The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), the state’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the cancellation of Palestinian American author Jenan Matari’s scheduled book event at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair after complaints from members of the local Jewish community.
READ:N.J. bookstore cancels Palestinian author event after community outcry — NJ.com
CAIR-NJ said the decision to cancel the Sept. 14 event — which was meant to celebrate the launch of Matari’s first children’s book, Everything Grows in Jiddo’s Garden — represents an attempt to erase Palestinian history, distort the ongoing reality of the horrific violence in Gaza, and silence Palestinian voices they tell their stories.
In a statement, CAIR-New Jersey Communications Manager Aya Elamroussi said:
“The cancellation of Jenan Matari’s event is part of a disturbing pattern of silencing Palestinian voices and erasing Palestinian history at a time when more than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. Palestinian authors, artists, and community members should not be vilified, censored, or accused of hate simply for telling their stories or speaking out against the violence of the Israeli government. To frame Palestinian narratives as inherently dangerous is both dehumanizing and racist.”
In a statement, Jenan Matari said:
“It seems some folks are experiencing difficulties understanding that Palestinians are multifaceted intellectuals, as well as them having a problem with free speech. I can say what I want about the ethnostate responsible for the displacement of my own family and the mass murder of my Palestinian kin, using strong and direct language, while also being capable of telling beautiful stories about my family in age-appropriate language for children.
“Too often the language Palestinians use to criticize a violent government, society, and political ideology is seen as more offensive or more dangerous than the physical violence of Zionists and the threat that Zionism poses to Palestinian life. I will not be the “model minority” for those who are genociding us.
“And I will not allow anyone in any industry to separate us from our own stories.”
CAIR-NJ also condemned the use of accusations of antisemitism as a weapon to silence legitimate criticism of Israeli government actions, stating that conflating criticism of Israel with hatred of Jewish people undermines genuine efforts to combat antisemitism.
The bookstore reportedly cancelled the book launch event due to safety concerns.
In a social media post responding to the event’s cancellation, Matari said, “I didn’t appreciate being framed as the danger to the community when it was actually the Zionists who put the community in danger.”
CAIR-NJ noted that Matari’s children’s book tells the story of displacement, resilience and belonging through the eyes of a young Palestinian girl and her grandfather. The book’s themes of connection to land and family history are vital for Palestinian children and all readers to better understand diverse lived experience.
“Cancelling Ms. Matari’s book launch event is a clear form of egregious censorship that endangers children’s opportunity to learn about the world around them in a meaningful and crucial way,” Elamroussi added.
CAIR-NJ commends the Jewish Voice for Peace of Northern New Jersey, Montclair Quaker Meeting and Word Up Community Bookshop for organizing a separate event for Matari to launch her book.
CAIR-NJ continues to stand with Palestinians against attempts to erase their stories, silence their advocacy, and distort the reality of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Aya Elamroussi, 551-208-5482, aelamroussi@cair.com