1 June 2024: In a powerful display of unity, more than 50 national, state, and regional American Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, and other organizations have issued a joint statement condemning the law firm Greenberg Traurig. The firm recently filed a lawsuit against a prominent American Muslim advocacy group and a Palestinian-American student organization, accusing them of being “collaborators and propagandists” for Hamas.
The statement criticizes the lawsuit as an attack grounded in anti-Muslim conspiracy theories and guilt-by-association tactics, aiming to silence critics of the Israeli government. The organizations view the lawsuit as a continuation of efforts to suppress dissent against Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The joint statement reads:
“We, the undersigned organizations, strongly condemn the hateful, frivolous, and unhinged lawfare attack that the law firm Greenberg Traurig recently launched against a prominent American Muslim advocacy group and a Palestinian-American student organization.
“Greenberg Traurig’s Islamophobic stunt, disguised as a lawsuit, appears to be a collection of anti-Muslim conspiracy theories and guilt-by-association paranoia. It represents the latest escalation in an unprecedented and increasingly desperate campaign to silence Americans who oppose the Israeli government’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
“What’s happening across America resembles some of the worst moments of our nation’s past, from the McCarthy-era witch hunt for communists to systemic attempts to destroy Black leaders and organizations of the Civil Rights Movement, the crackdown on Vietnam War opponents, and the government abuses and systemic discrimination in the years after 9/11.
“In recent months, college students have been doxed, attacked, and arrested. Teachers, doctors, and other workers have faced discrimination and termination. Protesters have been defamed and brutalized. Dozens of Muslim and Palestinian Americans have been violently attacked for wearing visible signs of their religion or culture.
“This must end, starting with Greenberg Traurig’s ludicrous and offensive lawsuit.”
Among the national organizations endorsing the statement are the American Center for Justice, American Muslim Bar Association, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), and the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR).
Regional, state, and local organizations also voicing their condemnation include the Arizona Muslim Alliance, Islamic Center of Detroit, Muslim Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, and the Shura of New York: Islamic Leadership Council of NY.
The collective stance of these groups underscores a broad and resolute opposition to what they perceive as a legal strategy aimed at stifling free speech and advocacy for Palestinian rights.
