(PHILADELPHIA, PA, 8/16/19) -– The Philadelphia Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned President Trump’s support for the Israeli government’s denial of entry to two U.S. Congresswomen (both of whom are Muslim), preventing one from seeing her grandmother and both from acting as firsthand congressional observers of Israel’s anti-Palestinian policies and visiting one of the holiest sites in Islam.
The Israeli government claims it will deny entry to Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) due to “suspected provocations and promotion of BDS.” [NOTE: BDS refers to Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions in support of Palestinian human rights.] The announcement came after President Trump said Israel would be showing “great weakness” if it allowed the two members of Congress to enter Israel.
CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Jacob Bender said in a statement today: “Israel’s decision to prevent Representatives Tlaib and Omar from entering Israel and the Palestinian territories flies in the face of Israel’s assertion that it is still the only democracy in the Middle East. We are outraged that an American president would call on a foreign government to bar elected members of the US House of Representatives.”
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Jacob Bender, 267-515-6710 (office), jbender@cair.com
