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Express Tribune
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Muslim US lawmakers pledge to raise Gaza human rights abuses in Congress
A group of four Muslim members of the US Congress—Andre Carson, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Latifah Simon—along with non-Muslim lawmaker Summer Lee, pledged to bring the issue of grave human rights violations and the alleged genocide of unarmed Palestinian civilians in Gaza to the US Congressional Human Rights Commission. During a meeting at a local Oakland hotel with a delegation from the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) over the weekend, the lawmakers assured they would push for formal congressional hearings on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and explore all possible avenues to facilitate the delivery of food and medical aid to besieged areas. The ICNA delegation, led by Dr Asim Asad, included members who traveled from across the United States—Florida, Dallas, Sacramento, and San Jose—to meet both individually and collectively with the lawmakers. The meeting was organised in coordination with the US American Muslim Political Action Committee, whose president, Istefa Zaidi, hosted a reception dinner in honor of the congressional guests. Zaidi also emphasized Muslim unity in his remarks. The ICNA delegation invited Dr Bilal Piracha, a physician who had returned just three days earlier from Gaza, to brief lawmakers on the worsening situation. Piracha, speaking at the event, delivered an emotional and graphic account of the destruction he witnessed, calling on members of Congress to personally visit the Gaza border and lead convoys of aid trucks into the region. "This is no longer a time for words but for action," Piracha said. "Let members of Congress be seen, let the world see that we cannot stay silent while genocide unfolds. Even if we are arrested or blocked, the message must be sent: enough is enough." He also appealed—through a viral social media video—to Pakistan's Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, urging him to leverage his growing rapport with former US President Donald Trump to pressure American leadership into halting what he described as 'the systematic extermination of Palestinians.' Piracha further urged Pakistan's military to coordinate with Egypt and Jordan to send relief goods—including food and medicine—via C-1 transport planes through the Rafah border crossing. Describing this as his third medical relief mission to Gaza, Dr Piracha said the current conditions were 'far worse and utterly inhumane' compared to his previous visits. "Continuous bombings, bloodshed, and a flood of injured women, children, and the elderly in hospitals that are barely functioning—this is a humanitarian catastrophe," he said. He noted that World Central Kitchen, which had been providing one meal per day, ceased operations a week ago. 'Hospitals are out of advanced equipment, essential medicines, and even basic food supplies. People now say, 'Give us bread—even if you shoot us afterward.'' The United Nations' food assistance has also reportedly been halted. According to Piracha, Israeli and American business interests operating under the guise of the "Gaza Foundation" are profiting from the crisis. 'Thousands arrive hungry, but only a few dozen boxes are distributed—and Israeli forces use the rest as bait to carry out mass shootings,' he alleged. He also revealed that many victims lay unattended as the fear of sniper fire deterred efforts to retrieve bodies. His team, granted access through the World Health Organization and humanitarian group Heroic Heart, included 30 volunteers who worked in extreme conditions. At its peak, 20 kitchens were operating in Gaza, but due to a lack of funds, only four large kitchens remain, each costing over $120,000 per month. "We are feeding a few thousand families with basic stews made from eggplants and zucchini grown locally in Gaza," Piracha said. He concluded by saying that the people of Gaza, after 14 days of witnessing despair and devastation, are now left asking: Where is the Muslim Ummah? Where is humanity?
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dem lawmaker admits people might actually mean it when they say ‘globalize the intifada'
Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., acknowledged this week that some people might literally mean the phrase "globalize the Intifada," and deflected on why New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has been reluctant in fully condemning it. According to the American Jewish Committee, the phrase "calls for people from around the globe to participate in rising up against Israel." The Second Intifada against Israel in the early 2000s was marked by Palestinian terrorism, including suicide bombings against Israeli civilians. "Speak to people who might still be on the fence here, especially on the 'globalize the intifada' phrase, because that, you know, really did not go over well with some folks out there," Fox News national correspondent Aishah Hasnie asked Carson as Mamdani visited Capitol Hill on Wednesday. "Sure," Carson responded. James Carville Warns Mamdani To Keep 'Globalize The Intifada' Phrase 'Out Your Mouth' "What does he need to do besides, I mean, do you think he needs to just come out and condemn the phrase?" Hasnie asked. Read On The Fox News App "Well, I think he'll speak to it. I mean, some people mean it literally, some people have repurposed the phrase, they mean it symbolically, and I think he can speak to it better than I can," Carson said. The New York Times reported Tuesday that Mamdani said he would not use the phrase and would "discourage" the use of it during remarks he gave to over 100 business executives during a private meeting in Rockefeller Center at the offices of Tishman Speyer. Mamdani had repeatedly dodged questions about the phrase "globalize the intifada," which is widely seen as a call for violence against Jewish people. Dem Rep. Ritchie Torres Shreds Mamdani On Failure To Condemn 'Intifada' Language During an event Monday with a New York City musicians' union celebrating its endorsement of Mamdani, the Democratic Party's nominee for mayor avoided answering questions about the controversial rhetoric and whether he supports the phrase. After Mamdani won the Democratic mayoral nomination in a political upset, he came under fire from Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., during an interview in June on ABC. "Globalizing the intifada, by way of example, is not an acceptable phrase, and he's going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward," Jeffries said. Mamdani originally declined to condemn the rhetoric during an interview last month with The Bulwark podcast. During a "Meet the Press" interview with host Kristen Welker where she asked Mamdani to condemn the rhetoric three times during an interview, he article source: Dem lawmaker admits people might actually mean it when they say 'globalize the intifada'
