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Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, May-June 2009, page 64 Muslim-American Activism Chicago Muslims Seek to Alter Americans’ Perception of Palestine
INCLEMENT WEATHER did not deter the more than 650 people who filled a small banquet hall at Aqsa School in Bridgeview, IL on March 1 for the first fund-raising dinner held by the American Muslims for Palestine-Chicago. Because of Israel’s deadly aggression against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in January, it was only fitting that the dinner’s theme highlighted the humanitarian, political and social crises present in Gaza. AMP’s slogan for the night, “Gaza: Silence Is Not An Option,” made it clear that efforts must remain strong and dedicated in order to achieve justice and security in Palestine as a whole. Dr. Hatem Bazian, co-founder and chairman of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), said the national grassroots organization “has a Muslim identity,” capable of changing the way Palestine is represented in America. Although Bazian, a professor of Near Eastern and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, pointed out the significance of Palestine in Islam, he emphasized that the Palestinian issue transcends identity. Everybody has a responsibility to present the truth about Palestine to the general public, he stated. Bazian proceeded to offer new approaches to spreading awareness. Instead of engaging in a tit-for-tat of Palestinian versus Israeli dead, he suggested the dialogue focus on what supporting Israel costs American taxpayers. Blind support that adds up to more than $3 billion per year actually makes Israel a strategic liability rather than an ally. Furthermore, he pointed out, Israeli antagonism undermines American efforts to create stable and lasting relationships between the West and the Middle East. AMP recently sponsored the trip to Gaza of Reem Salahi, a California-based lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union. Salahi visited Gaza with the National Lawyers Guild delegation that traveled there to document evidence of war crimes. She described her impressions of the area that was devastated by three weeks of relentless Israeli shelling and showed the powerful photographs and video clips she brought back that captured the heart-wrenching aftermath of utter devastation. These pictures and videos play a significant role in arguing for the necessity to “document Israelis’ targeting of civilians [and] investigate Israel’s illegal use of weapons.” AMP is a national grassroots organization with 11 chapters in eight states. Its mission is to bring the Palestinian narrative to the American public. The recent war against Gaza energized the organization, which is quickly growing. National office manager Awad Hamdan said he receives calls inquiring about new chapters on an almost daily basis. The national office is located in the Chicago area. For more information, visit <www.ampalestine.org>. —Sami Kishawi |
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