Our Team

Dr. Osama Abuirshaid is the Executive Director and a board member of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). He is a board member of the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), an umbrella organization of eight major national American Muslim organizations. He lectures frequently on Middle East and American politics. He is a regular commentator on Palestinian and Middle Eastern affairs as well as on the American domestic and foreign policy on various Arabic satellite T.V. channels such as Aljazeera. He authored or coauthored several books in Arabic and he published dozens of studies and articles in Arabic and English, on issues relevant to the Middle East and its political climate. He is the co-author of the controversial study: "Hamas: Ideological Rigidity and Political Flexibility," which was published by the United States Institute of Peace in 2009. He is a community activist and speaker. Abuirshaid completed his PhD in Political Science at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom.

Taher Herzallah is the Associate Director of Outreach & Community Organizing for American Muslims for Palestine. In this capacity, Mr. Herzallah acts as a liaison between campus activism groups on campuses across the country. He helps these groups procure grants, materials and speakers and is also instrumental in helping students set up programs and activities. Mr. Herzallah also coordinates AMP's grassroots organizing and helps facilitate national coalition building . He is also working to develop AMP chapters across the country. 

Mr. Herzallah is one of the 'Irvine 11,' a group of students who were arrested and prosecuted for expressing their constitutionally protected rights of free speech and political dissent when they walked out of a speech given by Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren at UC Irvine in 2010. Mr. Herzallah was also one of six people arrested for protesting the appointment of David Friedman as US ambassador to Israel at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in February 2017. Mr. Herzallah has had articles published in various media outlets including the Orange County Register and Al Jazeera English. He has been featured on several media and radio interviews throughout the country and internationally. Mr. Herzallah studied Political Science and International Affairs at UC Riverside.

Zarefah Baroud is the Digital Media Associate with American Muslims for Palestine. She is also currently a PhD candidate at the University of Exeter’s European Centre for Palestine Studies. Baroud received her Master’s degree in Policy Studies from the University of Washington, where she researched American aid programs to the Israeli military. You can find her articles on various online news sources, including AlJazeera, Middle East Monitor, TeleSUR, Mondoweiss, Socialist Worker and others. 

Tarek Khaill is an attorney, lecturer, and activist. He worked with the Illinois Coalition Against Torture (ICAT), an organization which seeks to end domestic police torture and raise awareness of global torture.  He was also a volunteer Attorney with the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) , the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group. He’s currently a Chicago board member and Education Coordinator for the American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). Tarek lectures on topics such as modern Palestinian history, Middle East politics, and Palestinian rights under international law.