestinians, dating back to 1947, when it opposed Palestine’s partition upon joining the U.N. The Yemenis’ enduring concern for the Palestinians stems from Israel’s establishment as a settler colony in a land rooted in centuries of Arab identity and intertwined with Arab and Islamic history. Yemenis, across diverse backgrounds and affiliations, passionately advocate for a Palestine free from Israel’s systemic annexation, apartheid and erasure. 

The global scenario unfolds as a televised genocide, reminiscent of the second Nakba, which prompted Yemen’s actions.

The U.S. has criticized the actions of Ansar Allah and has taken actions to punish Yemen. Toward the close of 2023, the UN’s World Food Program halted aid to Northern Yemen, home to over 80% of Yemen’s population. Adding to the challenges, on the day that South Africa brought Israel to the ICJ, the State Department labeled Ansar Allah a “global terrorist group.”

Humanitarian agencies express concern that this designation could have a “chilling effect” on commercial entities, including shippers and banks, vital for their provision of essential sustenance. Instead of deescalating, ending arm sales to Israel and calling for a permanent ceasefire, the U.S. is using food as a weapon against the people of Yemen. 

Washington and London React

As if starvation weren’t enough, the U.S. and the U.K. initiated bombing campaigns on Yemen. Biden and Sunak are escalating a conflict in a country already struggling with a man-made famine resulting from a severe blockade, and which is only beginning to recover from a brutal war that led to the loss of nearly half a million lives.

Despite recognizing this campaign’s ineffectiveness, Biden insists on its continuation. He has openly declared a robust pro-Zionist position, affirming “I am a Zionist” (www.timesofisrael.com/) and asserting that, “were there not an Israel, the United States of America would have to invent an Israel to protect her interests in the region” (https://theconversation.com). His long- standing affiliation with Israel has significantly influenced his approach to war policy. Since 2001, Washington’s prevailing strategy for handling Middle Eastern affairs seems to be centered around “counterterrorism” and militarizing its foreign policies. 

Following the U.S. and U.K. airstrikes on their country, the Yemeni people took to the streets, defiantly declaring, “We don’t care, we don’t care, even if it’s a world war.” 

Yemenis in the diaspora have voiced apprehensions regarding the actions of Ansar Allah, expressing discontent over the group’s global media presence, which they believe grants them undue legitimacy.

While Yemenis from various classes, sects and genders are united in their pro-Palestine stance, it’s crucial to note that support for Palestine extends beyond Ansar Allah and resonates across the broader Yemeni population.

If we believe God’s words to be true, then fighting back in times of aggression is in line with what Allah has said, “Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, God is competent to give them victory” (23:39). 

The Palestinians have been persecuted, evicted from their homes without right and their churches and mosques have been demolished. It’s time to defend the persecuted, and Yemenis should be commended for standing their ground and doing right by Palestine. Other countries should step up and follow Yemen’s lead. 

“Our Lord, forgive us our sins and anything We may have done that transgressed our duty: Establish our feet firmly, and help us against those that reject Faith” (3:147).

Jehan Hakim, a Yemeni American mother of four, community organizer and culturally responsive educator resides in Houston. For more information, contact https://jehanhakim.com/.

Tell us what you thought by joining our Facebook community. You can also send comments and story pitches to horizons@isna.net. Islamic Horizons does not publish unsolicited material.  

The post South Africa and Yemen Stand up for Gaza appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Carissa Lamkahouan

May/Jun 2024

Initially, Karina Guillen just wanted to stay silent about it — at least on her social media channels.

A married mother of two who reverted in 2019 and considered herself relatively young in the faith, she thought it would be better for her to learn about Islam and its practices before delving into the Palestinians’ plight and possibly courting controversy with family and friends.

“I really wanted to stay away from the politics [of it],” she said. “I know how a lot of my [Christian] family members speak about Israel and how they support it, so I wasn’t ready to open that dialogue with them.”

However, as the war dragged on and she saw the atrocities in Gaza resulting in an ever-rising death toll, she began to have second thoughts.

“I realized I had to pay attention,” Guillen stated.

Armed with a desire to educate herself, she learned more about the conflict and its history. She also began viewing the situation not only as one defined by the politics between the two warring factions, but also about the humanitarian crisis that both the Palestinian Muslims and Christians were suffering. 

