The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed a congressional letter led by Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen and signed by 28 senators demanding an independent, US-led investigation into the death of Sayfollah Musallet. Musallet was reportedly beaten to death by a mob of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
SEE: Democrats demand U.S. investigation of American’s death in West Bank – The Washington Post
Sen. Van Hollen’s Instagram Post Announcing the Letter
In a statement, CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry said:
“We commend Senator Van Hollen and all other senators who signed this letter demanding that our government carry out its responsibility of investigating and obtaining justice for Sayfollah Musallet, the latest American citizen killed by Israeli settlers or soldiers.
“Let’s be clear: our government would normally respond to the brutal murder of an American citizen with concrete action, but has failed to do so because Saif was of Palestinian descent and his killers are Israeli citizens. This failure to act is anti-Palestinian racism and Israel First politics, pure and simple, and it is unacceptable.
“We urge the Trump administration to take heed of this letter, launch a full investigation into Sayfollah Musallet’s murder, and hold both Israeli settlers and the Israeli government accountable for their latest slaughter of an American citizen.”
She noted that CAIR previously sent a letter calling on Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi to launch a full U.S. investigation into the killing of Sayfollah Musallet.
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CONTACT: 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