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Welcome to IONA Masjid
Your place of worship and learning
IONA in the News
Michigan Imam council calls for cease-fire in Lebanon, Gaza
The Imams Council of Michigan called for a cease-fire Monday following the expansion in the war between Gaza and Israel.The Israeli military said Monday it was carrying out “targeted ground raids” in villages close to the Israeli border.
The council and residents gathered at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center hoping to “end the hostility right now,” Imam Steve Elturk said. Those gathered expressed disappointment with the U.S. government’s support of Israel.“We call on the U.S. to impose a weapons embargo on Israel and to halt all military aid, given Israel’s refusal to heed UN resolutions and agree to a cease-fire,” the council said in a release.
“Too many people have died on both sides and the hostages are at risk,” Elturk said. “Whoever saves a life, is as if he saves all of mankind. Too many people are dying in Gaza alone … same thing is happening in Lebanon.”Israeli strikes in recent weeks have hit what the military says are thousands of militant targets across large parts of Lebanon, the Associated Press reported Monday. Over 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the past two weeks, nearly a quarter of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry.
Machhadie Assi of Dearborn, 40, a community activist, wants to see the council put pressure on the U.S and the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon to evacuate people there. Assi’s brother is not a U.S. citizen but is in Lebanon and she is hoping the country allows him refugee status so he can leave Lebanon and “family can unite.”
Assi’s parents hold green cards as U.S. citizens, but are still having trouble evacuating Lebanon
“Our family are stuck in Beirut (Lebanon) and they are either a green card carrier or they have the citizenship and the U.S Embassy is not moving, not helping. The tickets are skyrocketing. They used to be like $1,000 now they’re $8,000 or 80% of the flights of suspended.“We need the U.S. Embassy to move. These are U.S. citizens … Lebanese or Palestinian American are not less American comparing to other American, most of all these people are taxpayer,” the Dearborn mother said. “I have cousins who lost their eyes and limbs … and everyone is watching as if our blood is cheap … we’re normalizing seeing the bloodshed.”
Imad Hamad, executive director of the American Human Rights Council, identified himself as a Palestinian refugee from Lebanon who has immediate relatives in both countries.
“Nobody is safe. All areas are subject to the Israeli targeting … the pillow, the mattress is like a dream to many to have, most people just left their destroyed houses, they left behind even people under the rubble. They live the misery of fear around the clock. Even the areas that is not directly targeted, it’s impacted minute by minute hearing the sounds of the environment. It’s terrorizing people, children, women,” she said.
Officials from the Jewish Federation of Detroit and the University of Michigan’s Hillel organization declined to comment on the calls for a weapons embargo and military aid for Israel. The Wayne State University Hillel and the Jewish Federation of Ann Arbor did not respond to requests for comment.
About IONA
IONA's objective is to help the Muslims of North America understand and fulfill their divinely ordained obligations, in order to please Allah (SWT) and thereby achieve success and salvation in the Hereafter.
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