(TOLEDO, OH, 2/15/24) – The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) celebrates the City of Toledo for joining cities across the country in passing a ceasefire resolution in Gaza on Tues. Feb. 14.
Originally the vote was to take place on Jan. 17 but was postponed for nearly a month.
Toledo humanitarians worked tirelessly for months to advocate for their city to stand against genocide and call for an end to the violence by Israel that has claimed the lives men, women, and children with an estimated 30,000 civilians martyred, nearly 70,000 injured and tens of thousands missing under the rubble or held hostage by Israel.
Councilman Martinez stated, “This is an attempt to create a pathway and really come together as a community…I don’t pretend to understand the pain and suffering on both sides of the conflict but what I do say is, I appreciate the Council on working together.”
Watch Toledo City Council Meeting: VIDEO
Dr. Zaheer Hasan, of United Muslims Association of Toledo, (UMAT) said, “The Toledo community of diverse backgrounds and faiths came together and advocated for the City of Toledo to call for a permanent ceasefire and acknowledge the loss of life in Gaza.”
Dr. Jomana Al-Hinti of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) said, “We are grateful to Toledo City Council members for standing up for what’s right, emphasizing Toledo’s status as a Certified Welcoming Community. We thank them for reflecting their constituents demands for peace and diplomacy to end this crisis in Palestine. This is a victory for humanity and peace-loving humans everywhere.”
Councilwoman McPherson commented at the meeting, “I stand in support of this resolution. War is not good nowhere; everyone is affected by it and that’s why I didn’t have a problem supporting it [the resolution]. It matters not where you’re from if you’re from Toledo, we represent you.”
CAIR-Ohio, Executive Director Faten Odeh commended the people of Toledo for their efforts,
“We are proud of the Toledo community for their steadfast advocacy for the suffering people of Gaza. City by city, we intend to send a strong message from the U.S. to Gaza that Americans do not condone the Biden administration’s unwavering support for the Israeli government’s atrocities against the Palestinian people.”
“Our hope is that the City of Cleveland will take note of the surrounding cities who have chosen humanity over fear of losing campaign support. It is time that our representatives reflect the will of the people, and that will is to end the murder of men, women and children. The International Court of Justice has identified Israel’s actions as plausible genocide. Like Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “there comes a time when silence becomes betrayal,” and for our elected officials to be silent during this ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people is a betrayal to humanity.”
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-Ohio, Cleveland & Northern Ohio Executive Director Faten Odeh, fodeh@cair.com, 216-830-2247