American Muslims Urge UN to Enforce Ceasefire


Washington, DC: The American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT), a national coalition of major American-Muslim organizations, has urged the United Nation to fulfill its legal and moral responsibility by implementing an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza.
The coalition also urged Muslim nations to immediately end all diplomatic ties with Israel until a peaceful and permanent resolution to the present conflict is achieved.
In its statement, the coalition said:
"As American Muslim leaders, we often serve as a bridge between the United States and the Islamic world. We have spoken out in favor of political moderation and against religious extremism. We gladly accept this role.
"To be effective as bridge-builders between the West and the Muslim world, we have a duty to challenge polices that harm our nation and its international relations.
"It is extremely difficult to help improve America's image in the Muslim world as US-supplied weapons are killing civilians and our elected officials refuse all calls for a cease-fire. It is hard to appeal for moderation among Muslims when international bodies like the United Nations remain silent spectators as Israel carries out its war of aggression and state terrorism against Lebanon and Gaza.
"The American Muslim Task Force on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT) calls on the United Nations to fulfill its legal responsibility to stop Israeli war crimes in Lebanon and Gaza by using the Security
Council to order an immediate cease-fire by all parties…
"We call on all Muslim countries to immediately suspend diplomatic ties with Israel. We also call on other countries currently contemplating such ties to discontinue all diplomatic contacts.
"We urge the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) and the Arab League (AL) to declare Israel a terrorist state and to support the Lebanese government's legitimate demand for compensation from Israel
for its war crimes.
"Finally, we urge all people of conscience to seek divestment from any corporate entity that benefits the Israeli war economy.”

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