Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network is an endorser of the following statement, which condemns attacks and smear campaigns perpetrated by institutions and outlets linked to the Palestinian Authority against Palestinian organizers. In this case, these smears targeted Dr. Osama Abu Irshaid of American Muslims for Palestine (pictured above). We view such campaigns as a natural counterpart of the “security coordination” in which the Palestinian Authority engages with the Israeli occupation, at the expense of Palestinians inside Palestine and in exile, as well as the imprisonment of Palestinian activists inside occupied Palestine in a “revolving door” with Zionist prisons. To sign the statement, please add your name at this link.
We, the undersigned Palestinian community members, leaders and organizations condemn the recent attacks and threats made against Palestinian-American leader and Executive Director of American Muslims for Palestine, Dr. Osama Abu Irshaid.
On September 30th, Dr. Osama Abu Irshaid revealed that he had received threats to his life from other Palestinian-Americans acting on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA) due to his positions critical of the PA’s policies of repression and the assassination of activist Nizar Banat.
Dr. Osama also revealed that operatives in the US working on behalf of the PA placed the American Muslims for Palestine logo on a forged letter with a forged signature of Dr. Abu Irshaid oddly addressed to the Honorable Patricia Lynn. The letter was designed to create suspicion and confusion of Dr. Osama’s and American Muslims for Palestine’s intentions and work for Palestine in the US. Furthermore, based on the forged document written by PA proxies, a video made by a media outlet affiliated with the Palestinian Authority security services maligned and demonized Dr. Osama Abu Irshaid as an enemy of the Palestinian people. The video and the letter falsely accuse Dr. Osama and American Muslims for Palestine of lobbying the US government to cut aid to Palestinian prisoners, refugees and families.
These tactics of harassment, intimidation and threats toward Palestinian leaders are unacceptable and are wholly rejected by the Palestinian community in the United States. We demand that the PA and those affiliated with it in the U.S. cease immediately and to stop disrupting the work for Palestine in America. The PA’s ineptitude and incompetence in managing the affairs of Palestinians has never been clearer. It is also clear from this experience and that of so many others, that those who work on behalf of the PA in the US are only interested in disrupting the incredible work of Palestinian-Americans working to uplift this cause and people.
We call on the Palestinian Authority, those who represent it and act as proxies of it in the United States to immediately end their intimidation, harassment and threats to Palestinian-American leaders and organizations. We demand an outing of these individuals and an end to community collaboration with the PA in the U.S. Our work for Palestine in the US is non-factional and we will not accept any attempts by those committed to factionalism to coerce our work for their own benefit. As such, no Palestinian activist or organization in the US should operate as unregistered foreign agents. It is detrimental to our work, makes us vulnerable to attacks and undercuts the decades of work that has built a vibrant and effective movement for Palestine in America.
The Palestinian community’s work to advance Palestinian rights and freedom in the US over the past several decades has been nothing short of incredible. One of the biggest obstacles we face in our work is the PA, its security collaboration with the Israeli occupation and its inability to understand the value and importance of our advocacy. We will not allow the PA to disrupt our work, hijack it, or factionalize it. We will not allow the PA and those affiliated with it to turn Palestinian communities against each other.
Signed,
Organizations
Al Awda Palestinian Right to Return Coalition
Palestinian Youth Movement
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
National Arab American Women’s Association
Palestinian Assembly for Liberation
Yalla Indivisible
New Generation for Palestine
Nablus Association in USA
American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Eyewitness Palestine
Palestinian American Women’s Association
Council on American Islamic Relations
US Palestinian Community Network
NY Muslims United for Civic Engagement
Palestinian American Women’s Association – Southern California
Arab Organizing and Resource Center
Union of Palestinian American Women
US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
Individuals
Amani Barakat, Al Awda PRRC
Hatem Mohtaseb, Palestinian Youth Movement
Joe Catron, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
Ahmad Abuznaid, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
Ghada Barakat, National Arab American Women’s Association
Ibraheem Samirah, Virginia State Delegate, 86th District
Lamis Deek, Palestinian Assembly for Liberation, Al Awda NY
Noura Khouri, Al Awda
Lubna Hammad, Yalla Indivisible
Khaled Saffuri, ADC
Nihad Awad, Council on American Islamic Relations
Husein Mihyar, Nablus Association in USA
Nesreen Salamh, PAWA
Monadel Herzallah, USPCN
Nada El-Eryan, Eyewitness Palestine
Amer Zahr, New Generation for Palestine
Mary Harb, PAWA – Southern California
Mir Masum Ali, NYMUCE
Dr. Ahlam Muhtaseb, Cal State San Bernardino
Lara Kiswani, Arab Resource and Organizing Center
Wardeh Abdelmuti, Union of Palestinian American Women
Mohammed Nabulsi
Bashir Alfadda
Lori Ajlouny
Lauren Harb
Ali Diab
Hannan Wazwaz
Musa Al-Hindi
Ahmed Saleh
Arshad Ameen
Bassam Imam
Huwaida Arraf
Arwa Alkhawaja
Linda Amin Badwan
Mohammad Dalbah
Naila Ali
Fatmeh Atieh, Alenteshar Newspaper
Reverend Dr. David M Hindman, Retired Clergy, The United Methodist Church
Ayman Balshe
Jim Best, Virginia Coalition for Human Rights
Sayel Kayed, AMP New Jersey
Fadya Risheq
Sana Daoud
Amira Daoud
Abdelbaset Hamayel
Rama Atieh, AMP Chicago
Issam Saadeh, AMP Chicago
Osama Ahmad
Naeem Raja
Naser Doleh
Ruba Akel
Mariam El-Khatib, AMP Minnesota
Nida Ali
Nadia Hannoun, Islamic Center of Wheaton
Haitham Abulhaija
Mohammad Hamdan
Dana Alhasan
Deyaedden Elghassein
Dr. Khaled Zayed
Haithem El-Zabri
Sara Hammouri
Tarek Khalil
Wafa Elhindi
Mohammad Abdelhadi
Hebh Jamal
AbdelRahman Alrazzi
Nazia Shaheed
Huda El-Khatib
Jafar Ahmad, AMP Chicago
Wajeeh Abushawish, Rutgers Students for Justice in Palestine
Ismail Qaddoura
Othman M Mohammad
Bill Slaughter
Ibrahim Mossallam
Foad Salem
Ramzi Khoursheed
Nancy Wein
Hisham Morgan
Rajaa Baladi
Mohamed Sadeia
Taher Herzallah, American Muslims for Palestine
Ahmad Abdelrahim
Jomana Al-hinti
Abder Ghouleh
Nael Areigat
Lily Karam
Zuhair Al-Atwi
Barehan Qaisi
Helmy Mostafa
Reverend Fahed Abuakel
Nour Aboughoush
Paul Norsi
Dean Salem
Adam B Kandil
Isabel Anwar
Amaney Samad
Rosemary Sayigh
Linda Mansour
Mustapha Ahmad
Wegdan Ashkar
AbdelHamid Siyam
Bassam Mohammad
Younes Zayyad
Ayatullah Mohammad
To sign the statement, please add your name at this link.
