Americans for Justice in Palestine

Press Statement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contacts:  Ms. Huwaida Arraf, US citizen - Michigan, living in Jerusalem, 972-52-290-173
                   Mr. Sam Bahour, US citizen - Ohio, living in Al-Bireh, 970-59-378-278

(Ramallah, September 12, 2001) - One cannot express enough horror and disbelief at the events that we have been witnessing over the past 24 hours. Our prayers are with the victims, their families and our fellow Americans during these most difficult and trying times.

We applaud today¹s statement of Secretary of State Colin Powell who made very clear that this act of terrorism is just that, terrorism, and cannot be associated with any country, people or religion without a proper investigation of the facts.

This tank has been repeatedly bombed with depleted uranium bullets. It is right next to where all the protesters sleep. This place has the highest detected radiation levels in Vieques. Vieques, Puerto Rico

In full agreement with Secretary of State Powell, we would like to emphasize the negative repercussions of irresponsible journalism during this unfolding tragedy.  Speculative reporting on the fact that some individuals have been celebrating the attacks on the US is not, by the furthest stretch of the imagination, representative of the reaction of the mass majority of Palestinians.  On the contrary, these attempts to stereotype an entire people in light of such a horrendous event are very dangerous and counterproductive.  Placing blame on an entire people or religion will only fuel a backlash and promote unfounded attacks that Arab Americans have already begun facing across the US.

Palestinians living under occupation are glued to their television sets like the rest of the world.  The images of a few misled Palestinians in the streets were isolated incidents and those are the images that some US media have chosen to focus on. Victimized as they are, Palestinians as a community as well as their leaders, would never find joy in seeing this tragedy unfold and we deplore these individual incidents of celebrations as well as the media fallacy that Palestinians are jubilant at innocent death and destruction.

All of us, American citizens and our friends here in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, have been receiving numerous phone calls from Palestinians concerned about our families and friends living in the US. Everyone is expressing their outright shock, condemnation and condolences at yesterday¹s events.

Again, our prayers are with the victims, their families and all our fellow Americans.