November 15, 2023
Respected Ohio Elected Officials,
In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
We, the undersigned mosques, Muslim organizations, and leaders, write to express our deep concern regarding the escalating violence and discrimination faced by the Muslim community in Ohio, directly linked to the ongoing crimes against humanity in Palestine.
It has been more than 38 days since Israeli forces attacked the Gaza Strip, in what they call a war of “self-defense” against terrorism, when in reality it has killed at least 11,423 innocent Palestinian civilians, with at least 4,630 of them innocent children who have nothing to do with the events of October 7. Another 25,000 civilians — at minimum — have been injured. This means that, on average, one Palestinian child is murdered every ten minutes in Gaza and the numbers are increasing by the hour. Israeli officers and settlers have murdered an additional 120 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 30 children.
As active members and institutions of the Ohio community, we recognize the importance of fostering understanding, harmony, and security for all residents. This ongoing crisis and escalation by Israel and the occupation forces in Gaza and the West Bank, have had a profound impact on our community’s safety, with a notable rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes, assaults, and discriminatory incidents. The impact of this crisis on our community’s safety is being compounded by the one-sided statements from our elected officials. The biased rhetoric and misinformation surrounding the situation has contributed to a hostile environment that fosters discrimination and violence against those who are Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, perceived Muslim, Jewish, and anyone else of conscience who speaks up for the human rights of Palestinians.
According to recent data from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), they have received over 1,283 new complaints network-wide of Anti-Muslim and Anti-Arab discrimination in just one month. Disturbingly, CAIR-Ohio alone has received at least 195 complaints in the same period, surpassing the total number of complaints received for the entire year of 2022. Of these, at least 151 are directly related to the situation in Palestine. An uptick of over 600% from October 7 through November 4, with more reports daily.
The safety and well-being of our families, especially our children, are paramount, and we believe that addressing the root causes of the escalating anti-Muslim sentiment is imperative for the safety and security of all Ohioans. We urge you, as elected officials representing the diverse population of Ohio, to take a stand against such injustices, divisive discourse, and work towards promoting understanding and tolerance among our residents.
The undersigned community organizations further urge your respected offices to take the following actions:
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- Publicly condemn all forms of discrimination, violence, and hate crimes targeting the Muslim and Arab community in Ohio. Your vocal support for inclusivity and unity will send a powerful message against intolerance.
- Address Israel’s violence against civilians and settlement expansions as of late;
- Express support for the sovereignty, resistance, and will of the Palestinian people, who’ve lived under Israeli occupation for over 75 years—in the same manner your office did regarding the Ukrainian people;
- And to meet with our community, that include medical, legal, and human rights experts on Israeli apartheid and oppression.
It goes without saying that we wish no harm to any innocent soul. To quote directly from the Holy Qur’an, “Whoever takes a life — unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land — it will be as if they killed all of humanity; and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity” (Chapter 5, verse 32). Islam holds all life as sacred, from people to animals to even the trees. But the reality is this: Israel’s aggressions in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank pose a “substantial obstacle to peace,” according to the United Nations.
After October 7, Israeli officials described Palestinians as “human animals” and “bloodthirsty animals,” while the Prime Minister of Israel tweeted, “This is a struggle between the children of light and the children of darkness, between humanity and the law of the jungle.” We cannot ignore the way in which the dangerous rhetoric of this statement builds upon centuries of anti-Black racism. This is a call that indiscriminately targets all Palestinians.
Despite the narratives being pushed, this issue did not begin on October 7, but is being used as an excuse by Israel to commit genocide against Palestinians and to expand their settlements into Gaza and the West Bank. We are witnessing history repeating itself and the American people do not want our tax dollars to continue to fund Israel’s international war crimes, including collective punishment and use of white phosphorous bombs, which has decimated over 825 families in its entirety—all generations of those families completely wiped out.
During the first nine months of 2023, Israeli authorities killed more Palestinians in the West Bank in 2023 than in any year since 2005. The Israeli state has also demolished or seized nearly 300 Palestinian properties in the first quarter of 2023, according to the United Nations, and displaced at least 413 Palestinians, including 194 children. Israeli forces do not spare olive groves and farmland either: harvest season is regularly disrupted by Israeli settlers, who physically assault farmers, vandalize or set fire to their trees, or harvest and steal their produce, according to the United Nations.
Throughout its over seven-decade history of ethnic cleansing and occupation, Israel has bombed Palestinian homes, schools, medical facilities, media buildings, power plants, and UN shelters many times over, including during the recent attacks. Gaza is an open-air prison with a population of 2.3 million Palestinians, over half of which are children. Now, Israeli politicians are enacting for a “complete siege” that cuts off Palestinians’ basic human rights, including access to food, water, fuel, and electricity. This effectively transforms Gaza into an open grave, as one Palestinian stated.
While we grieve the murders of Palestinians and Israelis, we do not lose sight of the fact that the root cause of this cycle of violence is Israeli settler colonialism, military occupation, and apartheid. We join Jewish Voice for Peace in condemning this apartheid and stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters who are crying out, “not in our name,” to this genocide.
To be clear, occupation, genocide, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes are not matters of opinion. These are legal terms defined by International Humanitarian Law and governing bodies like the United Nations. The Center for Constitutional Rights argued that Israel’s policies toward Palestine constitute genocide in 2016; Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, B’tselem, and the United Nations charged Israel with apartheid and ethnic cleansing in 2021 and 2022.
Palestinian and Muslim Americans make up a thriving segment of your constituency. They — we — are committed businesspeople, medical and legal professionals, educators, engineers, elected officials, and much more. Our ask is that you strongly consider the facts laid out in this letter, and act in the best interest of humanity, history, and the lives of your constituents.
Sincerely,
Council on American-Islamic Relations, Ohio (CAIR-Ohio)
Muslim American Society – Columbus (MAS Columbus)
Islamic Society of East Columbus
Ahlulbayt Society of Columbus
AbuBakar Assidiq Islamic Center of Columbus
Islamic Association of Cincinnati (Clifton Mosque)
Islamic Society of Greater Dayton
Islamic Center of Centerville
Islamic Center of Delaware County (Polaris Masjid)
Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati
Dayton Mercy Society
Islamic Council of Dayton
Islamic Foundation of Central Ohio
Noor Islamic Cultural Center
Ohio Recreation and Education Foundation
Osman Gazi Mosque
Ihsan Islamic Center
Ask A Muslim
AlMaghrib Columbus
International Cultural and Relief Assistance (ICRA)
Toledo Muslim Community Center
Muslim American Society of Toledo
Muslim Family Services of Ohio
American Muslims for Palestine – Toledo Chapter
Islamic Center of Fairborn
Islamic Center of Mason
Noor Islamic Plain City Masjid
Masjid Saad Foundation
Islamic Center of Greater Toledo
United Muslim Association of Toledo
Al-Madinah Community Center
First Cleveland Mosque
Muslim Association of Cleveland East
Islamic Society of Northwest Ohio
Islamic Center of Cleveland
Islamic Society of Akron and Kent
Masjid Bilal
Uqbah Masjid
Masjid Attaqwa
Masjid Al-Huda
Black American Muslim Community Center-Columbus
Toledo Masjid of Al-Islam
Islamic Society of Greater Youngstown
Islamic Center of Maineville
Chagrin Valley Islamic Center
Abu Hurairah Mosque