The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its Florida chapter (CAIR-FL) today called on the Trump administration to force the Israeli government to free a 16-year-old Palestinian-American boy from Florida.
TAKE ACTION: Demand the Release of American Child Held by Israel
Mohammed Ibrahim, a 16-year-old Palestinian-American boy who has been detained by the Israeli military since February, reported deplorable conditions inside the Israeli prison where he is held. Ibrahim was taken by Israeli forces from his family home in Al-Mazra’a ash-Sharqiyah, near Ramallah, around 3 a.m. on February 15, according to documentation collected by Defense for Children International – Palestine. Israeli forces reportedly have been denying Ibrahim adequate food, clothing and hygiene, leading to a scabies infection and significant weight loss.
In September, the state department appointed a dedicated official to handle the case.
In a statement, CAIR-FL Deputy Executive Director Hiba Rahim said:
“The abuse and imprisonment of an American teenager by any other foreign power should be met with outrage and decisive action by our government. The Trump administration must be America and American citizens first and secure the release of Mohammed Ibrahim from Israel immediately. This 16-year-old from Florida belongs at home, safe with his family – not in Israeli military prisons notorious for human rights abuses.”
SEE: This week CAIR and CAIF-FL were on the hill pressing members of Congress to #BringMohammedHome
CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw encouraged all Americans to sign a letter calling for his release.
“Every single signature makes a difference – this works. We’ve seen before that when Americans raise their voices together, U.S. officials act. We urge all Americans to sign the letter now and help bring this Florida teen home,” McCaw said.
CAIR previously joined more than 100 U.S. faith-based, human rights, and civil rights organizations and sent a joint letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling for urgent action to secure the release of Mohammed Ibrahim.
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CONTACT: Megan Amer, CAIR-Florida Policy Director, (813) 440-1028, m-amer@cair.com; Hiba Rahim, CAIR-Florida Deputy Executive Director, (813) 705-5440, hrahim@cair.com; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com