Ask President Obama and State Department to act on congressional letter
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/28/10) – CAIR today urged American Muslims and all people of conscience to show their support for 54 members of Congress, led by Reps. Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Keith Ellison (D-MN), who recently sent a letter to President Obama calling for an end to the blockade of humanitarian aid imposed on the people in the Gaza Strip.
That letter stated in part: “The unabated suffering of Gazan civilians highlights the urgency of reaching a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and we ask you to press for immediate relief for the citizens of Gaza as an urgent component of your broader Middle East peace efforts.”
SEE: Ellison, McCollum and Oberstar Urge Obama to Lift Gaza Blockade
The letter outlines the well-documented suffering of Palestinians living under the Gaza blockade and notes, “lifting these restrictions will give civilians in Gaza a tangible sense that diplomacy can be an effective tool for bettering their conditions.” In the letter, the elected officials also called for freedom of movement in and out of Gaza and for access to construction materials to rebuild houses.
CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad offered support for Palestinian access to humanitarian aid: “All civilians in the region should have unrestricted access to food, water, shelter, medical care, and sanitation. Peace and stability are founded on such basics.”
He said those who support the congressional letter should also contact the White House and the State Department to seek action to end the blockade of Gaza’s civilian population.
Awad reiterated a statement made by CAIR in 2002: “To break this cycle of violence and counter-violence, all parties must focus on a political solution based on justice and equality, not force of arms.”
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED:
1) Contact the president and the Department of State and urge them to call for an end to the blockade of humanitarian aid imposed on the people in the Gaza Strip.
2) Send a note of thanks to your elected representative if he or she signed the letter. (Note this part of the alert only works if you live in the district of a member who signed the letter.)
