- American Muslims for Palestine DROPPED Emgage
- US Council of Muslim Organizations DROPPED Emgage
- And see more on our resource page
An open letter to Muslim leaders to drop Emgage due to alliances with anti-Palestinian, anti-Muslim organizations
(To become a signatory of this open letter, please fill out the form at the bottom of the page)
Leaders at Emgage have repeatedly disregarded the legitimate interests of Muslim communities in the United States to the detriment of the constituencies they claim to represent.
According to recent reporting, many high-ranking members of Emgage, including board members, chairs, founders, and the CEO, as well as the organization itself, have worked in lockstep with AIPAC, the Muslim Leadership Initiative (MLI), the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the American Jewish Committee (AJC), and the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP).
One need not list how AIPAC engages in deep Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian activity.
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) was founded by AIPAC leaders and has consistently defended Israeli policies.
The ADL boasts that it “has always been a strong voice for Israel,” denouncing BDS as anti-Semitic and justifying Israeli crimes. Its long history of suppression of movements for social justice and attacking communities of color extends beyond Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian smear campaigns to engaging in deadly exchange programs between American police forces and Israel. These ADL-sponsored programs promote expanded surveillance, racial profiling, and the suppression of public protests through the use of force. Dozens of progressive groups, representing Palestinians, Jews, and African Americans, have urged all peoples to sever ties with the ADL.
MLI is a propaganda-laden trip to Israel sponsored by the Jerusalem-based Shalom Hartman Institute, which works closely with the Israeli military and is funded by the Russell Berrie Foundation, a funder of notorious Islamophobes Steve Emerson and Daniel Pipes.
The AJC brags that it “advocates for Israel at the highest levels.” It also denounces the BDS movement, dedicating an entire section of its website to these efforts.
Notable Emgage Involvement with Zionist Orgtanizations:
- Board Member Farooq Mitha, who also serves as Joe Biden’s Muslim Engagement Advisor, has boasted to former employees that he is or was a member of AIPAC and has attended AIPAC events. He also worked at the Pentagon during the Obama administration, helping to normalize ties between Israel and Arab nations under the banner of “Track II diplomacy.”
- Emgage CEO Wael Alzayat served as an “expert” at WINEP. He also currently serves on the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council, a project of the AJC and ISNA (Islamic Society of North America). He also partnered with the ADL on a joint letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Finally, even after Emgage’s recent claims of an alleged policy from 2018 to no longer attend MLI, Alzayat, in December 2019, partnered with the Shalom Hartman Institute and the ADL to launch yet another faithwashing initiative.
- Emgage Co-Chair Khurrum Wahid attended MLI in 2015. He sits on the Civil Rights Committee of the ADL in Miami, where he has served for at least ten years. Along with Mitha, he also hosted a fundraiser in 2010 for former Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Miami-area Republican and one of the most far-right supporters of Israel in Congress.
- Emgage Texas Executive Director Nabila Mansoor attended MLI and has partnered with the ADL in Texas. Mansoor also gave a talk at South by Southwest (SXSW) with a panel including the Alumni Director for MLI, Maital Friedman, where they talk about the benefits of MLI.
- In 2018, Emgage National Co-Chair AJ Durrani was given an award by the ADL in Houston. Durrani and Emgage Texas Board Member Farrukh Shamsi attended MLI together as well.
As an illustration of Emgage’s harmful political activity, after the Joe Biden campaign issued a public disavowal of Palestinian-Muslim-American DNC National Delegate Linda Sarsour, Wahid and Mitha sought to obtain concessions in the form of more appointments in the Biden campaign and/or transition team in lieu of a public apology. Such an apology was the specific demand of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim American leaders and activists.
Palestinians have been nearly unanimous in their calls urging all people to reject interacting with any of the above groups, as such activity serves to normalize Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people.
Despite a recent statement by Emgage expressing support for BDS and the Palestinian right of return, we have witnessed no accountability or public apology from the organization for the above-cited litany of harmful actions.
Therefore, we call on Emgage to formally end its current normalization activities, coupled with a pledge to refrain from such future activities in accordance with BDS principles. Additionally, we call on Emgage to issue a statement denouncing Zionism as a racist ideology.
In light of all of the above, we call on all organizations and individuals to drop any affiliations with Emgage in the absence of such assurances and statements.
