The following is imam Mohammad Ali Elahi’s statement during the press conference at IHW calling for immediate ceasefire in Gaza’s holocaust! 12/7/23
Ladies and gentlemen,
Salaam and good morning,
Today marks one of the most horrendous and heart-breaking moments in the history of humanity. The ongoing situation in Gaza has resulted in the loss of countless innocent lives, with thousands of civilians killed and wounded, hospitals targeted, and homes destroyed. This is not a war; it is a brutal invasion characterized by relentless and indiscriminate bombardments. This morning I read an article in NYT titled: “ The most dangerous place to be a child in the world is Gaza”
The atrocities in Gaza reminds us the tragic events of the Rwanda genocide in 1994. The international community must recognize the severity of this crisis, with the lives of countless men, women, and children. We condemn this injustice, oppression, and the mass murder of Gaza civilians, the majority of whom are women and children. Killing of hundreds of doctors, nurses, babies in damaged ICUs, and journalists demonstrate the evil nature of this Gaza holocaust.
Our stance is not anti-Semitic. We know that all the original Palestinians being Jews, Christians or Muslims are Semitic, while criminals such as Netanyahu whose family came to Holy Land from Poland, are not Semitic. Therefore it’s nonsense to use this term here. We stand for Semitism, we are not anti-Semitic., we are anti-occupation, oppression, apartheid, racism, ethnic cleansing, genocide, and this horrible Holocaust occurring in Gaza.
What is going on in Gaza and West Bank, is not a war against Hamas, but an aggression by a warmongering, racist, fascist and hateful mentality against the Palestinian identity as a name, a nation, a place, a culture and a history.
It is disheartening and disgraceful that some politicians, who once advocated for democracy, decency, justice, and human rights, remain silent or worse, support this ongoing tragedy. We call out their hypocrisy and urge them to address the ongoing atrocities, brutalities and bloodshed in Gaza.
Many of our politicians keep talking about what Hamas did on Oct 7, no problem, let’s talk about what happened on that day with honesty, not lies, propaganda and the photoshops provided by Netanyahu team, which mostly rejected even by the Israeli media themselves. We do condemn any wrongdoing, by anybody at any time and place, but are you ready to also talk about the last 75 years before Oct 7 and the last 60 days after that day and a century of suffering, torture, terrorism and every day Nakba for over ten generations of destroyed or displaced Palestinians?
I also have a message for President Biden. You know how much we supported you in 2020 elections. Today we express our deep disappointment in your stance during this Gaza tragedy. By standing with the oppressors and ignoring calls from international organizations, including the UN, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch, and also the Christian clergy delegation from Bethlehem who canceled their Christmas celebration in the birthplace of Jesus this year and came to the White House asking for ceasefire, you ignored all these voices of peace and failed in this historic moral test. You have harmed the image and interests of America in the world with supporting evil injustice in Palestine. How can you expect friendship with 1.6 billions of Muslims and many more nations of conscience, while you show no empathy for their calls and their wounded hearts?
We remind President Biden of the responsibility he shares for the suffering and death in Gaza, including the babies who perished due to the cutoff of oxygen and electricity by the Israeli army. The President cannot escape accountability, whether in this world or before his Lord.
Mr. President, you are 81 years old, sooner or later, when you meet with your Lord, you have no excuse or justification for sharing responsibility for this genocide in Gaza.
We call on you President Biden to use your influence to end the genocide in Gaza immediately. Netanyahu, Gallant, Itamar, Bezalel and other warmongers need to hear one word from you, that word is: STOP.
Ceasefire is about saving lives for both sides, ensuring the freedom of prisoners for both sides, and achieving victory for justice and morality. Our hope and trust lie in the pursuit of peace and justice.
If we lose our hope and trust on many of our political leaders, we never lose our hope and faith in the true source of peace and justice, our Lord of love and wisdom.
May God guide us towards the end of this evil invasion, relieve the suffering people of Palestine from these unbearable pains and grant them the peace and justice we fervently pray for. Ameen.
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