Chicago Muslim, Palestinian Groups Refuse White House Meeting Due to Gaza Genocide

March 14, 2024

A large group of American Muslim and Palestinian-American organizations and leaders in Chicago today sent a letter to White House officials explaining they are refusing to meet with them because of the administration’s refusal to stop enabling the Israeli government’s ongoing attacks on Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

The letter states in part:

“First, there is no point in more meetings. The White House already knows the position of the aforementioned groups and our allies across the nation. They know because we have made it abundantly clear, including in prior meetings with the White House, but also in press statements, letters to our elected leaders, media interviews, and enormous street action within earshot of the Oval Office. With a genocide that has flattened Gaza, forcibly displacing 85% of its residents, and claiming the lives of 31,000 people, 13,000 of whom are children, the White House has not only refused to call for a ceasefire, but also enabled this blatant campaign of ethnic cleansing to take place by providing financial and military means, as well as diplomatic support at the United Nations. A meeting of the minds is nowhere in sight.

“Second, there is no confusion as to our consistent demand for an immediate ceasefire to end the mass murder of civilians and stave off the worst humanitarian crisis in modern times. We believe another meeting would only act to whitewash months of White House inaction followed by meek handouts. We are interested in serious action. Offering a belated trickle of aid, whether air drops or temporary piers, to captive Palestinian civilians who continue to be shot like fish in a barrel, but remaining unwilling or unable to cease the killing is like dishing out Band-Aids with one hand, while wielding an axe with the other. Poll after poll shows that a clear majority of the American public supports a ceasefire, taking issue with the inaction of the White House and Congress. The people’s voices must be heard.”

Text of Letter Sent to White House officials, Declining Requested Meeting with Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim Leadership in Chicago at This Time

https://www.cair.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/LettertoWhiteHouse.pdf

The organizations that have signed on to the letter include:

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP-Chicago)

American Muslim Health Professionals (AMHP)

CAIR-Chicago

Champaign-Urbana Muslim Action Committee

Coalition for Justice in Palestine

Doctors Against Genocide

Indian American Political Alliance

Muslim Bar Association of Chicago

Muslim Civic Coalition

Muslim Civic Coalition – Activate

Muslim Women’s Alliance Chicago

Muslim Writers Collective-Chicago

Al Nahda Center

Baitul Ilm

Muslims for Just Futures

Northwest Indiana Islamic Center

Orland United for Civic Responsibility

Palestinian American Community Center

Palestinian American Council

Springfield Families for Ceasefire

The Human Dignity Project

The Justice Coalition

The Sanctity Project

The United Holy Land Fund

US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action (USCPR Action)

US Palestinian Community Network

Working Families Will County

Illinois State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid

Reem Townsend, DuPage Township Trustee

Yousif and Hanah Zegar

Omar Sulaiman

Ahmad Sulaiman

Vivian Khalaf

Aisha Ghori

Sufyan Sohel

Durdana Rahman

Furqan Mohammed, Esq.

Mohammed Lakhani

Ferass Safadi

END

CONTACT: Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR Chicago, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com; Tarek Khalil (708) 369-7753; Dr. Deena Kishawi (773) 501-7094; Dr. Joehar Hamdan (708) 307-2451; Deanna Othman (773) 510-8011