Photo Credit: Ursula Vari
(LOS ANGELES, CA – 6/10/2024) – – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today commended Los Angeles City Council Members Eunisses Hernandez, Nithya Raman, and Hugo Soto-MartÃnez for introducing a resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and recognizing the critical need for humanitarian aid.
SEE: Three Los Angeles City Council members call for ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war
On Tuesday, June 4, the LA City Council meeting agenda included a resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the safe passage of humanitarian and medical aid through the border. The resolution also condemns the rise of Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian hate, and antisemitism. The resolution states:
“NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City joins the calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional return of all hostages, and the safe and immediate passage of unhindered humanitarian aid and medical care to Gaza; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City will not tolerate any form of harmful and racist language, especially antisemitic, anti-Palestinian, and Islamophobia hate speech toward anyone
The City Council’s Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee will now review the resolution for further consideration. If passed, Los Angeles would join several other cities in Southern California to pass ceasefire resolutions, including Pomona, Cudahy, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Montebello, Long Beach, and Santa Ana.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said:
“We commend Council Members Hernandez, Raman, and Soto-MartÃnez for their principled and peace-supporting stance in supporting a permanent ceasefire and the entry of urgently needed humanitarian aid to Gaza, and hope the Council’s Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee will follow suit by voting to adopt the proposed ceasefire resolution.
“Over the last eight months, tens of thousands of Angelenos have come together to protest and bring awareness to the genocide and horrific human rights violations in Gaza committed by the state of Israel using American tax dollars. It is time for the leaders of Los Angeles to align themselves with the voices of their constituents and call for a permanent ceasefire that will put an end to the carnage and mass murder of innocent Palestinians
Since Oct. 7, Israel’s ongoing and indiscriminate bombing of Gaza has destroyed entire residential neighborhoods and critical infrastructure, displaced nearly two million people, and killed more than 37,000 civilians, a majority of whom are women and children. Human rights organizations from all over the world have stated that Israel’s cutting off of food, water, electricity, and medicine, and targeting of homes, hospitals, schools, mosques, churches, and refugee camps in Gaza, amounts to war crimes.
CAIR-LA, along with several organizations concerned about the violence and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, sent a joint letter to LA City Council Members urging them to vote in support of adopting the resolution calling for an immediate permanent ceasefire, the flow of humanitarian aid into the region, and the release of all Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT:CAIR-LA Digital Communications Manager EnjyEl-Kadi,(714)851-4851oreelkadi@cair.com; CAIR-LA Communications Coordinator Madi Morse-Hameed,mmorse-hameed@cair.com
