ICNA joins the rest of world in condemning a terror attack against a Muslim family which left four dead and one in critical condition. The family of five was out on a Sunday evening walk, as a normal family routine, when the driver of a pickup truck intentionally jumped a curb and crashed into them killing four of them.
The perpetrator of this crime is just 20 years old. One must wonder how much Islamophobia, hate and toxic rhetoric he had been exposed to that would encourage him to kill an entire family.
When such incidents happen, we cannot be satisfied with the simple explanation of mental illness or an insincere condemnation.
Condemnation for such crimes is not enough. Muslims cannot and should not be passive in the face of such violence. For too long we have been victims of hate crimes. All that is done in response are condolences and words. Serious steps must be taken to prevent these crimes in the future.
Islamophobia continues to exist in Canada, the USA, Europe, and elsewhere and as we can see, it has deadly consequences. We hold certain politicians, talk-show hosts, and extremists responsible for promoting hate against our communities. For this reason, ICNA calls on lawmakers to pass legislation to treat Islamophobia as a crime in order to stop hatred in its tracks. Hence, anyone found guilty of hate crimes or perpetuating hate in society must be dealt with by full force of the law. People should not be allowed to spread hate under the banner of free speech. Free speech cannot and must not be hate speech!
We pray to Allah  that the four members of our family who died will be written among the Shuhadaa (martyrs). We ask Allah  to grant the child who is in the ICU complete shifaa (recovery) and to ease his struggles. May Allah  grant him a recovery that will heal the pain of the loss of his entire family.
The Islamic Circle of North America is a leading American Muslim organization dedicated to the betterment of society through the application of Islamic values. Since 1968, ICNA has worked to build relations between communities by devoting itself to education, outreach, social services and relief efforts.

The US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), the largest coalition of major national, regional, and local Muslim organizations held a National March for Palestine in Washington, D.C. over the Memorial Day weekend to show support to the Palestinian diaspora in the United States and their families who have experienced colonial annexation of their land and racism.
Partners of the National March for Palestine included the ICNA Council for Social Justice (ICNA-CSJ), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) – lead organizer, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Muslim American Society (MAS), Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA), Majlis Ash-Shura: Islamic Leadership Council of New York, Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC) and Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM).
The USCMO have demanded the placement of an arms embargo on Israel, the cancellation of the US-Israel free trade agreement, a shut down of ‘charitable’ organizations supporting Israeli war crimes, and a ban on the import of products from Israel’s illegal colonies. The groups also sought to end weapons transfer to Israel, objecting to gross violations of human rights with US weapons and violations of the Foreign Assistance Act and Arms Export Control Act.
Learn more about AMP’s SanctionIsrael campaign initiative at this link: http://www.sanctionisrael.org
The National March for Palestine drew over 35,000 people demanding justice and peace for the Palestinians under the Israeli occupation. The March for Palestine was the culmination of weeks of organizing protests in solidarity with Palestine nationwide, building on the 73-year resistance campaign to the Nakba. While Israel’s bombing campaigns and military strikes are not new, the wave of Palestinian solidarity has ignited a tsunami wave of youth activism, fresh from the surge of Black Lives Matter and climate mobilizations. USCMO and its partners sensed the urgency of a nationwide grassroots mobilization stemming from campaigns in support of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah and Gaza.
Watch Imam Omar Suleiman’s speech at the National March for Palestine by clicking here.