American Muslims for Palestine

The American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) is an American nonprofit organization founded in 2006. Its stated mission is to "support the American public and media about issues related to Palestine and its rich cultural and historic heritage."[4]

American Muslims for Palestine
Formation2006 (2006)
FounderHatem Bazian[1]
TypeNon-profit organization
HeadquartersPalos Hills, Illinois[2]
National policy director
Osama Abu Irshaid[3]
Key people
Taher Herzallah and Kareem El-Hosseiny[3]
Websitewww.ampalestine.org

AMP holds conferences and training sessions for coalition building and legislative advocacy,[5] such as hosting annual Palestine Advocacy Days, that provide workshop panels and encourage attendees to meet with American Congress members.[6][7] AMP works with Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow to bolster Palestine solidarity campaigns.[8][7]

History

AMP was founded in 2006 by Palestinian-American UC Berkeley professor Hatem Baizan,[9] who is also the co-founder of Students for Justice in Palestine.[10] The organization opened its first office in 2009 in Palos Heights, Illinois.[11]

Policy positions

AMP supports the BDS movement's call for a boycott of Israel in order to put pressure on the country to comply with international law and human rights. The group hopes that a boycott will put an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, grant full equality to Arab Israelis and promote the right of return for the Palestinian refugees.[12] AMP does not take a position on one-state solution or two-state solution as a resolution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[13]

AMP categorically opposes "all forms of racism and bigotry, including Islamophobia, anti-black racism, anti-immigrants, anti-Semitism, and other forms of bigotry directed particularly toward people of color and indigenous peoples everywhere."[14]

Campaigns

AMP co-signed a letter with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) in 2012 calling on the University of California system to protect student civil liberties from efforts to censor Palestine-related activism.[15]

AMP has organized several billboard and bus advertisement campaigns in New York City and Washington DC to end United States' foreign aid to Israel.[16] During the 2014 Gaza war, in which over 2,000 Palestinians were killed, it organized protests against Israel's conduct. In 2015, it ran a bus advertisement campaign in advance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to a joint session of Congress which called on members of Congress to boycott the speech.

In December 2016, AMP hosted an event endorsed by 15 other Syrian advocacy and relief organizations in support of the Syrian resistance at Aleppo in the Battle of Aleppo by encouraging attendees to lobby Congress.[17] Later that month, AMP hosted a protest with Council on American–Islamic Relations and JVP calling on Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to reverse the moratorium on resettling Syrian refugees.[18]

In 2017, JVP, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, the social justice movement Code Pink, and AMP organized a letter campaign signed by 32 Democratic congressman urging United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to assist Palestinian protester Issa Amro who was facing criminal chargers in Israel.[19]

During the 2017 Temple Mount crisis, AMP organized a protest called "Aqsa Under Attack" in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C.[20] During the 2018 Gaza border protests, AMP's local chapter in New Jersey protested outside the offices of Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez, calling them to instigate an investigation on Israel using the Leahy Law.[21]

Reactions

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), has criticized the AMP for allegedly promoting extreme anti-Israel views and allegedly providing a platform for antisemitism under the guise of educating Americans.[22] In 2013, ADL released a report in which it described AMP as one of the most "influential and active anti-Israel groups"[23] The AMP has said that pro-Israel groups like the ADL deliberately use "false anti-Semitism charges" as a way to limit the free speech, silence political activism, and intimidate vocal pro-Palestinian activists.[24]

Middle East historian Asaf Romirowsky says that it "grew out of the network of Muslim Brotherhood organizations in America" and having an Islamist view on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[25]

According to AMP director Kristin Szremski the organization "typically ignores these smear campaigns because they're aimed, in part, to detract us from our work."[26]

A national board member of AMP was prevented entry to Israel as part of an interfaith delegation in 2017.[27] In 2018, Israel officially barred members of AMP from entering Israel due to its support of the BDS movement that calls for a global boycott of Israel.[28][29]

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References
  1. "Dr. Hatem Bazian, Chairman".
  2. "About AMP". American Muslims for Palestine.
  3. "Staff and National Board". American Muslims for Palestine.
  4. "About AMP | American Muslims for Palestine". www.ampalestine.org. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  5. "Palestine Alive". Islamic Horizons. 45: 58. January 2016.
  6. "American Muslims for Palestine Holds Fourth Advocacy Day - WRMEA". www.wrmea.org. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  7. "'American Muslims for Palestine' lobbies Congress on children's rights, funding for refugees, and opposing anti-boycott laws". Mondoweiss. 2018-03-26. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  8. "Anonymous attacks on American Muslims for Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace signals 'escalation' against Palestine solidarity movement". Mondoweiss. 2017-05-13. Retrieved 2018-11-05.
  9. "About : Hatem Zaizan".
  10. "Cal Berkeley's Latest Effort to Erase Jewish History From Israel".
  11. "FAQs : American Muslims for Palestine".
  12. "What is BDS". American Muslims for Palestine.
  13. "AMP Is Here To Stay; False Charges Need To Stop". The Forward. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  14. "Anti-Bigotry Statement". American Muslims for Palestine.
  15. Abunimah, A. The battle for justice in Palestine. p. 191. ISBN 9781608463244. OCLC 864789666.
  16. Pollak, Susan. "Conflict Apparent on Public Transit." Washington Jewish Week, [S.l.], 17 abr. 2014. v. 50, n. 16, p. 5.
  17. Swedberg, Nick. "Southland residents rally on Aleppo's behalf". Daily Southtown. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  18. Cherney, Elyssa. "Multifaith group urges Rauner to change stance on Syrian refugees". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  19. "US lawmakers urge Tillerson to help Palestinian going on trial in Israel". Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  20. "Temple Mount Tensions Coming to D.C.: Protest to Be Held Outside Israeli Embassy". Haaretz. 2017-07-27. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  21. "Activists urge Cory Booker, Bob Menendez to speak out on Gaza killings". North Jersey. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  22. "American Muslims for Palestine". Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  23. "ADL Releases List of 'Top 10 anti-Israel Groups' in the U.S". Haaretz. 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  24. Lorber, Ben. "In the US, we need a Muslim-Jewish alliance ..." www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  25. Baum, Steven K.; Kressel, Neil J.; Cohen, Florette; Jacobs, Steven Leonard (2016-02-04). Antisemitism in North America: New World, Old Hate. BRILL. pp. 92–93. ISBN 9789004307148.
  26. Szremski, Kristin (15 December 2016). "AMP Is Here To Stay; False Charges Need To Stop".
  27. "U.S. Interfaith Delegation Barred From Boarding Flight to Israel 'Over BDS Activism'". Haaretz. 2017-07-25. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  28. "Israel Publishes BDS Blacklist: These Are the 20 Groups Whose Members Will Be Denied Entry". Haaretz. 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  29. i24NEWS. "Israel publishes 'BDS blacklist' of 20 groups barred from entering country". i24NEWS. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
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