Accordingly, we further assert that Farooq Mitha, Joe Biden’s “Muslim Engagement Advisor,” does not represent the views or will of our communities.
We urge all people of conscience to no longer tolerate unprincipled leadership threatening our community and undermining the voices of grassroots Muslim and Palestinian activists.
Signed,
*Organizational affiliations listed for identification purposes only
* Scroll to the bottom to become a signatory of this letter.
257 signatures on this open letter to date.
| 257 | Noura Erakat | Jadaliyya |
| 256 | Samia Assed | 2020 DNC National Delegate - NM |
| 255 | Amer Zahr | New Generation for Palestine, President |
| 254 | Khaled Abou El Fadl, PhD | UCLA School of Law |
| 253 | Susan Abulhawa | US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel |
| 252 | Rabab Abdulhadi, PhD | Director and Senior Scholar, Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies, San Francisco State University |
| 251 | Sam Hindi | Foster City, CA Councilmember, 2020 DNC National Delegate - CA |
| 250 | Iyad Afalqa | President, California Democratic Council (CDC, Executive Board Member, California Democratic Party), 2016 DNC National Delegate - CA |
| 249 | Leena Al-Arian | Coalition for Civil Freedoms, Executive Director |
| 248 | Amani Barakat | Al-Awda Palestinian Right to Return Coalition |
| 247 | Lamis J. Deek | Human Rights Attorney, NLG, Al-Awda, NY4Palestine |
| 246 | Laila El-Haddad | Author |
| 245 | Ramzy Baroud | Journalist |
| 244 | Ghiyath Alazzah | Palestinian Youth Movement |
| 243 | Carmel Abuzaid | Palestinian Youth Movement |
| 242 | Murad Sarama | Democrats for Justice in Palestine, Chairman |
| 241 | Nader Hashemi | University of Denver |
| 240 | Lara Kiswani | Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC), Executive Director |
| 239 | Jonathan AC Brown | Georgetown University |
| 238 | Mazen Naser | Palestine Solidarity Arizona |
| 237 | Sameena Usman | 2020 DNC National Delegate - CA |
| 236 | Osama Mor | Palestinian Youth Movement - Atlanta |
| 235 | Nura Bawab | The Palestinian Solidarity Committee, Austin, TX |
| 234 | Azadeh Shahshahani | Project South, National Lawyers Guild |
| 233 | Zainab Khan | Palestinian Youth Movement - Atlanta |
| 232 | El-Hajj Mauri Saalakhan | The Aafia Foundation |
| 231 | Manzoor Cheema | Project South |
| 230 | Nazim Uddin | 2020 DNC National Delegate - NC |
| 229 | Mohammad Fadel | University of Toronto Faculty of Law |
| 228 | Aftab Siddiqui | American Muslim Democratic Caucus, 2020 DNC National Delegate - TX |
| 227 | Syed Hasan | American Muslim Democratic Caucus, 2020 DNC National Delegate - TX |
| 226 | Mustafaa Carroll | American Muslim Democratic Caucus |
| 225 | Imran Shareef | American Muslim Democratic Caucus |
| 224 | Imran Salha | Imam and Faith Leader |
| 223 | Ahmed Bedier | United Voices for America, President, 2016 DNC National Delegate - FL |
| 222 | Aftab Siddiqui | American Muslim Democratic Caucus, 2020 DNC National Delegate - TX |
| 221 | Syed Hasan | American Muslim Democratic Caucus, 2020 DNC National Delegate - TX |
| 220 | Mustafaa Carroll | American Muslim Democratic Caucus |
| 219 | Imran Shareef | American Muslim Democratic Caucus |
| 218 | Sarwat Malik-Hassan | Progressive Organizer and Activist |
| 217 | Ayesha Mughal | Central Jersey Democratic Socialists of America, Co-Chair |
