American Muslim Group Calls for Lifting of Siege on Gaza
Washington, DC: The American Muslim Alliance (AMA), a civic education organization with 101 chapters in 39 states, November 19 "most vigorously condemned" the Israeli "state terrorism" against the occupied Palestinian people with the stated aim of breaking their will by "bombing them back to the Middle Ages." An AMA Press Release adds:
For the past five days the Israeli military machine has been pounding the Gaza Strip in an attempt to subjugate its defenseless people. According to an Israeli military spokesperson, over 870 attacks have been waged on the besieged city of 1.5 million using the most sophisticated American-made military hardware including aerial and naval bombardments.
The brutal assaults have already killed 73 people including 22 children, 8 women, and 9 senior citizens. On Sunday, ten civilians (including 5 children and 3 women) from a single family - the al-Dalu family- were cowardly massacred by a missile while sleeping in their own apartment in Gaza city. In addition, the incessant bombardments of the past few days have resulted in over 670 injuries, many of them serious, including 224 children, 113 women, and 50 senior citizens. The hospitals of Gaza are overwhelmed and at the brink of collapse because of an acute shortage of medical supplies.
The American Muslim Alliance (AMA) resolutely salutes the valiant spirit of the Palestinian people in Gaza, and strongly condemns this Israeli war of aggression. It also calls on the US administration, all responsible governments, the international community, and human rights organizations to condemn Israeli aggression and to call on Israel to immediately cease the indiscriminate killing of defenseless civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Moreover, AMA asserts that the root of the conflict in the Middle East has been the endless Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and subjugation of its people. Furthermore, the continuous neglect of the international community of this festering illegal occupation has only encouraged the Israeli occupiers to continue their policies of expanding illegal settlements in the West Bank, employing ethnic cleansing in East Jerusalem, and imposing the illegal siege over Gaza.
ICNA Demands Restoration of Gaza Ceasefire
ICNA joined a coalition of Muslim Organizations in demanding that Israel restore the ceasefire that it broke with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In a statement, ICNA stated:
“ We urge President Obama not to sit on the sidelines as American taxpayer-funded weapons are used to kill civilians — including babies — and to destroy the civilian infrastructure in Gaza. Our nation’s blind support for Israel’s brutal actions has done and continues to do immense harm to America’s image and interests in the Middle East and worldwide...." Click here to read rest of statement.
In another press release, ICNA urged President Obama to demand justice for Rohingya Muslims on the eve of his visit to Burma.
MPAC Expresses Grave Concern
On November 17 the Muslim Public Affairs Council expressed grave concern about the rapidly escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas authorities in Gaza, says an MPAC Press Release.
MPAC opposes the move toward more active warfare by both sides, and we call for an immediate cease-fire, one that is durable but is not an excuse to punish the people of Gaza through sanctions and blockades. We also deplore the Israeli assassination of Hamas leaders, as this tactic is counterproductive and only escalates the cycle of violence. Hamas is not a small circle of leaders. It reflects a broad base of support within Gaza. Killing its leaders, which Israel has done for decades, will not result in the demise of the organization.
We call on the Palestinians to move forward as a united people by holding free elections in Gaza and the West Bank to elect its leadership that can represent the interests of all the Palestinians. The elected authorities should have the sole right to deploy armed forces. Independent groups that attack Israel should stand down and accept the role of elected leaders to create and enforce policy for the Palestinians…
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