Criticizing policies of any country is political speech and Israeli policies are no exception

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(CHICAGO 05/21/2014) – The American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), a national education and advocacy organization, today reaffirms its commitment to educate the public about Israeli policies that violate international law and deny Palestinians their basic human rights.

AMP ran a bus ad in Washington DC during the Cherry Blossom Festival that called for an end to US aid to the Israeli occupation. Our educational material supporting the ad discussed how the US made an agreement to give Israel $30 billion over a 10-year period and we quantified it by showing what that money could buy Americans here at home. We also illuminated aspects of Israel’s military occupation and how that occupation violates international law and denies Palestinians basic human rights. This is all political speech, pure and simple.

AMP reject’s Pamela Geller’s attempt to conflate our political speech with anti-Semitism. AMP also rejects Geller’s response to our political speech ad with a racist and Islamophobic one.

“The policies of any country are often topics in the national discourse and Israeli policies are no exception,” said Dr. Osama Abu Irshaid, an AMP national board member. “Criticizing Israeli policies is not anti-Semitic or ‘Jew-hating,’ as Geller claims.”

Dr. Abu Irshaid added, “Typically, we don’t respond to Geller and her attention-seeking tactics, but this ad is so over the top we felt we had to speak out.”

Dr. Abu Irshaid is based in the Washington D.C. area. He is available for interviews and can be reached at 571.276.6030.

The American Muslims for Palestine is a national grassroots organization dedicated to educating the public about issues related to Palestine and its rich cultural and historical heritage. For more information, go to www.ampalestine.org.

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