| 216 | Fatima Mughal | Central Jersey Democratic Socialists of America |
| 215 | Syed Raheel Hassan | Attending Physician |
| 214 | Hamzah Raza | Journalist |
| 213 | Sahar Ghumkhor, PhD | University of Melbourne, Academic |
| 212 | Aliyah Khan | NoVA Democratic Socialists of America, Member |
| 211 | Lubna Hammad | Yalla Indivisible |
| 210 | Cyra Akila Choudhury | FIU Law |
| 209 | Olivia Cantu | Mustino Times, Executive Director |
| 208 | Dina Sayed Ahmed | Amnesty International and WNYC |
| 207 | Sofia Ahsan | Muslims4Bernie |
| 206 | Farrah Ahsan | Muslims4Bernie Volunteer |
| 205 | Naushaba Saher | Muslims4Bernie Volunteer |
| 204 | Muneeza Rizvi | UC Davis Department of Anthropology |
| 203 | Naeem Raja | Coalition of Americans for Political and Social Awareness |
| 202 | Mohamad Almasry | Doha Institute for Graduate Studies |
| 201 | Hannah Rajah | Muslims4Bernie Volunteer |
| 200 | Mo Nehad | Mo Nehad for People |
| 199 | Sana Din | Muslim Women Kreate |
| 198 | Karen Bernal | California Democratic Party |
| 197 | Thahitun Mariam | Progressive Bangladeshi-American Activist and Organizer |
| 196 | Naseer Alam | IASJ |
| 195 | Mohammad Abbasi | CAPSA |
| 194 | Mo Ray-Zac | Muslims4Bernie |
| 193 | Moe Bal | ME Peace Action |
| 192 | Kareem Youssef | USPCN |
| 191 | Professor Mohd Nazari Ismail | University of Malaya |
| 190 | Hussein Beydoun | Organizer, Activist |
| 189 | Tarek Younis | Middlesex University |
| 188 | Tasnim Sammak | PhD Candidate, Monash |
| 187 | Yusuf Yenikomsu | independent Carfo worker |
| 186 | Nerdeen Kiswani | Within our Lifetime - United for Palestine |
| 185 | Haithem El-Zabri | Palestine Online Store |
| 184 | Susan Smith | Fellowship of Reconciliation, USA |
| 183 | Bader Risheg | AMP/AlKhalil Charitable Association - Teacher/Activist |
| 182 | Hafsa Kanjwal | Academic |
| 181 | Faran Kharal | Muslim American Society |
| 180 | Amir Manraj | Wiley Rein |
| 179 | Bounechada Nourelyakine | Physician |
| 178 | Mariya Mujahid | Student/Bernie 2020 Organizer |
| 177 | Eddie Edwards | Attorney |
| 176 | Rachelle Mehdi | University of Michigan (student) |
| 175 | Yahya Khan Sultan | NLC - NJ, DSA - North Jersey |
| 174 | Asma Elhuni | Rights and Democracy NH |
| 173 | Mujeeb Khan | Policy Coordinator- Muslim Voters of America |
| 172 | Wafic Faour | Vtjp Vermonters for Justice in Palestine |
| 171 | Nadia Ahsan | Muslims4Bernie2020 - volunteer |
| 170 | Talal Khairi | Muslims4Bernie Volunteer |
| 169 | Lara Kiswani | Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC), Executive Director |
| 168 | Salem Sarsour | ISM |
| 167 | Mo Nehad | Candidate for Constable, Fort Bend County, tX |
| 166 | Haroon Rashid | Community Member |
| 165 | Clara O’Malley | Community Member |
| 164 | Celine Qussiny | Community Member |
| 163 | Ayman Khader | Community Member |
| 162 | Hebh Jamal | Community Member |
| 161 | Kawthar Abdullah | Community Member |
| 160 | Rafi Aziz | Community Member |
| 159 | Wardeh Abdelmuti | Community Member |
| 158 | Zuhdi Masri | Community Member |
| 157 | Tareq Salem | Community Member |
| 156 | Yahya Birt | Community Member |
| 155 | Shabana Irshad | Community Member |
| 154 | Sulaiman Hyatt | Community Member |
| 153 | Asim Khan | Community Member |
| 152 | Mohammed A. Soussi | Community Member |
| 151 | Rafi Sohail | Community Member |
| 150 | Anna Berg | Community Member |
| 149 | Saba Ali | Community Member |
