The Final Call: Palestinians, supporters in Chicago condemn hospital attack and student suppression

By Shawntell Muhammad, Contributing Writer - March 31, 2025

CHICAGO—Members of the Chicago Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, and Palestinian families, held a news conference on March 27, inside of their downtown Chicago center to demand an immediate, permanent ceasefire and end the blockade on humanitarian aid to Palestinians.

The ongoing destruction and suffering in Gaza that began on October 7, 2023, is genocide as the United Nations and Amnesty International have classified the Gaza Strip.

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The Israeli military has displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and has slaughtered mostly women and children. Most recently, an Israeli air strike on the region’s largest hospital, Nasser Hospital, destroyed a portion of the hospital, earlier in March.

The group also called attention to student protesters in the U.S. who have been detained and threatened with deportation for exercising their rights to free speech through protesting the atrocities being committed by Israel.

According to the Associated Press, “more than half a dozen people are known to have been taken into custody or deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in recent weeks,” for showing support for pro-Palestinian causes.

“There have been incidents here in the United States where Palestinian students and others whom it turns out to be visa holders but protested against the United States sending funds and aid to Israel, were whisked away by men and women in plain clothes into unmarked cars.

Oftentimes, these men and women are masked. We are calling our elected officials to stand up for what America is all about and that is freedom of expression of speech and not extradition punishment,” said CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab.

The ongoing violence perpetrated in Gaza comes on the heels of Israel breaking the ceasefire agreement.

“In one day, 174 children were killed, imagine if we (the United States) were killed in one event. That is what we are facing in Gaza, and that is what’s barely making the news, let alone getting elected officials off their seats to do something about it,” Mr. Rehab added.

Rajaa Alrayyes is Palestinian and a Chicago resident. “I have lost many family members in Gaza but the closest people were my uncle and his wife, along with their five children and my uncle’s three grandchildren, who were killed these past three days. Their six-story home was bombed twice.

Currently, I have three uncles, who are my mother’s brothers, (who) are living in the north of Gaza. Unfortunately, now with the loss of food, water, and medicine, they are suffering.

Many of my cousins in Gaza are inflicted with kidney disease, liver disease, eye infections, and finding medicine is nearly impossible. When found, the medicine is extremely expensive. Food and water is extremely difficult to find,” Rajaa Alrayyes told The Final Call.

William Asfour is also Palestinian and resides in Chicago. He explained that his family has suffered tremendously even before October 7, 2023. “There has been a blockade of aid to Gaza since June 2007. Israel has not allowed basic necessities into the area.

Israeli military has occupied Gaza since 1967. I have lost several family members because of the occupation. My grandfather died as a result of the blockade.

He had diabetes, and because the Israeli government cut off the water, food, electricity, and medicine, my grandfather did not have access to what he needed, and he passed away. There are many people that I will never see again because of the genocide,” he said.

Since October 2023, according to Chicago-based neurologist Dr. Gulrana Syed, Israel has conducted over 1,000 strikes against Gaza’s healthcare facilities. “We are calling on our politicians and healthcare institutions to condemn the bombings of hospitals which is illegal under international and humanitarian laws,” said Dr. Syed.

During the news conference, Dr. Syed represented her friend and Chicago native, Dr. Tammy Abughnaim, who is inside of Nasser Hospital in Gaza.

Dr. Abughnaim, posted an audio message on Instagram from Nasser Hospital, stating, “From 2:00 a.m.-6:00 a.m. almost nonstop, there were bombings. My original intention was to train doctors in ultrasound, however, things changed when the surgical ward of the hospital was bombed this morning.

We ran outside and saw that the second floor of the hospital was on fire and immediately ran back inside to the emergency department because we felt like there might be a second strike.

“We started preparing to receive casualties from the second floor, two people were killed. I saw a few others with minor injuries. I don’t think I can adequately describe what that felt like,” said Dr. Abughnaim.

According to Al Jazeera, Nasser Hospital is the largest in Southern Gaza and the March 23 attack hit the surgical building. “Like other medical facilities across Gaza, Nasser Hospital has suffered damage from Israeli raids and air attacks throughout the conflict,” Al Jazeera reported.

Shawntell Muhammad can be contacted at organicallybalanced@gmail.com.