Latest news with #MasarBadil
Memri
4 days ago
- Politics
- Memri
Designated Terrorist Khaled Barakat Of PFLP, Samidoun, And Masar Badil Lauds 'Heroic' Pro-Palestinian Shooter Who Targeted Washington DC Event For Jewish Professionals, Killing Two Israeli Embassy Emp
On May 29, 2025, Designated Terrorist and Canadian citizen Khaled Barakat published an article on the website of his organization, Masar Badil, lauding Elias Rodriguez, the pro-Palestinian activist who targeted a Washington DC event for young Jewish professionals in a shooting attack outside the Capital Jewish Museum which killed a young couple who were employees of the Israeli Embassy. In the article, which was also published in Arabic in the Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper, Barakat praised Rodriguez for his "heroic operation", emphasizing that "today's battle is not confined to Gaza or the West Bank, but includes the diaspora as well", and calling for "the forces of the resistance and their allies" to "build on this moment", adding: "the battle is long and open to all possibilities, but clarity of vision and direction—as Rodriguez demonstrated—is the first condition for victory." Khaled Barakat (see MEMRI TV Clip No. 11905 Canadian-Palestinian PFLP Senior Official Khaled Barakat: The Problem Is Not Israel, It Is America; Israel Is Merely Guarding American Interests In The Region; 'America Is The Plague', March 19, 2025) Khaled Barakat is the founder of both Samidoun and Masar Badil, the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement, and a member of the latter's executive committee. He has been identified by the U.S. government as a senior member of the PFLP. He is also designated terrorist by the U.S. and Canada.[1] A Canadian citizen, Barakat has been residing in Beirut for several months after being designated in Canada in October 2024. Khaled Barakat's article on the Masar Badil website ( Barakat previously expressed support for the shooting attack on his social media accounts, as did his wife and international coordinator of Samidoun, Charlotte Kates. The following is the text of Barakat's article praising the Washinton D.C. attacker and inciting further attacks. "The Operation Carried Out By The Feda'i [Fighter] Elias Rodriguez Was Not A Passing Event... [It] Was A Natural And Legitimate Response" "The operation carried out by the feda'i Elias Rodriguez was not a passing event or an act isolated from the current political and strategic context. Rather, it marked a pivotal moment in clarifying positions and exposing contradictions—especially in the international arenas where solidarity movements with the Palestinian people are active. Occurring amid one of the fiercest phases of the genocidal war waged by the Zionist entity against the Gaza Strip for more than twenty months, the operation was a natural and legitimate response to this brutal aggression and an echo of the voice of resistance that remains alive and deeply rooted in the conscience of free peoples. The revolutionary intellectual and martyr Ghassan Kanafani (1936–1972) was the foremost theorist of revolutionary violence in confronting imperialism and Zionism. Kanafani's link to armed struggle was not romantic but was tightly bound to his political thought, his convictions, and the approach whose logical and moral coherence he defended until the moment of his martyrdom. This practical, organic connection was among the chief reasons for his assassination. Kanafani also waged an unrelenting intellectual struggle against those—whether Palestinians, Arabs, or others—who opposed "external operations." The author of the dictum "behind the enemy everywhere" continually affirmed, up to the moment of his assassination, that there is neither separation nor contradiction between the actions of the fedayeen in Palestine and across its borders and "external operations," so long as the political strategy is unified and the enemy is one. Has the enemy camp changed today? Have its colonial policies changed, or have they grown even more savage? Rodriguez's "Heroic Operation" Revealed "Who Truly Stands With The Resistance And Who Hides Behind General Slogans" Rodriguez's heroic operation clarified that the "solidarity movement" with the Palestinian people is not a single current or unified vision, but rather a mixture of diverse forces: some believe in the path of resistance and the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea, while others have positioned themselves within liberal frameworks that confine the conflict to human rights discourse and the diplomatic arena, and practically call for what is termed the "two-state solution" as the only viable horizon for the Arab-Zionist conflict. This divergence is not new. It reflects the political and ideological contradictions that have always accompanied international solidarity movements, from