The Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, on behalf of the SoCal Muslim community, decries the recent and on-going deplorable attacks on innocent worshippers in the sacred sanctuary of Masjid al-Aqsa by the Israeli military and police. The repeat of last year’s disparate damage to life and peace in this holy time is deeply disturbing and counter to the spirit of respect called for by the Abrahamic faiths.

The United Nations Human Rights Council just this month “reaffirmed the Palestinian people’s right to live in freedom, justice and dignity and the right to their independent State of Palestine. The Council called upon all States to ensure their obligations of non-recognition, non-aid or assistance with regard to the serious breaches of peremptory norms of international law by Israel; to adopt measures to promote the realization of the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people; and to assist the United Nations in carrying out its responsibilities regarding the implementation of this right.”

We call upon conscionable fellow Americans and global citizens to take an unambiguous stand of objecting to the disproportionate lack of media recognition and political response with regard to these provocations. The selective attention given by media outlets and world leaders to current events undermines stated value of honoring dignity of life and the inviolable human rights of all people, regardless of race, religion and status, and no matter where in the world the aggression is occurring.

We pray for the Palestinian people to be given relief, we ask that elected officials call out and work against such oppressive measures, so that in time peace may prevail everywhere in the world.