The Oklahoma Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK) denounces a one-sided joint legislative resolution in support of Israel that fails to address Israel’s genocide perpetrated against the people of Gaza.
Authored by Senator Julie Daniels and Representative Mark Lepak, this resolution does not address Oklahomans of Palestinian descent who have lost loved ones in the last three months and only further perpetuates Islamophobic stereotypes.
SEE: Text of Joint Resolution in Support of Israel
CAIR Oklahoma’s Government Affairs Department notes that since Oct. 7, the Oklahoma Legislature has only recognized support for the state of Israel, denouncing the rise of antisemitism while simultaneously ignoring the right of Palestine to exist and refusing to acknowledge the sharp rise in Islamophobia in America.
CAIR’s National office has reported that from October 7th to December 2nd, 2023, CAIR offices across the country received 2,171 complaints, including reports of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian bias.
SEE: Oklahoma’s Jewish and Muslim Communities Face Rising Threats Amid Israel-Hamas War
In Gaza, International aid organization Save the Children released data saying that more than 10 children per day have lost one or both of their legs since October, while many medical operations have been conducted without anesthesia due to hospitals being targeted and under-supplied. Nearly two million Gazans are internally displaced, and other humanitarian organizations report “crisis-levels of food insecurity,” with over 95% of the water supply being listed as “unfit for human consumption.”
This ongoing genocide has merited a case against Israel under the United Nations’ Genocide Convention being brought to the International Court of Justice by South Africa.
SEE: Israeli Authorities’ Cutting of Water Leading to Public Health Crisis in Gaza
SEE: What to Know About South Africa’s Genocide Case Against Israel
“In the same manner that we have unequivocally denounced all forms of antisemitism and Islamophobia, we denounce the legislature’s use of their power to propagate a selective, one-sided resolution that ignores or even justifies the suffering of Palestinians who are experiencing an egregious humanitarian crisis,” said CAIR-OK Executive Director Adam Soltani. “Resolutions, bills, or other filings from the Legislature that fail to acknowledge a fair and balanced understanding of the impact of this crisis on both the Jewish and Muslim community work only to exacerbate Islamophobia, antisemitism, and anti-Palestinian hate in Oklahoma.”
“This one-sided support for the state of Israel by the Oklahoma Legislature signals a lack of willingness to acknowledge the violence and loss being carried out against innocent Gazans, including more than 23,000 killed, of whom 40 percent are children,” said Nicole Baumann, CAIR-OK Advocacy Coordinator. “We have and will continue to call on the Oklahoma Legislature to do a better job of representing the diverse population it serves, which includes more than 40,000 Muslims and many Palestinians who have lost family members and loved ones in this ongoing conflict.”
CAIR-OK encourages community members similarly concerned about the one-sided approach put forward by these and other lawmakers to contact their elected officials here at home and hold them accountable for their actions and messaging. The organization also recommends that the community engage with lawmakers who participate in this one-sided, biased rhetoric that only increases Islamophobia and anti-Semitism and puts Oklahoman communities at risk.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
END
CONTACT: Adam Soltani, CAIR-OK Executive Director, asoltani@cair.com, 405-248-5853; Nicole Baumann, CAIR-OK Advocacy Coordinator, nBaumann@cair.com, 918-805-1191