AMA: Ceasefire Brings Hope to Arizona’s Muslim Community
PHOENIX — The Arizona Muslim Alliance (AMA) welcomes the long-overdue ceasefire in Gaza, offering a vital reprieve after 15 months of devastation and calls for justice, accountability, and immediate humanitarian aid to ensure lasting peace. For Arizona’s Muslim community, including a sizable Palestinian-American population, this moment is deeply personal and meaningful. “While this news brings a glimmer of hope, we must remain steadfast,” said Ahmed Fayad, AMA chairman and a Palestinian-American. “The path to lasting peace and the full realization of Palestinian rights is complex and requires sustained commitment. It’s crucial to ensure that any ceasefire leads to meaningful improvements in the daily lives of Palestinians and addresses the underlying issues of occupation and blockade.” A Community of Resilience and Advocacy Arizona is home to a thriving Palestinian-American community, many of whom are part of the Palestinian Diaspora that began 75 years ago when thousands were displaced from their homeland. The ceasefire resonates deeply with these families, as well as with the broader Muslim community across the state. Over the past 15 months, Arizona’s Muslim community and their allies have worked to advocate for an end to the blockade in Gaza, the bombings, and the misuse of taxpayer dollars to fund these atrocities. AMA organized educational campaigns, partnered with interfaith groups, and mobilized a phone bank to call for peace and humanitarian aid. “Our efforts to reach out to our elected officials and our demonstrations fell on deaf ears,” Fayad said. “More of our taxes were being funneled to bomb hospitals, schools, and journalists, and our attempts to be heard were met with disgusting bigotry, justification of war crimes, or ignored altogether. Yet, we found new allies, new friends, and a new power in unity and grassroots efforts.” The Human Cost The ceasefire comes after a devastating toll on Gaza’s population. Since October 2023, the Israeli assault on Gaza has left over 47,000 Palestinians dead and more than 111,000 injured. Independent estimates suggest the true death toll may exceed 186,000. “Muslim Americans and Arizona Muslims have been traumatized for the past 15 months while watching ethnic cleansing and war crimes live-streamed,” Fayad said. “As a community, we are committed to advocating for justice, accountability, and the protection of human rights to ensure this moment is not just a pause in violence but a step toward permanent peace and freedom for Palestinians.” “Our struggle is not over until the injustice of 75 years of occupation, apartheid, and persecution is undone.” ### ABOUT AMA: The Arizona Muslim Alliance (AMA) is a nonprofit established in 2016 to unify Arizona’s Muslim community through community building, resource sharing, and education. Visit www.azmuslims.org for more information. Media requests: [email protected] | 480-757-4434
AMA’s Statement of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
[PHOENIX, Dec.1, 2023] — The Arizona Muslim Alliance (AMA), the largest Muslim organization in the state, stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people in the face of Israeli attacks on Palestinian towns, cities, refugee camps, and medical facilities. We also mourn the staggering loss of all life since Oct. 7. In the Gaza Strip alone, Israeli forces have killed over 13,000 Palestinians, including more than 5,000 children, and thousands more are feared dead under the rubble. We Arizona Muslims grieve deeply for family and friends killed, injured, displaced, and traumatized as a result of these attacks. We call on our United States government, which provides major financial and military support to Israel, to demand an immediate ceasefire. In 2022, the U.S. spent a total of $4.8 billion on military, economic, and missile defense aid for Israel. Over the last 75 years, Israel has received more U.S. tax dollars than a ny other foreign country. Furthermore, we condemn the Israeli government’s targeted and indiscriminate killing of civilians and its total blockade of the Gaza Strip, denying food, water, electricity, fuel, and medical supplies to 2.2 million civilians. More than half of the 35 hospitals in Gaza are no longer operational, and the World Health Organization has documented dozens of attacks on medical facilities and rising deaths of medical workers and staff. AMA Chairman Ahmed Ewaisha released this statement: “The atrocities and genocide that the Israeli defense forces have committed over the past 35 days against defenseless civilians, especially women and children, are unacceptable. This is a war crime. If Israel has the right to defend itself, who then takes the responsibility of defending a vulnerable group of civilians against fighter jets, artillery, and tanks? We ask President Biden to call for a ceasefire now to protect the defenseless children and civilians that are currently under attack in Gaza.” The AMA also implores elected officials, media, community leaders, and others to carefully educate themselves on the plight of the Palestinian people, while condemning all forms of bigotry, including Islamophobia and antisemitism. “Just as we do not tolerate antisemitism, we do not tolerate Islamophobia. We ask anyone with a public platform to be responsible and balanced, and to stop the dehumanization of Palestinians, Palestinian-Americans, Arabs, and Muslims,” said AMA Secretary Susan Bassal. “We pray for a future where every life is precious and for safety and freedom for all people, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, or religion.” Media Contact: Jacki Shoyeb, email, 480-744-8567 SHARE THIS POST: Facebook Twitter Linkedin Whatsapp Telegram
