AMP Applauds BDS Victory in Arizona

(WASHINGTON, D.C. 3/17/2018)—On Friday, March 17, Arizona State University (ASU), the Arizona Board of Regents, and Arizona Attorney General reached a court-approved agreement with American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), AMP Chairman Dr. Hatem Bazian, and the CAIR Legal Defense Fund to allow an event featuring Dr. Bazian to move forward on April 3. AMP welcomes this decision as a victory for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, since the speaking contract previously included an unconstitutional anti-BDS clause that prohibits AMP and Dr. Bazian from engaging in a boycott of Israel.  

Last month, Dr. Bazian and AMP refused to sign the contract and filed a lawsuit with CAIR in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, challenging the BDS law as a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech. Since the lawsuit was filed, ASU has agreed to issue a revised speaker engagement contract that no longer requires Dr. Bazian and AMP to comply with the Arizona anti-BDS statute.

“The agreement with Arizona State University is a victory for the First Amendment and the rights of free speech. Again, pro-Israel forces worked hard to silence the voices of justice and human rights but hard work and dedication made the difference. This is a victory for the BDS movement and a victory for Palestine's voice in the US. I am deeply indebted to CAIR's hard work that will make it possible for me to exercise the rights enshrined in the First Amendment, the right to speak at Arizona State University on BDS and oppose Israeli Apartheid! Great to work with the CAIR Arizona, CAIR National and AMP's team on this important legal challenge,” said AMP Chairman Dr. Hatem Bazian, who was a plaintiff in the lawsuit, in response to yesterday’s victory. 

Dr. Osama Abuirshaid, AMP’s national policy director, also praised the recent decision, “As Americans, we should not accept the infringement on our constitutional rights and freedom of expression. BDS is a nonviolent tool to resist Israel’s illegal occupation and subjugation of Palestine and the Palestinians. These institutionalized attempts to silence us in the name of unconstitutional laws should be challenged in courts all over the U.S. That is exactly what we have done here and we are pleased with the outcome. If politicians have no problem disregarding the constitution, then we have no problem in challenging them in courts to force them to comply with the values of our constitution.”

AMP has been a longtime supporter of the BDS movement and is working to fight anti-BDS legislation at the state and federal level. 

Founded in 2006, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) is dedicated to advancing the movement for justice in Palestine through education, advocacy, and grassroots mobilization. AMP is committed to ending U.S. support for the Israeli occupation, to raising awareness about the plight of the Palestinian people, and to supporting their right to freedom, justice, equality, and self-determination in accordance with international law.

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