WASHINGTON, D.C., May 16th, 2022 – Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action) joined dozens of American Muslim organizations united today to issue a joint statement expressing their unified support for the human rights of all people, including Palestinians, and their unified rejection of Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Director Jonathan Greenblatt’s recent attacks on prominent Muslim, Jewish, Arab, and Palestinian human rights activists.
On Sunday, May 1, Greenblatt sparked a widespread backlash by falsely equating Palestinian human rights activists with white supremacists and J6 insurrections. Greenblatt also claimed that the ADL now considers any criticism of Zionism to be anti-Semitism.
Religion News Service: ADL chief’s attack on left-leaning organizations criticized as dangerous
The Nation: The ADL Goes Full Bully
Truth Out: ADL CEO Misrepresents Report on Antisemitism to Attack Palestinian Groups
The Forward: Anti-Zionism is not (necessarily) antisemitism
In response, a wide array of American Muslim organizations have come together to issue a joint statement rejecting the ADL’s attacks and expressing support for Palestinian human rights. Numerous organizations of other faiths and backgrounds, including Jewish, Arab and Palestinian groups, have signed the statement in solidarity.
AJP Action has — and will continue to stand for — the liberation and human rights of all people, including Palestinians. This joint statement exemplifies the united and unified voice of the civil and human rights communities and rejects the ADL’s hypocritical and dangerous rhetoric.
The ADL has faced increasing criticism for its conduct in recent years, including attacking prominent Muslim leaders like Keith Ellison, embracing the Trump Administration’s anti-Palestinian policies, attacking human rights groups like Amnesty International, and discrediting Human Rights Watch for reporting Israel has become an apartheid state, supporting unconstitutional anti-boycott laws, attacking Ben & Jerry’s for ending sales in illegal settlements on Palestinian land, arranging for U.S. law enforcement to train overseas with Israeli police, standing by anti-Arab racists like Morton Klein, and joining anti-Muslim hate groups in opposing the Park51 mosque.
FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
Muslim & Allied Community Statement in Response to the ADL’s Recent Attack on Groups Supporting Palestinian Human Rights
In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
We, the undersigned Muslim American organizations, express our unified support for the human rights of all people, including Palestinians. We also express our unified rejection of attempts to smear and silence members of our community who advocate for Palestinian human rights.
Far too often, Muslim Americans and others come under attack for daring to call on our nation to stop supporting the Israeli government’s human rights abuses against the Palestinian people. ADL Director Jonathan Greenblatt’s decision to attack prominent Jewish, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian human rights activists, including college students, was only the latest example of this unacceptable pattern.
This must end. Groups like the ADL must not marginalize and slander members of our community working for human rights. As Muslim Americans, we stand united with each other in upholding justice. We also stand with the Jewish Americans, Christian Americans, Arab Americans, Palestinian Americans, African Americans, and many others who have been unfairly attacked for supporting justice for all.
The American Muslim community has vocally, collectively, and consistently stood up against all forms of hatred, including racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian racism. We have also worked closely with our friends and partners in the Jewish community and other communities to confront such threats.
That’s because our faith teaches us to support justice for all people. No matter what attacks we face, we will continue to do so–together, God willing.
Statement Endorsers:
Muslim Community Organizations
- Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action)
- Arizona Muslim Alliance
- American Muslims for Democracy
- American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)
- Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)
- Birmingham Interfaith Human Rights Committee
- Burlington Masjid
- Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
- Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago
- Free Uyghur Now
- ICNA Council for Social Justice
- Islamic Center of Detroit
- Islamic Center of San Diego
- Islamic Center of Passaic County (ICPC)
- Islamic Networks Group (ING)
- Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
- Islamophobia Studies Center
- Justice For All
- Majlis Ash-Shura: Islamic Leadership Council of New York
- Mosque Foundation
- MPower Change
- Muslim Advocates
- Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA)
- Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC)
- Muslim Community Network
- Muslim Forum of the Pacific Northwest
- Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
- Muslim Students Association (MSA National)
- Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA)
- National Muslim Law Students Association (NMLSA)
- North Hudson Islamic Educational Center
- San Francisco Muslim Community Center
- The Mosque Cares Ministry of Imam W. Deen Mohammed
- The Muslim Network
- US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO)
- Young Muslims
Allied Community Organizations
- API Equality-LA
- Arab American Civic Council
- Asian Law Alliance
- Aurora Commons
- Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
- Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA)
- Jewish Voice for Peace
- Jews Say No!
- OPAWL – Building AAPI Feminist Leadership
- Palestinian American Community Center
- Palestinian Youth Movement
- No Separate Justice
- Peace Action
- Revolutionary Love Project
- Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom
- South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