That knowledge encouraged her to keep learning and, before long, Guillen felt informed and brave enough to post the articles where her friends and family members could read them. To her surprise and relief, no one who’d expressed support for Israel challenged what she was sharing online. However, as time passed, Guillen observed a change in their own public postings.

“My family never said anything to me about what I was posting, but they stopped posting so much about their support for Israel, and I believe I influenced them to see [that] this was a humanitarian issue. I believe I made them more aware and made them think that it was no longer just about religion or just about Muslims; it’s about a genocide and human rights,” Guillen remarked.

In fact, since she summoned the courage to speak her mind, a Christian friend confided to her that her bravery inspired her.

“She reached out to me and commended me for posting, because she doesn’t feel brave enough to speak up against what’s happening in Gaza,” she stated. “She knows it’s very inhumane, but because she’s Christian she feels she can’t support Palestine.”

For Some, Posting Comes at Their Peril

Many Muslims and non-Muslims agree with Guillen’s take on the issue, but not all have had the same positive experience after sharing their opinion. Since the war broke out, several organizations and news programs have reported the fallout people can suffer by supporting Palestine’s right to fight for its freedom.

On Oct. 26, 2023, The New Arab (www.newarab.com) reported that the U.S. civil rights group Palestine Legal was monitoring how some of those who voiced public support for Palestine have been targeted. The group — via several posts on X (formerly Twitter) — identified more than “260 (reports) of harassment and censorship attempts.” It said that it has spoken to people who have lost their jobs or even had job offers rescinded after making pro-Palestinian social media posts or signing statements of support. 

On Dec. 22, 2023, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported that Canadian lawyers had been fielding calls from people about losing their jobs or being suspended, as well as from job seekers being flagged to potential employers after publicly expressing their support for Palestine. 

On Nov. 3, 2023, four UN special rapporteurs issued a press release expressing worry at the “worldwide wave of attacks, reprisals, criminalization and sanctions against those who publicly express solidarity with the victims of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.” 

The press release identified special rapporteurs as part of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, which is the “largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system.” According to the press release, “Calls for an end to the violence and attacks in Gaza, or for a humanitarian ceasefire, or criticism of Israeli government’s policies and actions, have in too many contexts been misleadingly equated with support for terrorism or antisemitism. This stifles free expression, including artistic expression, and creates an atmosphere of fear to participate in public life” (www.ohchr.org. Search under “press releases”).

On Dec. 22, 2023, Brishti Basu (senior writer, CBCNews.ca.) posted the following on CBC News: “The [UN] statement said that artists, journalists, academics, athletes and protesters have all been censored, suspended, blacklisted or otherwise threatened with workplace consequences for expressing their views” (www.cbc.ca/).  

The Pressure to Post Comes from Both Sides

While Guillen was initially worried about how her support for Palestine would be received, other Muslims face the same worry — but for very different reasons. 

Recently, writer Asma Khan (not her real name) found herself in a tight spot. As a rule, she had resisted writing on social media in support of Palestine. This decision largely stemmed from her husband’s objection and worry about his career.

“He is concerned about what I post on social media in general and how it could affect his job,” she said. “I could defy him and post whatever I want, but I don’t think that’s the key to a harmonious relationship.”

Despite what would seem to be a safe approach, Khan soon found that not everyone agreed. After being nominated for an award for her work, she was presented with a threat from the award’s panel of judges. 

“They were [all] Muslims,” she stated, “and they made a statement on social media to all the contestants and to their audience in general. I am paraphrasing here, but they said, ‘We are watching what you post or don’t post about Palestine on social media. If you are silent, or if you post any nonsense about ‘both sides’ having a valid point, you will be blacklisted. You will not even be considered for this award, and we’ll tell our followers to cancel you.’”

Khan said the judges’ stance shocked her and made her afraid not to post online about her support for Palestine. The experience led her to question what posting on social media means in terms of decoding people’s views on a subject and even ponder how writing a statement on Facebook, X or any other platform is viewed as a total and accurate reflection of a person’s character and beliefs. She even questioned how much impact posts from everyday folks could have.

“I would argue that social media is not necessarily the most effective way to support Palestine,” she said. “I would also argue [that] leaders and influential spokespersons for the Muslim ummah have a greater responsibility to post because they have a wide following and might actually change some minds.”

