ISNA Urges Action To Stop The Israeli War On Gaza

Gaza Civilians Deserve the Protection of the American People

Scores of Children among the Innocent Killed or Harmed by Israelis Attacks

January 5, 2009

The Islamic Society of North America calls upon all Americans of conscience to demand that our government uphold the protection of all civilians, especially children, in the Israeli war on Gaza. We continue to call all sides – Israeli and Palestinian – to cease violent actions and return to diplomacy to solve grievances.

John Ging, the head of the United Nations relief agency in Gaza has called the Gaza population “trapped, traumatized, terrorized” due to the Israeli assault. Dr. Erik Fosse, a Norwegian physician working at the Shifa Hospital stated yesterday that about 30 percent of the casualties at the hospital were children.

The Guardian newspaper reports: “Most Gazans can only cower in terror in whatever shelter they can find – .”

Civilians have no safe place to hide: homes, houses of worship, schools and markets have all been destroyed with no warning. Parents have no means of protecting their children. The Independent UK newspaper reports one mother’s “Sophie’s Choice” agonizing dilemma: “Every time a shell is fired from the sea I rush to carry my children out of the house. But how and what should I do, who should I carry first and who should I leave for a next [trip]?”

Wounded civilians, including children, have no safety. On Sunday, a paramedic tending to the wounded was killed by an Israeli airstrike. When his family went to the hospital to claim his body, bombs were dropped on the hospital and another three people were killed and 17 wounded.

Families who escape violent death and injury from bombing and shelling are at risk of serious illness due to the lack of water and electricity. Christopher Gunness of the United Nations stated today: "One million people are without electricity. Crucially the hospitals in Gaza are running on emergency generators. This in my book amounts to a humanitarian crisis.”

It is important to note that Gaza has been under siege and blockade for over a year, which means that food and other basic resources were already scarce before the invasion. As a result, over 60% of the Gaza population is under the poverty line in a community where median age is 17 years (it is 37 years in the US): this means that hundreds of thousands of children who are now cowering under shelling are already impoverished and malnourished.

Our government seems to dismiss the suffering of Gazan civilians by expressing unconditional support for Israel. The United States has also blocked protection for civilians by vetoing a UN Security Council statement that called upon Israel to cease its military action. According to the Associated Press, US Senators Harry Reid and Dick Durbin — the top two Democrats in the chamber — and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell “all described Israel's actions as understandable.” Such unconditional support for blatant violations of human rights by the Israeli government does nothing to further the cause of peace.

We are confident that even if Americans believe that Israel is justified in using force to stop Hamas rockets, they do not support the indiscriminate exercise of violence, including the killing, wounding and terrorizing of children. We cannot accept a policy of “by any means necessary” in conflicts. The standing of the United States as a moral leader in the world suffered greatly in the wake of the Abu Ghraib scandal and other violations of ethics and international law in recent years. We now have the opportunity to show the world that we believe in impartial justice and uphold the value and dignity of all human life. Let us not squander this opportunity.

The Islamic Society of North America has been clear in its rejection of terrorism, including when it is committed by Hamas. Suicide bombings and rocket attacks on Israeli civilian populations are unethical and unlawful. We believe that all force which kills or harms civilians is abhorrent. The Israeli action in which large numbers of civilians, including the children of Gaza, are being killed and are suffering severe physical and emotional trauma, is unethical and unlawful.

We believe, along with many other advocates of a peaceful resolution of the conflict, including the pro-Israel, pro-peace American Jewish group “J Street” that there must be “strong and immediate American diplomatic leadership to bring an end to the violence through an immediate ceasefire.” We ask all Americans to demand this of their elected representatives. Contact information for your elected officials can be found at the following website: http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml. Contact the foreign policy team of President-Elect Obama at the following website: http://change.gov/agenda/foreign_policy_agenda/.

The Islamic Society of North America believes that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians cannot and should not be solved with violence. Diplomacy, education, compromise and courageous action must be exercised by Israelis, Palestinians and Americans so that two proud people – Israelis and Palestinians, can live together with peace and dignity. The Islamic Society of North America is committed to continue exploring common ground with our partners in the American Jewish community and to continue to dialogue about the issues over which we disagree – including the best way to achieve peace and justice in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.