| 148 | Nadia Noor | Community Member |
| 147 | Osama Helmy | Community Member |
| 146 | Nasser Alkhateeb | Community Member |
| 145 | Heba Ibrahim | Community Member |
| 144 | Joe Milburn | Community Member |
| 143 | Irtiza Hasan | Community Member |
| 142 | Syed M Ilyas | Community Member |
| 141 | Syed Ahmed | Community Member |
| 140 | Michel Bahbah | Community Member |
| 139 | Mohammad Sarwar | Community Member |
| 138 | Aslam Abdullah | Imam |
| 137 | Anisa Noormohamed | University of Chicago |
| 136 | Amer Kheiry | New Generation for Palestine, Member |
| 135 | Muzaffar Hussain | Community Member |
| 134 | Qurat Mir | Community Member |
| 133 | Mohammad Kapadia | Community Member |
| 132 | Qaiser Bashir | University of Texas |
| 131 | Sabiha Wadoo | Community Member |
| 130 | Ammar Bashiti | Senior Finance Director |
| 129 | Fahd Ahmed | DRUM - Desis Rising Up & Moving, Executive Director |
| 128 | Ayman Khafaji | Former Vice chair of the Progressive Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party |
| 127 | Safina Sofi | Community Member |
| 126 | Fathia Shawish | Palestinian |
| 125 | Zahoor Shah | Community Member |
| 124 | Farooque Rizmy | Community Member |
| 123 | Louis Semaan | Community Member |
| 122 | Zeeshan Hussein | Activist |
| 121 | Mohammad Ansari | Community Member |
| 120 | Fatima Fazili | Academic |
| 119 | Zahi Abdein | Community Member |
| 118 | Laila Kassis | Community Member |
| 117 | Cyrus McGoldrick | Community Member |
| 116 | Naeela Baksh | Manna Community CIC |
| 115 | Muadh Khan | Community Member |
| 114 | Abdullah Abdul Majid | Student |
| 113 | Aidan Ali | HSI |
| 112 | Suzanne Nobel | McGill University Hispanic Studies |
| 111 | Atharunnisa Saifuddin | Community Member |
| 110 | Aamir Ali | Physicist - UC Berkeley |
| 109 | Maha Yousef | Homemaker |
| 108 | Khalida Wani | Community Member |
| 107 | Sana Qutubuddin | Political organizer/activist |
| 106 | Ashley Young | Community member |
| 105 | Akmal Ahmed | Dentist |
| 104 | Aber Kawas | Community Member |
| 103 | Yasmeen Azam | Community Member |
| 102 | yasmeen azam | Community Member |
| 101 | Iskander Abbasi | Community Member |
| 100 | Mazhar Syed | Paralegal; Human Rights Advocate |
| 99 | Imaan Javeed | Community Member |
| 98 | Sirad Hassan | Student |
| 97 | Mike Enayah | NGP |
| 96 | Khair Assaf | New Generation for Palestine |
| 95 | May Seikaly | NGP |
| 94 | Majed Ajameyeh | Mr |
| 93 | Nadia Twam | Palestinian |
| 92 | Wally Yazbak | Sr. IT Consultants, NGP Member & ADC GA Chapter President |
| 91 | Nasser Sukhon | Md |
| 90 | Abeer Fraihat | Community Member |
| 89 | Manal Hussain | NGP |
| 88 | Ahmed Shraim | Me. |
| 87 | Shahid Jamil | Concerned Citizen |
| 86 | Mohamed Saam | Mr. |
| 85 | Shahid Jamil | Concerned Citizen |
| 84 | George Makhlouf | V. Rev. Fr. |
| 83 | Samer Siam | Na |
| 82 | Minhaal Randerwala | Activist |
| 81 | rania bitar | Digital Marketing Manager |
| 80 | S. Hasan Kamal | Concerned Muslim American |
| 79 | Amani Zoghbi | Academic/Researcher |
| 78 | Hafsa Chaudhary | Dr. |
| 77 | M. J. Khan | Former Houston City Councilman |
| 76 | Kamal Hasan | MD |
| 75 | Siraj Mohammed | Activist |
| 74 | Farhana Motala | Personal capacity |
| 73 | Hammoudah Hammoudah | VA |
| 72 | Barakat Saleh | Arab Americans of central Ohio |
| 71 | Abeer Minhas | Community Member |
| 70 | Huma Minhas | Ms |
| 69 | Hadi Ali | independent |
