(CLEVELAND, OH, 10/12/23) – On Wednesday, Oct. 11, the Cleveland office of the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) was joined by members of the interfaith community to address the recent surge of violence in the Middle East.
Organizations who joined CAIR-Ohio include Cleveland Peace Action, Jewish Voice for Peace, the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, Teatime for Peace, Al Awada, The Palestine Breakfast Club, Horizon Science Academy and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Addressing the press, CAIR-Ohio Interim Executive Director Faten Odeh said:
“As a Muslim, it’s important for me to say from the start that we value all human life and when innocent people die it is indeed a tragedy. The violence that erupted on Saturday is not without context. Anyone who has taken a history class knows there is always a cause to an effect. Saturday’s event is a response to the cruel and brutal oppression and illegal occupation that the Palestinians have been enduring for decades from the Israeli Apartheid state.”
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SEE: A Synopsis of the Israel/Palestine Conflict If Americans Knew is dedicated to providing Americans with everything they need to know about Israel and Palestine. ifamericansknew.org |
Dr. Shereen Naser, founding member of the Palestine Breakfast Club and member of the Palestinian Christian community said,
“One day, I will take my children to the small church where my father was baptized as a small child, where there great grandparents harvested olives and ran a small sandwich shop, one day I will take them through the beautiful roads that my parents walked with me hand in hand, showing me the beautiful land and the beautiful people of Palestine. I hope that day we will walk with equal rights in peace, side-by-side, able to thrive and live joyously and free of the routine violence of Israel.”
Dr. Shutkin of Jewish Voice for Peace and the Center for Jewish Nonviolence said:
“As a nonviolent Jewish activist, it is my responsibility to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with my Palestinian friends and partners resisting for a just future where Palestinians and Jews live with freedom and dignity.”
Speakers urged local organizations, sports teams, and public officials to cease with their one-sided statements in support of Israel, whilst there are tens of thousands of Palestinian Clevelanders they have chosen to disregard.
CAIR-Ohio Interim Executive Director Faten Odeh said:
“They have turned a blind eye to the denial of the basic human rights and dignity of the of Palestinian people and the right to return of the Palestinian refugees to their homes and land, which should be guaranteed to them under international law. Why are we Palestinian Clevelanders and the suffering of our families not included in these statements of compassion, solidarity, and sympathy. Are we not human too? One must speak up for all innocent human lives because selective morality is immorality.”
Speakers also included Don Bryant with Cleveland Peace Action, Steve Ritchey with Teatime for Peace and Chance Zurub, Civil Rights attorney with CAIR-Ohio.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. CAIR-Ohio’s mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims. CAIR-Ohio has offices in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland.
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.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Cleveland Interim Executive Director Faten Odeh, fodeh@cair.com, 216-830-2247