For Some, Speaking Out Sparks Fear and Guilt. For Others — Defiance

Houstonian Hannah Ali has only shared her support online for Palestine once or twice since the war began. Active in her subdivision’s homeowner’s association, the move left her feeling worried about how neighbors might take it and how they might treat her and her family if they disagreed.

In fact, she said she’s used Khan’s argument to justify not writing more or more forcefully about her views on her social media platforms. 

“When I think about posting something, I’ll stop and ask myself, ‘What can my posts even do to make the war stop?’” she related.

Nevertheless, her decision has left her feeling guilty, particularly when she views graphic videos coming out of the war zone, especially those featuring harm or even dead children.

“On many levels I really want to share everything I see so that people can see how bad it is in Gaza. But I rationalize away my decision not to post by thinking to myself, ‘Oh what good is it gonna do?’ or ‘I’m probably going to rub someone the wrong way with this and end up in a fight on Facebook.’”

Although Idriss Assal understands Ali’s reasoning and her hesitance, her attitude doesn’t work for him, especially as the fighting in Palestine has dragged on for months and more people are seeing the scale of the damage and death toll. 

The Texas-based finance manager said anyone who wants to make their solidarity with Palestine known online should feel empowered to do so. His reasoning: The more people who speak up, the less risk involved.

However, many would likely disagree. On Jan. 28, the Chicago Sun-Times reported on university students and recent graduates — including Jinan Chehade — losing job opportunities as a result of their public support for Palestine, support specifically tied to social media postings. The students’ experiences mirror those of others around North America, which can be found by a quick Internet search.

Carissa Lamkahouan is a freelance journalist based in Houston. Her work has appeared in AboutIslam.net, The Houston Chronicle, Inventors Digest, Animal Wellness, The Muslim Observer and other publications.

Tell us what you thought by joining our Facebook community. You can also send comments and story pitches to horizons@isna.net. Islamic Horizons does not publish unsolicited material.  

The post First Amendment Gone Awry appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Ali Bin Omer

Mar/Apr 2024

On a chilly Saturday afternoon in January, 400,000 resilient individuals gathered at Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C., united in support of our brothers and sisters in Palestine. We gathered to demand that the U.S call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, cease unconditional funding of military actions by Israel, hold its leaders accountable for war crimes and continuous violations of international law and ultimately work toward the liberation of Palestinians. 

As part of a Global Day of Action, busloads of protestors arrived from Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio and other states, resulting in the largest pro-Palestine protest in this country’s history. It was endorsed by the American Muslim Task Force for Palestine which includes American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), CAIR and ICNA along with hundreds of additional organizations nationwide.

After 100+ days of intense carpet bombing and a high number of innocent civilians murdered, the march was timely, as this collective movement was feeling the weight of the brutality we continue to witness daily via our smartphones in the palm of our hands.

Palestinians are currently experiencing the greatest threat to their existence. Nearly 2 million of them in the Gaza Strip have been displaced and are now threatened with famine … not to mention the rise in aggression and the siege on Palestinians in Jenin, Ramallah, Al Quds, Hebron and other cities in Palestine.

A sea of black, green, red and white flags flooded the streets of D.C., with hundreds of thousands of voices for the voiceless chanting “Free, Free Palestine” and “End Genocide Now.”

Religious Leaders and Activists Take to the Stage

“South Africa is keeping alive the legacy of Nelson Mandela and suing Israel in the International Court of Justice, the highest court in the world, and they are charging the country with genocide,” proclaimed Yasir Qadhi (dean, Islamic Seminary of America). “We need to call a spade a spade. This is not antisemitism; it is speaking the truth. The Palestinian people are live tweeting their own genocide. They’re uploading images of their own massacre.”

 “We have been walking the halls of Congress every day for the last three months,” stated Medea Benjamin (co-founder, CODE PINK). “We need them to know that we will not stand by as they continue the genocide.”

“We are here to represent the 36,000 people that have either been martyred or are under the rubble,” said Shaykh Omar Suleiman (founder and president, Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research). “If we were to take to the streets for every casualty and every person under the rubble, it would take us 100 years to honor each and every single one of them.”

Wael al-Dahdouh (correspondent, Al Jazeera), whose wife, daughter, two sons and a grandchild were recently killed in Gaza, delivered a powerful statement via video call. “Gaza is going through a period of great hardship. The people here are paying a truly exorbitant price and are living a disastrous life. People do not have sustenance, food, or drink, a place to sleep, a bathroom and what is necessary for life — not for a decent life, [but] rather what is basically necessary to maintain life.” 

