[Warren, MI] The Islamic Organization of North America (IONA) strongly condemns the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the recent desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli extremists, calling both actions part of a broader campaign of ethnic, cultural, and religious cleansing under Israeli occupation.
On Memorial Day (05-26), far-right Israeli figures, including Itamar Ben Gvir and the Jewish Power Party, stormed Al-Aqsa under police protection, chanting violent anti-Arab slogans, such as “Death to Arabs,” “May your village burn,” and “Your home will be ours,” and terrorizing Palestinian neighborhoods.
Banners carried by extremists read, “1967—Jerusalem in our hands; 2025—Gaza in our hands,” revealed an explicit intention to dominate both Jerusalem and Gaza, while Prime Minister Netanyahu, speaking from a tunnel dug under the Al-Aqsa sanctuary, doubled down on asserting Israeli control over all of Jerusalem.
For over 19 months, the genocide in Gaza has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, injuring over 123,000, and destroying civilian infrastructure. A recent airstrike killed 9 of 10 children of Dr. Alaa Al-Najjar while she was treating patients.
We affirm that Gaza is a global humanitarian crisis—not merely a Palestinian issue—and that Al-Aqsa is sacred to over two billion Muslims worldwide. The international community’s complicity through silence and inaction is deeply troubling. We call on world leaders, especially President Trump, to take immediate and concrete steps to pressure Israel to end these atrocities and save innocent lives.
We urge all people of conscience to rise with moral clarity and reject the dehumanization and violence being carried out in Gaza and Jerusalem.
May the recent storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque serve as a wake-up call to all Arab and Muslim leaders to hold the perpetrators accountable and to actively promote respect, justice, and lasting peace.
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