General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"Amid campus protests, organizers with past ties to Hamas support also emerge"
from usatoday:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2024/05/22/gaza-student-protests-american-muslims-for-palestine/73775372007/
On Day 7 of the pro-Palestinian protests on the Columbia University campus, Osama Abuirshaid stopped by the student encampment.
The executive director of American Muslims for Palestine walked through the tent city, then made a fiery speech to the gathered crowd.
This is not only a genocide that is being committed in Gaza, Abuirshaid said. This is also a war on us here in America.
Forty-eight hours later, Abuirshaid appeared at another campus George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where he delivered another speech. Osama Abuirshaid at a protest event at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., April 26, 2024.
Campus protests, which swept the country this spring, emerged as an outcry over the civilian death toll of the military campaign Israel launched in response to Hamas Oct. 7 attack. Most student protesters have sought to distance themselves from Hamas, which the United States designated as a terrorist entity in 1997.
But top members of Abuirshaids organization have complex connections to the campus protest movement. And Abuirshaid and others from American Muslims for Palestine were once employees or officials at another group tied to direct financial support for Hamas, USA TODAY found.
From 2002 to 2004, Abuirshaid ran the internal newspaper for a pro-Palestinian media organization called Islamic Association for Palestine. The groups sister fundraising organization, the Holy Land Foundation was designated a terror group in 2001, investigated by the FBI and indicted by the Department of Justice. Ultimately, the foundations leaders went to prison for supporting terrorists, and a federal judge later found both groups responsible for funding Hamas.
An array of pending civil lawsuits alleges that Abuirshaids current group also has close Hamas ties, though these claims remain unproven as the suits work their way through the judicial system.
American Muslims for Palestine denies any Hamas ties, or even a close link to the previous groups.
There have been many allegations and insinuations against American Muslims for Palestine and whether it has connections to Hamas, supports Hamas, or in any way, shape or form aids Hamas. The answer to all of those is simple and clear: No, said Christine Jump, an attorney who represents AMP. No, it does not.
While campus protesters across the country have expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, individual protests have also showcased moments of more overt support for Hamas or for violence: At Stanford University, officials alerted the FBI after a man at a campus protest was seen wearing a headband resembling those worn by Hamas fighters. At Columbia, students chanted Hamas, we love you. We support your rockets too.
jimfields33
(18,006 posts)underpants
(185,341 posts)Of course hes going to these. Its bound to be as ripe as anywhere he (and these groups) could imagine.
Igel
(35,893 posts)No difference. But one's not to be mentioned and the other got a large amount of money from the feds because they think it's evil and (social) media says, "Oh, yeah!"
With chemistry, connections are fairly random.
With people, birds of a feather and all that.
stopdiggin
(12,426 posts)didn't real pin much of anything down here. A suggestion of connections, yes. But one has to grant, tenuous at best. Do they (or the government) really have anything solid against A-M for P? And perhaps more critically - what does this say (in real terms) about funding and direction for campus protests? If anything? (is it claimed that A-Muslims is a driving force for the protests? not in this article - or in anyone sourced for it. similarly, zero mention of funding .. )
Student protest groups, moved by images from Gaza, see a sense of justice in their actions, said Ghaith al-Omari, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, who previously held positions within the Palestinian Authority. Even those who say things which are unpalatable are often coming from ignorance rather than malice."
But al-Omari said seeing occasional images of campus protesters flying Hamas and other militant groups flags is certainly disturbing in terms of supporting what is truly unsupportable.
underpants
(185,341 posts)This one thing is happening and this one guy was there. That doesnt mean cause/effect or even any kind of connection.
Oh youre interested in ____, well Im part of an organization that does that. Of course hes going to these. Its the best recruiting opportunity hes ever had.
LiberalFighter
(53,145 posts)Think. Again.
(15,782 posts)...there are more outside agitators jumping into these protests than there are actual student protesters.