TO PROTECT ARABS AND MUSLIMS FROM TRUMP, START LOCALLY
San Francisco, CA I East Bay Times
Eyewitness Palestine delegate Lara Kiswani writes: “Yes, the Muslim ban is an extreme form of anti-Arab, African and Muslim violence. Yes, our places of worship and organizations are at risk of attack. Our safety and livelihood are under threat, a threat faced by many who call Oakland home”.
Last Saturday, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf invited Arab and Muslim leaders to voice their concerns about the political climate. Lara Kiswani writes her response to the Mayor, stating that we cannot “talk about protecting communities from federal police when local police have a notorious reputation for violence”. Kiswani urges, “I hope that the mayor heard our request for the city to protect our mosques against hate violence. I hope she also heard us insist that we don’t want to be ‘protected’ at the expense of the further criminalization of people of color, that so often comes with increased police presence in our neighborhoods.”
“The city should invest in the leadership of impacted communities who can guide conversations about building sustainable and holistic initiatives that will keep our neighborhoods safe.”