The Declaration of Citizens Against Antisemitism

On behalf of a group of Arab, Turkish & Muslim citizens

November 1, 2023

We, the citizens of the Union of the United States of America who are of Arab or Turkish descent or followers of the Islamic faith do hereby declare our full support and unwavering commitment to see an end to the practice of antisemitic actions committed against our fellow citizens. Whether by the use of slurs or threats of violence by vandalism of buildings or messages written online, or the outright implementation of physical aggression towards those suspected of being Jewish, we voice our denouncement of such actions and promise to stand up against those who seek to violate the civil rights and basic human dignity of our Jewish neighbors. We hold to this promise just as we hold to the promise that we shall stand up for our people as well, in the face of racial hatred or Islamophobic persecution.

In these times of rising polarization in the wake of the October 7th massacres of Israeli civilians committed by agents of Hamas and the continued war crimes and genocide being inflicted on the Palestinian people by the Netanyahu administration, we citizens living under the law of the Constitution and guided by our faith of a loving God will not sink into the gutter of bigotry and watch people within our community fall victim to hate crimes under the hideous doctrine of ‘collective guilt’. Just as we cry out to the injustice taking place in Gaza, so too do we cry out against reactionary politics which seek to divide us further and make monsters of men. We belong to a nation which affirms its belief that all men AND women are created equal in the eyes of their creator and our vigorous campaigns through the use of free speech, freedom of assembly and engagement of the democratic process will always be superior to the antisemitic demagogue who seeks simple solutions based on idiotic conspiracy theories.

Let us be clear on the matter of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. To our resentment, this nation’s government is currently supporting an apartheid regime based on the antiquated notion that the Jewish people must have a specific homeland inorder to live in peace and prosperity as is claimed through the ideology of Zionism. And the malicious military response of the right-wing Netanyahu administration has gone far beyond the concept of self defense and straight into the practice of ruthless ethnic cleansing. This current administration has committed the foolish action that we of this declaration warn against. The IDF, in claiming to fight for Israeli safety have become a caricature of their sworn enemies and dance in step to the disgusting practices of Hamas radicals who spill the blood of the innocent. These two groups have in a perverse irony become blood-brothers of human misery. Despite our desperate shouts for a ceasefire and outrage over the actions of the Israeli military, we will not descend to the level of neo-nazi sympathizers who believe that spray painting swastikas on temples and tombstones will somehow help in the struggle for Palestinian liberation. We will not tolerate such hatred against our Jewish friends, coworkers and neighbors.

Those who take delight in committing antisemitic attacks and spreading neo-nazi propaganda are spitting on the graves of every Palestinian killed in the airstrikes. They are betraying the universal social contract of common decency. We also denounce those self described ‘social activists’ who attempt to justify the kibbutz massacres as a political statement or action of defiance against occupiers. Such gymnastics of ethical thought can not exist in a multicultural society which these activists claim they want to foster and grow.

Twenty-two years have passed since the attacks of September 11th in which the Islamic world was doomed to endure invasions, political fallouts and a worldwide suspicion of the ‘Arab foreigner’. Millions of people were casually labeled as bloodthirsty terrorists and their plight was justified through the lens of prejudice. The wounds still burn every now and then and many of us who grew up during the ‘war on terror’ know of the incidents our family members and friends had to endure when being labeled as ‘the other’ during times of social anxiety and unrest. We must also remember that as the remaining members of our grandparent’s generation leave this earth, their insistence that we never forget certain events of the 20th century must be carried to the next generation. The brave victims murdered under the nazi occupation demonstrate that despite our improvements in technology and diplomacy, there is always the chance for fascism to rear its ugly head when the desperate put their trust in the despotic.

No matter our different opinions on the current geopolitical situation we stand firm in the truth that the rise of hatred will not lead to the emancipation of certain peoples around the globe. We fight for the dignity of all, not a chosen majority. No matter what horrors we continue to see from the open air prison called Gaza, we may feel immense anger but we will not let that anger turn to prejudice against those who have no involvement in the situation. We call for the immediate end to the rise of hate crimes against our peoples. We call for the immediate end to the rise of hate crimes against the Jewish people as well. It is during these hard times that our dedication to our moral values are at their most important. The view that all human life is sacred is not a sign of weakness or a sort of centrist reluctance to fight against those who oppress others. It is the foundation of justice if it is to exist among any nation, any society, any culture, any group and any mind which thinks for itself. Events which follow in the preceding weeks, months and years will test our limits of tolerance but time will not show us abandoning our principles. Time is fleeting for the bigot. History holds a special place not just for the grand statesman, but the everyday citizen who faced with difficult circumstances chooses to stand for the common good of their community and in doing so, truly pays respect to his or her God and nation.

“For his mercy is nearer to the doers of good.” - Al-A’raf   56