the Algerian revolution to the support movements for the struggles in Vietnam, South Africa, Ireland, and others. In fact, it also reveals internal Palestinian contradictions—but that is a longer discussion… At the heart of this complex picture lies the importance of Rodriguez's operation. It was not only a security challenge to the U.S. security apparatus but also held up a mirror reflecting the reality of positions: who truly stands with the resistance, and who hides behind general slogans to promote a vision oscillating between nihilism and surrender. Many speak of "the Palestinian people's right to resist," yet they reject any actual, conscious practice of this right if it steps outside the bounds of discourse acceptable in the West, a discourse that often translates into calls for compromises and political concessions, foremost among them the promotion of the "two-state solution" and a "peace" that entails recognition of the Zionist entity's legitimacy and the surrender of Palestine—and of our minds as well. "There Are Those Who [Stand] Firmly And Clearly With The Resistance, Not Only As A Theoretical Concept, But As Practical Action" Conversely, there are those who stood firmly and clearly with the resistance, not only as a theoretical concept, but as practical action grounded in the principles of liberation, return, and the rejection of the occupation's legitimacy. These are the natural extension of Palestinian liberation movements around the world, who view the Palestinian struggle as part of a global front against colonialism, racism, and predatory and brutal capitalism. For this reason, we are witnessing the advance of radical labor, youth, student, and women's forces, while the trend of "conditional solidarity" is in retreat. Rodriguez's operation not only revealed the limits of liberal discourse; it also restored the value of direct action as a mobilizing and agitational tool, placing everyone before their responsibilities. The broad popular response to this operation, particularly among youth and within Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim communities, reveals that popular sentiment remains aligned with armed struggle and a revolutionary position on Palestine. The battle being waged by the Palestinian people is not confined to the West Bank and Gaza, but extends and expands globally within the framework of revolutionary struggle against imperialism, Zionism, and reactionary and fascist regimes. These differences, despite their sharpness, must not turn into a source of nihilistic discord; rather, they should be understood as part of the natural plurality within global liberation movements. Historically, solidarity movements with just causes have witnessed similar divergences, whether in supporting the Cuban revolution, the struggles of Latin America, or even positions on the resistance in Iraq and Lebanon. However, there is an urgent need to prevent the enemy from exploiting this "plurality," especially amid the genocide. The Zionists, through propaganda campaigns and political and legal pressures, seek to demonize all who support the resistance and its supporters, and to sow doubt and distrust within the ranks of solidarity activists in general. Our assessment is that the majority of the Palestinian people—inside the homeland and in the diaspora—especially in light of the massacres in Gaza, see the revival of feda'i action as a revolutionary necessity. They are calling for broader popular participation in supporting the resistance, whether political, financial, media, or cultural support, or through direct involvement. This is the popular cradle and the revolutionary driving force needed to halt the aggression, shift the balance of power, and achieve liberation. The greater the occupation's crimes, the deeper the conviction that there is no place for neutrality and that confronting the enemy has become a duty, not a choice. "Today's Battle Is Not Confined To Gaza Or The West Bank, But Includes The Diaspora As Well... The Forces Of The Resistance And Their Allies Must Build On This Moment" Today's battle is not confined to Gaza or the West Bank, but includes the diaspora as well. Therefore, Rodriguez's operation represents a cry in the face of the American system, and a message that resistance is not the preserve of geography, race, or color, but is an affiliation, an identity, and an ethical and political stance that allows for no compromise. In conclusion, the forces of resistance and their allies must build on this moment, broaden the circles of revolutionary dialogue with liberation movements on an international level, and safeguard their ranks against the Zionist campaigns that seek to isolate and defame the resisters. The battle is long and open to all possibilities, but clarity of vision and direction—as Rodriguez demonstrated—is the first condition for victory.
