All posts tagged: American Muslims for Palestine

Palestinian allies make last-ditch push for speaker on the DNC stage

Palestinian allies make last-ditch push for speaker on the DNC stage

Published by skeptic

(RNS) — Arab Americans, Muslim Americans and their interfaith allies spent much of Thursday (Aug. 22) pushing Democratic officials to allow a Palestinian American to speak from the party convention’s main stage, to convey a message of solidarity despite the party’s so-far consistent support for Israel in its prosecution of the war in Gaza. The push was accompanied by an all-night sit-in outside Chicago’s United Center at which members of the “uncommitted” movement also made speeches pressing the Democratic National Convention to feature a Palestinian speaker. The uncommitted — so-called because members of the movement wrote in “uncommitted” on their ballots rather than vote for President Joe Biden in this year’s Democratic primaries — want the DNC to recognize the suffering of Palestinians, 40,000 of whom have been killed by Israel’s massive Gaza assault of the past 10 months, an assault backed by U.S. bombs and munitions that has flattened the Gaza Strip and left tens of thousands homeless.  In an emotional speech from the stage of the convention on Wednesday, Israeli Americans Rachel Goldberg-Polin …

With war in Gaza, American Muslims plan Ramadan of protest and activism

With war in Gaza, American Muslims plan Ramadan of protest and activism

Published by Sam

(RNS) — Every weekend during the month of Ramadan for the past six years, tens of thousands of Muslims have flocked to Dearborn, Michigan, to attend a late-night Suhoor Festival, named for the meal eaten before the daylong fast starts during Ramadan. From 10 p.m. until 3 a.m., the festival’s attendees, who will fast from food and water once the sun comes up, spend the pre-dawn hours eating and drinking with family and friends from specialty food trucks and shopping in the warmth of vendors’ heated tents. The joyous occasion has become a hallmark of Dearborn life, where more than half the residents are Arab Americans. But this year, in light of the war and starvation taking place in Gaza, as well as Muslim-majority countries such as Yemen and Sudan, the organizers of the festival have scaled it down, rebranding it as “Suhoor for Humanity.”  “This year, we are not looking to be festive, but to bring people together for a good cause,” said Ali Sayed, owner of Hype Athletics, a youth center in Dearborn Heights …