MEDIA DIGEST: CAIR-Chicago Reacts to University Encampments and Recent Antisemitism Bill
CAIR-Chicago held a press conference on May 2nd, 2024 speaking to WGN, ABC 7, FOX 32, and more regarding ongoing students protests and the new "antisemitism" congressional bill chilling freedom of speech in this country.
CAIR-Chicago opposes University and Congressional attacks on non-violent freedom of speech and assembly.
CAIR-Chicago’s Executive Director, Ahmed Rehab (center), speaks out on recent antisemitic accusations against peaceful student protestors.
VIDEO AND RADIO NEWS COVERAGE:
SPEAKER HIGHLIGHTS:
“CAIR-Chicago stands in solidarity with these brave and courageous students in Chicago and around the country, in their peaceful, nonviolent movement for peace and justice for Palestinians and everyone.
And we consider them to be filling a moral void that has been left by cowardly and stuttering leadership—by our elected officials.
It’s also not antisemitic and never will be, to critique a foreign government that is genocidal in the moment. Mass graves have just been unearthed at hospitals in Gaza that this government created. That’s not antisemitic to point out, it never will be.”
“I was raised to learn that a core tenet of Judaism is enabling oppressed people to rise up against oppression...This encampment is the time at Northwestern during which I have felt the most connected to and supported in my faith because it has given me the space to be both Jewish and anti-Zionist.
When my Jewishness is conflated with a government that is committing genocide and apartheid, it is dangerous for all Jewish people because at that point, our faith is connected to an extremely harmful government and military.”
“As students from this university, we are fighting for the disclosure of investments toward Israel, toward the war profiteering system, toward the apartheid, toward the occupation—which we have secured a promise from the university that they will make those disclosures.
The next step is full divestments from those companies. We refuse as students to be complicit in our government and our institutions and our universities that are, not only actively supporting this genocide, but they are profiting from it, and we will not be done there. We as students with a moral code will not rest.”
PHOTO ALBUM:
MEDIA ADVISORY
- For Immediate Release and Distribution -
(CHICAGO, IL, 5/2/2024) – On Thursday, May 2, the Chicago Office of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest civil rights and advocacy organization in the nation, will hold a press conference today with local Chicago university student leaders involved in organizing Palestinian solidarity demonstrations to discuss ongoing students protests and encampments and react to new "antisemitism" congressional bill chilling freedom of speech in this country.
WHAT: Press Conference Addressing University Student Protests, and antisemitism bill
WHEN: Thursday, May 2, 2024, at 11 a.m.
WHERE: CAIR-Chicago's Azima Center, 17 North State Street, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60602
LIVE COVERAGE: Live broadcast on CAIR-Chicago's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/cairchicago
WHO: CAIR-Chicago Executive Director, Ahmed Rehab. Jewish Voices for Peace. Chicago-area university student leaders.
In a statement, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab said:
“CAIR-Chicago expresses its solidarity with student protesters exercising their First Amendment rights to free speech and assembly. We call on universities to end retaliatory actions and/or arrests for students who are NOT committing any violent criminal acts. We strongly oppose H.R.6090 as a misguided attack by Congress on American freedoms, namely the constitutionally protected first amendment rights, that is a cornerstone of our country's democracy.”
CAIR-Chicago’s mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote understanding.
CONTACT: Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR Chicago, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com; Maggie Slavin, Operations Manager of CAIR-Chicago, 815-590-3991, mslavin@cair.com; Hafsa Haider, Communications Coordinator of CAIR-Chicago, 561-317-7509, hhaider@cair.com