Memri
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Leaders Of Designated Terror Organization Samidoun Call Murder Of Young Couple By Pro-Palestinian At Jewish Event In Washington, D.C. 'Only Logical' – Adding 'Yes – To Globalize The Intifada'
Following the murder of a young Jewish couple, both employees of the Israeli Embassy, outside the Capital Jewish Museum last night, the founder and international coordinator of the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network expressed support for the murder and blaming "Israel's crimes in Gaza" for it. Samidoun is affiliated with the designated terrorist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and in October 2024 was designated terrorist by the U.S., Canada, and other countries. It raises funds for the PFLP. Khaled Barakat, founder of both Samidoun and Masar Badil, the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement, and a member of the latter's executive committee, has been identified by the U.S. government as a senior member of the PFLP. He is also designated terrorist by the U.S. and Canada. A Canadian citizen, Barakat has been residing in Beirut for several months after being designated in Canada in October 2024. Charlotte Kates, Barakat's wife, is Samidoun's international coordinator. Kates was arrested in May 2024 following her speech at a rally in Vancouver, British Columbia in which she expressed support for Hamas, the PFLP, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Lebanese Hizbullah and demanded that they be removed from Canada's terror list. In August 2024, Kates traveled to Iran to accept Iran's "Eighth Annual Islamic Human Rights And Human Dignity Award," presented in Tehran on August 4 by the secretary general of the High Council for Human Rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The following day in Tehran, she gave a detailed interview to Iran's Ofogh TV, discussing her arrest. Kates traveled to Lebanon to attend the funeral of Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah in February 2025 and so far appears to still be there. Barakat and Kates (Source: May 18, 2018) Below are statements by Barakat and Kates about last night's murder: Samidoun Founder Khaled Barakat: "Israel's Crimes In Gaza Are Responsible For The Killing Of Its Representatives In Washington"; "We Affirm That The Occupation Is The Original Crime, And That Those Who Seek To Criminalize The Reactions While Remaining Silent On The Massacre Are Complicit In The Ongoing Crime" In a report published on the website of Masar Badil, aka the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement, following the murder, Barakat was quoted as saying: "[T]he shooting incident that occurred in the U.S. capital, Washington, targeting employees of the 'Israeli' embassy, is a natural consequence of the Zionist entity's crimes in the Gaza Strip." He added: "This explosion of anger in the heart of the U.S. capital is neither isolated nor random, but one of the manifestations of pain and deep rage stemming from the international community's disregard for the suffering of Palestinians, and its complicity in shielding the killers and granting them impunity. We affirm that the occupation is the original crime, and that those who seek to criminalize the reactions while remaining silent on the massacre are complicit in the ongoing crime." Samidoun International Coordinator Charlotte Kates: "People Will Act When There Is No Accountability Whatsoever Imposed Upon That Genocidal Regime [Israel]"; "It's Only Logical That People Will Find Alternative Means Of Imposing Consequences" – "And Yes, To Globalize The Intifada" On her X account, Samidoun International Coordinator Charlotte Kates wrote: "Urging everyone to avoid speculation about 'false flags' whenever an incident occurs that people find inconvenient for media." She added in the past that "basic actions of 'legal' protest are being criminalized." In subsequent messages, she went on to write: "It should surprise literally no one that people will act when there is no accountability whatsoever imposed upon that genocidal regime," i.e. Israel, and that "it's only logical that people will find alternative means of imposing consequences." She concluded: "And yes, to globalize the intifada."
Memri
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Zoom Bans Planned Webinar By 'Masar Badil' Organization, Led By U.S.- And Canada-Designated Terrorist And PFLP Top Member Khaled Barkat
On March 16, 2025, the website of the organization Masar Badil claimed that a planned webinar, set to take place on Zoom on March 14th, was blocked by the platform. Masar Badil is lead by Khaled Barakat, a senior official with Designated Terror Organization Popular Fron for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), who was also Designated a terrorist himself by the U.S. and Canada in October 2024. [1] Masar Badil has been using the Zoom platform to conduct interviews and conferences with the officials of Iran-backed jihadi organizations and international activists, livestreaming the meetings and later posting them to the Masar Badil website. For example, see the following MEMRI reports: In September Livestream With Hamas Spokesman, PFLP-Affiliated Canadian 'Masar Badil' NGO Continues To 'Amplify Voices' Of Top Terrorists, Incite Protest Escalation – In English And Spanish; Participant Charlotte Kates, Coordinator Of Designated Terrorist Front Samidoun: Activists Must 'Escalate Struggle' To Remove Hamas, PFLP, Hizbullah From Western Terror Lists 'Masar Badil' Organization, Led By Canada-Based Former PFLP Member And Samidoun Affiliate Khaled Barakat, Hosts Interview With Nasruddin Amer, Official In The Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organization Ansar Allah – Houthis – Who Calls October 7 'A Great Victory,' Says 'Our War With Israel And The U.S Is Continuous... Our Struggle With Them Is An Existential Struggle'; You Can Support The Resistance With 'Marches And The Occupation Of Spaces In Universities, Taking To The Street Regularly' Top Hamas Official Ghazi Hamad In Interview With Pro-Palestinian NGO 'Masar Badil': Protests In West Are 'Much Appreciated,' 'Very Effective'; We Coordinate 'With All The Parties, Not Only With The Resistance Factions In The Region'; 'We Will Never Recognize Israel'; We Have Met With 'Leftist Parties'; Since October 7, 'We Were Able To Expand The Area Of Confrontation With The Enemy' And 'Move In So Many Wide Areas, Politically, Diplomatically, Media-Wise'; 'The World Is Becoming More Pro-Palestinian' [1] October 15, 2024.