Alana Hadid, the oldest daughter of Mohammad Hadid (real estate mogul and survivor of the 1948 Nakba), passionately professed that “Collective freedom is what Palestinians have taught the world. Bravery and perseverance is what Palestinians have shown us day after day, not just for 100 days but 75 years, and we must continue the struggle for them.” 

Rally Attendees from All Walks of Life 

Outside of the inspirational speakers, many of us found value and warmth in the opportunity to connect with the greater pro-Palestine community. Many are showing their support in a silo through online activism on social media, calling our representatives (who once again prove to be useless) and attending protests as our circle of friends, coworkers, acquaintances and the like remain silent. It was a crucial step in a long battle to be among like-minded people who support humanity and justice for all. 

Two young women from St. Louis, one Palestinian-American and the other Caucasian-American, braved the long ride to D.C. They spoke about how the genocide had deeply impacted them and felt it was their duty to attend in person. 

A family of four from Alexandria, Va., also attended the march in solidarity, as it was personal for the family’s matriarch. Her great-grandfather immigrated from Palestine to Bolivia to escape apartheid. She has been horrified by the events of the past 3 months and considered it imperative to attend, along with her Irish American husband and twin daughters.

People from all walks of life traveled to be there. “I’m here because of the children being slaughtered,” said one Catholic attendee from Maryland. “Our president had said he would not go to war.”

“I understand that at times wars are needed, but there are rules that must be followed. Civilians cannot be killed for no reason,” said a Muslim attendee from New York. 

We came together, listened, shared stories, shed tears, shared laughter, marched, resisted and stood united for Palestine. We must fight, we must resist, and we must preserve until “from the river to the sea, Palestine is free” and every human being in this world is free.

Ali Bin Omer is a freelance writer.

Tell us what you thought by joining our Facebook community. You can also send comments and story pitches to horizons@isna.net. Islamic Horizons does not publish unsolicited material.  

The post 400,000 March for Gaza appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Kiran Ansari

Mar/Apr 2024

These days, Muslims worldwide wake up and check their phones to see if a ceasefire has been declared in Gaza. At press time, Palestinians have been killed, injured and displaced for 100+ days. Trying to absorb information from all over social media and a few media outlets that provide some balanced coverage, parents wonder how they can explain the situation to their young children? 

“I can shield my children from graphic images of the wounded and killed, but I do not want to shield them from the truth,” said Nida Khan of Fresno, Calif. “We are witnessing a genocide. I owe it to my children to tell them the story of the Palestinian cause in an age-appropriate manner, and one of the best ways to do it is through books. This is even more important for Muslim kids who do not have a Palestinian family member to share stories firsthand.”

Islamic Horizons asked MuslimMemories.com about which children’s books on Palestine have been popular lately. We then set out to interview those authors and learn about their journey to inspire more authors to share, because our children deserve to read authentic stories. 

You Are The Color

“I had always wanted to write a book about the Nakba, one of the seminal events in Palestinian history that must be understood in order to understand what is still happening in Palestine today,” said Rifk Ebeid, a Palestinian author who self-published “You Are The Color” and “Baba, What Does My Name Mean?” 

“I researched Nakba survivor testimonies and oral history. I delved into what life was like in Palestine before, during and after the Nakba. This took some time due to the heavy nature of the topic and my capacity to process it all.”

After developing the idea, Ebeid worked with Hajera Khaja, a wonderful writing coach, to help bring the story to life. What really helped flesh it out was the process of free writing, seeing where the pen was taking her and what plot sequence felt like it captured what she wanted to convey. The result is an impactful and authentic story of one Palestinian family that encompasses many of the real experiences during the Nakba. 

Ebeid believes that for Palestinians, as they resist the erasure of their culture and existence, sharing stories is crucial to documenting their experiences. “Every action we take individually will have a ripple effect collectively. You never know who is listening, who is learning from you and what they will do in the future with that knowledge they have gained,” she stated.

“Sitti’s Key”

“I never understood the history of my homeland until I visited Palestine and learned about its rich history,” said Sahar Khader, author of “Sitti’s Key.” She continued, “When I had my first child, I was always looking for books that shared Palestine’s history in a simple way, but I never found them. So I took matters into my own hands and decided that I should publish a children’s book about the collective memory of the key.” In 2023, this proud Palestinian did just that. 

