(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/17/22) – Dozens of American Muslim and allied organizations were today joined by several new national and regional Muslim organizational endorsers of a joint statement expressing unified support for Palestinian human rights and rejecting Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Director Jonathan Greenblatt’s recent “slander” against prominent Muslim, Jewish, Arab, and Palestinian human rights activists.
“We commend and thank the organizations who are continuing to sign this important statement in defense of Palestinian human rights and in opposition to the ADL’s bad-faith attacks, including Emgage Action, Muslim American Society and numerous other groups inside and outside the Muslim community,” said CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell. “We welcome more groups to continue joining this landmark statement in support of justice for all.”
The initial statement was released yesterday.
CLICK HERE: READ THE UPDATED STATEMENT.
Newly added organizational statement endorsers include:
Emgage Action
Muslim American Society (MAS)
Muslim Community Center of Charlotte
Islamic Center of Charlotte
Masjid Ash-Shaheed Charlotte
Muslim Education Center of Charlotte
Islamic Society of Greater Charlotte
Original Jewish American organizational statement endorsers include Jewish Voice for Peace, Jews Say No! and the Muslim-Jewish intersectional group Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom.
Want to become an organizational endorser? Organizations interested in joining the next round of statement signatories should email info@cair.com, subject line: Muslim & Allied Community Statement
On Sunday, May 1, Greenblatt sparked widespread backlash by falsely equating Palestinian human rights activists with white supremacists and J6 insurrectionists.
Greenblatt also claimed that the ADL now considers any criticism of Zionism to be anti-Semitism.
SEE: Religion News Service: ADL chief’s attack on left-leaning organizations criticized as dangerous
SEE: The Nation: The ADL Goes Full Bully
SEE: Truth Out: ADL CEO Misrepresents Report on Antisemitism to Attack Palestinian Groups
SEE: The Forward: Anti-Zionism is not (necessarily) antisemitism
In response, a wide array of American Muslim organizations have come together to issue a joint statement rejecting the ADL’s attacks and expressing support for Palestinian human rights.
Signers include Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Emgage Action, the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), the Islamic Networks Groups (ING), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Muslim Advocates, Muslim American Society (MAS), the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), the Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA), Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC), the Muslim Students Association (MSA National), and the US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), among numerous others. Jewish, Arab and Palestinian organizations have also co-signed the statement in solidarity.
The ADL has faced increasing criticism for its conduct in recent years, including attacking prominent Muslim leaders like Keith Ellison, embracing the Trump Administration’s anti-Palestinian policies, attacking human rights groups like Amnesty International and discrediting Human Rights Watch for reporting Israel has become an apartheid state, supporting unconstitutional anti-boycott laws, attacking Ben & Jerry’s for ending sales in illegal settlements on Palestinian land, arranging for U.S. law enforcement to train overseas with Israeli police, standing by anti-Arab racists like Morton Klein, and joining anti-Muslim hate groups in opposing the Park51 mosque.
FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
Muslim & Allied Community Statement in Response to the ADL’s Recent Attack on Groups Supporting Palestinian Human Rights
In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
We, the undersigned Muslim American organizations, express our unified support for the human rights of all people, including Palestinians. We also express our unified rejection of attempts to smear and silence members of our community who advocate for Palestinian human rights.
Far too often, Muslim Americans and others come under attack for daring to call on our nation to stop supporting the Israeli government’s human rights abuses against the Palestinian people. ADL Director Jonathan Greenblatt’s decision to attack prominent Jewish, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian human rights activists, including college students, was only the latest example of this unacceptable pattern.
This must end. Groups like the ADL must not marginalize and slander members of our community working for human rights. As Muslim Americans, we stand united with each other in upholding justice. We also stand with the Jewish Americans, Christian Americans, Arab Americans, Palestinian Americans, African Americans, and many others who have been unfairly attacked for supporting justice for all.
The American Muslim community has vocally, collectively, and consistently stood up against all forms of hatred, including racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian racism. We have also worked closely with our friends and partners in the Jewish community and other communities to confront such threats.
That’s because our faith teaches us to support justice for all people. No matter what attacks we face, we will continue to do so–together, God willing.
Current Organizational Statement Endorsers:
Muslim Community Organizations
Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action)
Arizona Muslim Alliance
American Muslims for Democracy
American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)
Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)
Birmingham Interfaith Human Rights Committee
Burlington Masjid
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago
Emgage Action
Free Uyghur Now
ICNA Council for Social Justice
Islamic Center of Charlotte
Islamic Center of Detroit
Islamic Center of San Diego
Islamic Center of Passaic County (ICPC)
Islamic Networks Group (ING)
Islamic Society of Greater Charlotte
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
Islamophobia Studies Center
Justice For All
Masjid Ash-Shaheed Charlotte
Majlis Ash-Shura: Islamic Leadership Council of New York
Mosque Foundation
MPower Change
Muslim Advocates
Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA)
Muslim American Society (MAS)
Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC)
Muslim Community Center of Charlotte
Muslim Community Network
Muslim Education Center of Charlotte
Muslim Forum of the Pacific Northwest
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
Muslim Students Association (MSA National)
Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA)
National Muslim Law Students Association (NMLSA)
No Separate Justice
North Hudson Islamic Educational Center
San Francisco Muslim Community Center
The Mosque Cares Ministry of Imam W. Deen Mohammed
The Muslim Network
US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO)
Young Muslims
Allied Community Organizations
API Equality-LA
Arab American Civic Council
Asian Law Alliance
Aurora Commons
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA)
Jewish Voice for Peace
Jews Say No!
OPAWL – Building AAPI Feminist Leadership
Palestinian American Community Center
Palestinian Youth Movement
Peace Action
Revolutionary Love Project
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
END
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 Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com