Muslim-Jewish-Christian faith leaders convened on Eid al-Fitr for a special interfaith event amidst rising tensions in the Middle East. This event, pinned to the Muslim celebration of Eid to conclude the month Ramadan, was shadowed by the recent violence and violation of religious freedom and human rights for worshipers at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. This cohort of interfaith leaders gathered to take a united stand demanding justice, compassion, and human dignity for the Palestinian people.
Highlight Video #1: “What’s So Different?” America and the Holy Land share this in common: The struggle for justice, human rights and civil liberties.
Amidst rising tensions in the Middle East, Muslim-Jewish-Christian faith leaders relate the shared struggles Palestinians and Americans face for justice, civil rights, and civil liberties. The continued escalation of violence following a 4-week ceasefire, with airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, and persistent militarization and occupation in Silwan and Sheikh Jarrah further illustrates why these parallels should move the U.S. government to act with urgency. The fight against systemic racism and injustice in the United States is met with the same state-sanctioned militarization and violence that those in Palestine are met with when fighting against occupation.
Highlight Video #2: “Which Lives Matter?” MPAC hosts interfaith leaders standing in solidarity for Human Rights and Human Dignity of Palestinians
Muslim-Jewish-Christian faith leaders, convened for a special interfaith event to discuss the United States’ inability to acknowledge human rights and civil liberties of those in Palestine, through continued support for the Israeli occupation. This interfaith event was shadowed by the recent violence in Israel with the end of a 4-week ceasefire, airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, and persistent militarization and occupation in Silwan and Sheikh Jarrah.
What was clear in the overarching sentiment shared by the speakers is that the root of the Israeli-Palestinian issue is justice and human dignity.
Highlight Video #3: “A Christian, A Muslim, and A Jew… have you heard this one?”Jewish-Christian-Muslim faith leaders call out the double standards of religious freedom and Human Rights for Palestinians.
Muslim-Jewish-Christian faith leaders, deconstruct harmful and false narratives of the crisis in Palestine and emphasize interfaith solidarity. Despite a common depiction of the situation abroad, the fight for Palestinian liberation has always been marked by occupation and oppression rather than a dispute between Jews and Muslims. Noting the denial of religious freedom in Palestine, a consistent moral standard must be set for Israel as the U.S. government continues to financially support atrocities that contradict our key principles of justice and freedom.
Many faith leaders noted the double standard of the United States to preach religious freedom and justice for all individuals, yet turn a blind eye to the injustice happening to Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli government.
Leaders at this event emphasized that we cannot achieve enduring peace without advocating for justice, which first requires recognizing the oppressive situation for what it is.
Impact: The Interfaith coalition represented at the Eid ul Fitr — Palestinian solidarity Press Conference, acknowledged that people of all faiths, including Jewish Americans, recognize the injustice and oppression suffered by Palestinians at the hands of Israel. The diverse and inclusive coalition at the press conference exemplifies a widespread change in the way Palestine is covered by the press. Palestine is no longer the land of innocents being killed by terrorists but rather an apartheid regime oppressing an indigenous population and systematically stripping their rights, their property and their heritage. At MPAC we are always proud to amplify the voices of Palestine.
Palestine Speaker Series with ICSC
We brought diverse voices to the table for informative discussions on the Palestinian struggle for peace.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) in partnership with the Islamic Center of Southern California (ICSC) developed A New Approach: The Palestinian Struggle, a rigorous two month summer lecture series with leading experts exploring everything from the history of Palestine, to the evolution of Zionism, and what leading players on the world’s human rights stage recommend as a constructive path forward.
Palestine, A Short History and Attempts at its Erasure
Featuring: Hussein Ibish, Columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and The National
Featuring: Mona Ali Khalil, Founder/Director, MAK Law International
History of Zionism and the Legacy of Rabbi Leonard Beerman
Featuring: David Myers, Professor of History UCLA
A Jewish Home vs. a Jewish State
Featuring: Peter Beinart, Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York and Jeremy Ben-Ami, President, J Street
Featuring: Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watch
Featuring: Estee Chandler, Founder, Jewish Voice for Peace, Los Angeles
The Nexus of Anti-Palestine Campaigns and Islamophobia
Featuring: Sarah Eltantawi, Associate Professor of Theology, Fordham University
Drafted Timeline
Drafted Policy Position: “Protecting the Human Rights and Religious Freedom of Palestinians”
Endorsed Palestine Resolutions on Hill:
Delivered (intern-authored) Press Release to media outlets on beats that intersect with the issue. Included our highlight videos from the Eid press conference.
Articles
Invest in MPAC’s work to improve public policies and perceptions. We’re changing how America views Islam and Muslims.