In light of the current genocide in Gaza, the book presents the repetition of history. Readers find flashbacks about what happened in 1948, when 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes. Unfortunately, what is happening now in Gaza is even worse — more than 1.2 million Palestinians have had to leave their homes. This book teaches the younger generation that what is going on today in Gaza has been happening for 75 years. 

“My Garden Over Gaza” 

Sarah Musa started writing “My Garden Over Gaza” in May 2021 when Israel was bombing Gaza. As a Palestinian-American living in Jordan, she had watched this happen for years. “My father left the Al-Quds region when he was 15, and he was never allowed back,” she said. “It is painful to watch how history repeats itself again and again.”

As she started getting vocal on Instagram and getting to know activists, one of her writer friends encouraged her to write a book. That was her lightbulb moment. “Palestine is a part of who I am, so why haven’t I done it yet?” Musa wondered. “I have had a rooftop garden like they have in Gaza. It’s one way for them to produce their own food because of sieges and the aerial spraying of herbicides on agricultural crops.”

Types of Publishing

Although there have been a handful of children’s books about Palestine from traditional publishing houses, Muslim authors aren’t happy about the representation. Many Palestinian authors fear that their story will be diluted, sanitized or edited. Even though Ebeid has heard from some author friends that they have more control over the narrative, it’s still an uphill battle. Muslims have seen silence and censorship from the book community during this genocide. 

“The topic of self-publishing vs. traditional publishing is multi-layered. I hate to distinguish when it comes to Palestine, in particular, because of how Palestinian voices have been censored for decades,” she said. “Although I understand the aspect of wanting to hold mainstream publishers accountable for being more inclusive of diverse voices, I find the distinction between the two routes to be divisive at a time where we need all hands on deck and should all support each other’s efforts.”

Khader began the publishing process with a mainstream company, but her passion for “Sitti’s Key” was so high that she felt they didn’t understand it, especially when it came to illustration. That led her to cancel her contract with them. 

Her book was then published by Little Hibba, a children’s publishing company that empowers Muslim authors to share meaningful messages with the next generation. “They worked closely with me and understood my passion,” Khader related. “I also had the pleasure of working with the illustrator, Noor Alshalabi, who paid attention to certain details and brought my vision to life.”

Musa’s experience with mainstream publishing wasn’t great — not because anything bad happened, but because nothing really happened. She tried to get published for 15 years, but never heard back. She believes many mainstream publishing houses aren’t really interested in unapologetic Muslim stories. 

“They want to show they care, but it’s only superficial. They want to just add a Muslim twist to an American story. They have no interest in real Palestinian stories. They want to minimize that kind of stuff,” she asserted. 

She wanted to get “A Garden Over Gaza” out quickly. Her sister told her about Ruqaya’s Bookshelf, a Muslim publishing company in Canada. What started out as an eBook flowered into a manuscript.

“I had never written a book about a Muslim protagonist — it was colonized out of my mind,” Musa recollects. “I dove into it 100% and submitted my manuscript in a week. Publisher Asmaa Hussein got back to me promptly, and I signed my first book deal.”

Muslim authors don’t want publishing companies that just pretend to care. They believe that if Muslims want authentic and unapologetic stories, the community needs to support small Muslim publishers. Mainstream publishing companies have huge advertising budgets. The sprouting Muslim publishers don’t have the resources yet, so we, as the umma, have to do that. 

“Growing up, I felt like an odd phenomenon with a Palestinian father and Hispanic mother,” Musa said. “As a child, I would have been over the moon to have a book that truly represented me. Now as a parent, rather than always reading about Stephanie and Jake, I want my kids to feel heard and seen. It can boost their self-confidence. So we need to support Muslim authors and publishers. Let’s be their microphones so more people become aware.” 

Readers can purchase these and many other titles at www.muslimmemories.com and support Muslim book stores. 

Kiran Ansari is the assistant editor of Islamic Horizons. She hopes to visit a free Palestine one day.

Tell us what you thought by joining our Facebook community. You can also send comments and story pitches to horizons@isna.net. Islamic Horizons does not publish unsolicited material.  

The post Teaching Kids About Palestine appeared first on Islamic Horizons.