Memri
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Memri
'Masar Badil' Activist George Qarmout at New York World Workers Party Forum: Hamas's Focus on Palestinian Needs Paved the Way for October 7; We Need to Follow the Example of Hamas, Houthis, North Kore
George Qarmout, an activist with Masar Badil, which is closely linked to U.S. designated terror organizations Samidoun and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), spoke at the New York World Workers Party Black History Forum on February 20, 2025. He discussed how the October 7 attacks and the release of hundreds of prisoners were made possible by Hamas's efforts to meet the primary needs of Palestinians before engaging in armed struggle. He encouraged participants to follow the examples set by Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen, North Korea, Venezuela, and Cuba before embarking on a "full revolution." Khaled Barakat, the Canadian leader of Masar Badil, was designated by the U.S. and Canada on October 15, 2024, for being among the leaders of the PFLP, a U.S. designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. In the same statement, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network (Samidoun) as a "sham charity" used to fundraise internationally for the PFLP. Barakat is the founder of Samidoun, and his wife, Charlotte Kates, serves as the International Coordinator of the organization.
Memri
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Dr. Helyeh Doutaghi, Iranian Academic Suspended By Yale University For Alleged Ties To PFLP-Linked Designated Terror Supporter Samidoun: I Will Use Everything At My Disposal To Fight The 'Fascist Dict
Iranian academic Dr. Helyeh Doutaghi, Deputy Director of the Law and Political Economy Project at Yale University, discussed her suspension in a March 14, 2025, interview on Drop Site News. Doutaghi, who was put on administrative leave due to her alleged ties with Samidoun—a U.S. Designated terrorist-linked group—and the Islamic Republic of Iran, said that Yale was aware of her activism when she was hired, and she had been led to believe that her involvement was seen as an asset. She remarked: "I will use everything and anything at my disposal to fight this fascist dictatorship of the United States." Doutaghi criticized American institutions, particularly Ivy League universities, as tools of the "fascist project" of the United States under President Trump, calling it a "clarifying moment" to realize how empty these institutions are of intellectual integrity. Dr. Doutaghi (left) at the Palestinian Liberation Conference organized by Samidoun offshoot Masar Badil in Ottowa, April 2023 (source: Doutaghi, an Iranian national with a Ph.D. in Legal Studies from Carleton University in Canada, is also a member of the Committee of Anti-Imperialists in Solidarity with Iran (CASI). She has appeared multiple times on Iran's state-run English language TV channel, Press TV. Doutaghi has participated in events organized by Samidoun and its offshoot, Masar Badil. Samidoun is a Designated Terrorist Entity in Canada and is under U.S. sanctions for acting as a front to fund the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-Designated Terrorist Organization. Doutaghi was scheduled to appear in an April 2024 webinar sponsored by Samidoun and CASI alongside Khaled Barakat, a leader of Masar Badil, who has been designated a terrorist by Canada and is identified as a senior member of the PFLP by the United States. Dr. Doutaghi featured in a Samidoun webinar in April 2024, titled "Palestine & Iran: Changing the Global Balance of Power" (source: X, @SamidounPP). Helyeh Doutaghi: "Nothing about what I've done, Yale didn't know or... or they should've known. [...] "I will use everything and anything in my disposal to fight this fascist dictatorship of the United States. [...] "It's important to recognize Israel not... Obviously not as a state or even anything close to it, but very much as a political project by Western colonialist, imperialist forces that were put in our region. And so, what was significant about the past year and a half – two years, almost – is the incredible resistance of the Palestinians and of the Popular forces of [the] region, all across." [...] Interviewer: "Had anyone from Yale, prior to this, ever mentioned Samidoun to you, or any organization, or given you any warning that, you know, 'We're concerned you might be involved with a sanctioned organization?'" [...] Doutaghi: "I had said that I had been a long-time organizer in the anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, and anti-colonialist movements, and the student movements, in Canada, where I was before. And I had been very loud and proud about what I've done and my activities. And there is no reason for them not to know about this. But no, they never raised any concerns. In fact, when I was being hired at DLP, I was led to believe that my politics, and my intellectual work, and my organizing work is really an asset to the team. And it turns out, it wasn't. [...] "U.S., American institutions, especially these Ivy Leagues, you know, I was... especially these Ivy Leagues. They are not just being silenced, they are very much a mechanism and a tool in the hands of the fascist project that the U.S., under Trump, is unfolding. [...] "It really is a clarifying moment for a lot of people to just realize how empty of any intellectual integrity these institutions are."