| 68 | Habib Sayyed | IAMC |
| 67 | Khalid Omar | Solo Artist |
| 66 | anan zahr | Phil community activist |
| 65 | Rabyaah Althaibani | Founder Arab Women’s Voice |
| 64 | Fatima Mojaddidy | Muslim Anti-Racist Action Collective |
| 63 | Sofia Saiyed | Muslim Anti-Racist Action Collective |
| 62 | Nadia Amer | Concerned Citizen |
| 61 | Mohammad Abou-Ghazala | Palestine Youth Movement |
| 60 | Shazad Ibnul | Concerned Muslim |
| 59 | Tarek Alsmoudi | Mr |
| 58 | Omar Tawil | Imam |
| 57 | Vivian Khalaf | Attorney |
| 56 | Ali Rida | Entrepreneur |
| 55 | Barbora Weberova | - |
| 54 | Mohamad Okal | Mr |
| 53 | Ameer Fare | Community Member |
| 52 | Talha Maqsood | Community member |
| 51 | Sulayman Ferguson | Concerned Muslim |
| 50 | Syed Raheemullah | Community activist |
| 49 | Senan shaq | USPC board member |
| 48 | Nida Ali | Dr |
| 47 | Muhammed Malik | Fmr CAIR-South Florida Executive Director, Fmr Florida delegate to GP International Committee |
| 46 | Olivia Vita | - |
| 45 | Omer Arain | Labor researcher and activist |
| 44 | Jamal El-Mokadem | Community Member |
| 43 | Sultan AbouHamdan | Community Member |
| 42 | Danya Reda | Muslims4Bernie |
| 41 | Bassem Saleh | NGP |
| 40 | Paul Noursi | Virginia Coalition for Human Rights |
| 39 | Eman Abdelaziz | PACC |
| 38 | Bahtiyar Yilmaz | Physician |
| 37 | Tareq Omar | Community member |
| 36 | Fawzia Khan | Ms |
| 35 | Rulla M | Attorney |
| 34 | Nisreen Zeidan | Community Member |
| 33 | Azhar Raina | Mr |
| 32 | Sabina Wildman | Labor Organizer |
| 31 | Samer Husein | concerned American |
| 30 | Frida Isachsen | Community Member |
| 29 | Urooj Rahman | Community Member |
| 28 | Mohammad alam | Community Member |
| 27 | Shariq Mohammad | Community Member |
| 26 | Maryum Khwaja | Community member |
| 25 | Mariam El-Khatib | Community Member |
| 24 | Yafa Samaha | Community Member |
| 23 | Malak Samaha | community member |
| 22 | Nathaniel Mathews | concerned citizen |
| 21 | Sarwat Husain | Co-Chair American Muslim Democratic Caucus-National (AMDC National) |
| 20 | May Zegar | Dr |
| 19 | Amna Mallick | PD |
| 18 | Farhana Kara Motala | Human Rights Activist |
| 17 | Farrah Sutriono | Muslim Women Kreate |
| 16 | Saba Refai | community member |
| 15 | Reza Subhani | None |
| 14 | Amna Ahmed | Community member |
| 13 | Sara Bawany | Community member |
| 12 | Imani Oakley | Community Member |
| 11 | Osman Athar | Physician |
| 10 | John Hsu | Our Revolution Middlesex County NJ Chair |
| 9 | Sama Alshaibi | Professor, School of Art, University of Arizona |
| 8 | Mazen Khawaja | New School for Social Research |
| 7 | Shahla Wahid | Ms |
| 6 | Dr. Sabha Abour | Researcher |
| 5 | Fatin Jarara | Al-Awda NY/Palestinian Youth Movement NY |
| 4 | Monadel Herzallah | USPCN |
| 3 | Hatem Natsheh | 2020 DNC delegate |
| 2 | Anwaar Huk | Community Organizer |
| 1 | Noor Kesbeh | Community Member |
- To become a signatory of this letter, please complete the following form.
- For the “Affiliation” field, please enter an organizational affiliation (example, “Emgage, Member”), or a profession, or any institution you might be affiliated with.
- Organizational affiliations listed for identification purposes only
- IMPORTANT: After you finish the form, you will receive a verification email. Click on that email, and then you will be added to this list!
Call to Muslim Leaders to Drop Emgage
