Pro-Palestinian protesters chanted “death to America” and “death to Israel” at an Islamic event celebrating International Al-Quds Day in Michigan last Friday.
According to The Daily Wire, the Islamic event, which marks the six-month anniversary of the tragic Hamas terrorist attack against Israel, took place in Dearborn, Michigan, which was previously labeled as “America’s Jihad Capitol” in an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal. The Daily Wire reported that International Al-Quds Day is an annual Islamic event where pro-Palestinian supporters express their opposition to Israel.
In a video from Friday’s event, Tarek Bazzi, a Michigan activist affiliated with the Hadi Institute, said, “We have been asked in the past why our protests on the International Day of Quds are so anti-America. Why don’t we just focus on Israel and not talk so much about America? Gaza has shown the entire world why these protests are so anti-America. Because it’s the United States government that provides the funds for all of the atrocities that we just heard about.”
Bazzi argued that America’s support of Israel is why Imam Khomeini first established International Al-Quds Day. He explained that the day provides an opportunity for pro-Palestinian supporters to direct their “chants” and “shouts” on the “head of America.”
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“Malcolm X said, and I quote: ‘We live in one of the rottenest countries that has ever existed on this Earth,'”Bazzi added. “It’s not Genocide Joe that has to go; it is the entire system that has to go. Any system that would allow such atrocities and such devilry to happen and would support it — such a system does not deserve to exist on God’s earth.”
Bazzi claimed that when people ask if Israel should have the “right to exist,” the anti-Israeli chant, “Death to Israel,” is the “most logical chant” in the world. During the Michigan activist’s speech, pro-Palestinian protesters chanted, “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”
The Middle East Media Research Institute’s video of Friday’s pro-Palestinian rally also featured part of Michigan Imam Usama Abdulghani’s speech. Abdulghani said Khomeini established International Al-Quds Day because he believed Israel was a “cancer” and an “evil settler colonialist project.” The Islamic leader said that while people were previously “terrified” of criticizing Israel, “people of conscience” will now publicly criticize Israel.
“They recognize Israel for what it is,” Abdulghani said. “Israel is ISIS, they are Nazis, they are fascists, they are racists. The people of the world now know this.”
In addition to chanting “death to America” and “death to Israel,” children at Friday’s event led protesters in chants of “Free, free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
