US Muslim leader: I was happy to see Gazans breaking the siege on Oct. 7

[Jose Garcia]

Source: Times of Israel

The founder and executive director of the Council on American–Islamic Relations said last month that he was “happy” to see Gazans “break the siege” on October 7, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists burst through the enclave’s border with Israel, massacred 1,200 people and took some 240 hostage.

“The people of Gaza only decided to break the siege — the walls of the concentration camp — on October 7,” Nihad Awad said in a speech during the American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) convention in Chicago, in footage published Thursday by the Middle East Media Research Institute.

“And yes, I was happy to see people breaking the siege and throwing down the shackles of their own land, and walk free into their land, which they were not allowed to walk in,” he added, referring to the blockade Israel and Egypt enforced after Hamas took control of the strip in 2007, to prevent the terror group from importing weapons, materials and equipment for attacks.

The October 7 massacre, which came under cover of a massive barrage of rockets fired at Israel, saw terrorists overrun communities and slaughter those they found. Families were murdered as they huddled together in their homes or were burned to death. Victims, including children, were raped, tortured or mutilated. At an outdoor music festival, over 360 people were mowed down.

Read more: https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-muslim-leader-i-was-happy-to-see-gazans-breaking-the-siege-on-oct-7/

[FirstLight]

1. oh no... this won't go well... nt

[elleng]

3. REALLY bad news.

If he intended to limit the impact, he sure as heck should have said it.

[elleng]

2. Not a good picture, from director of Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Will discuss this with my good Muslim friend.

[maxsolomon]

4. it was great to see them break out of Gaza

the raping and murdering? not quite as great...

[sarisataka]

8. It kind of goes hand-in-hand.

Since the reason for the breakout was to rape and murder.

[yardwork]

10. Nobody had to "break out of Gaza."

People walked back and forth through the border with Israel all the time.

[SYGDeb]

17. Yardwork

Then
.... what is the meaning of all the Checkpoints? What are they for...and why so many?

[EX500rider]

19. Probably to keep the number of bombs that go off at Israeli cafes down

[yardwork]

20. See post #11 below, and the other poster who responded to you.

HAMAS has been bombing and attacking Israeli civilians for decades. Israel is in a state of constant siege. This idea that Israel has Palestinians in a "concentration camp" is completely false. Israel's borders are secured against constant terrorist attacks. Plenty of Palestinians with work visas walk back and forth between Israel and Gaza, but Israel can't maintain an open border with Gaza because of the terrorist attacks, which have been going on for decades. There is also a border between Gaza and Egypt (which Egypt is now closing).

The Palestinian people have a lot of problems, but they are not being "interred" by Israel in an "open air camp." That is false. It is false propaganda perpetrated by HAMAS and their enablers.

[yardwork]

11. A little more context....

From the article...

And yes, I was happy to see people breaking the siege and throwing down the shackles of their own land, and walk free into their land, which they were not allowed to walk in,” he added, referring to the blockade Israel and Egypt enforced on Gaza after Hamas took control of the strip in 2007, to prevent the terror group from importing weapons, materials and equipment for attacks.

[maxsolomon]

21. Yes, I read that part.

The blockade did not work that well.

[Lucky Luciano]

5. This will make people want to see Gaza turned to glass.

[LeftInTX]

23. Really.....Not helpful. I want this war over....

[dalton99a]

6. But there is still no proof that CAIR supports Hamas

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

7. Maybe he should leave this country if he feels that way

[SouthernDem4ever]

9. Sigh

So much for a two-state solution.

[keithbvadu2]

12. "The people of Gaza" - That is not vague. They want to kill more Jews just as Trump's republicans do.

[Skittles]

13. sickening

and these folk believe in a higher power? riiiiiiiiiiiight

[The Magistrate]

14. Ascribing Hamas Atrocities To 'The People Of Gaza', Sir, Gives The Game Away

If Hamas is, or acts for, the people of Gaza (as the man clearly says), then the propaganda line that 'It's Hamas, not the people of Gaza who are responsible for the atrocities' collapses to rhetorical rubble. If one follows the view this man has expressed, why should anyone enraged by the atrocities give a fig what happens to them in consequence?

[ColinC]

15. People who say horrible shit like this are just as bad as those who

Say they are happy to see Israel bombing Palestinians.

Same coin, different sides.

[elias7]

16. Gaza is not a concentration camp and outside their eastern border is Israel, not "their land"

I asked in early October why the world was framing this as the Israel-Hamas war rather than the Israel-Gaza war. I hold this POV.

IMO, it is a great unspoken truth that Gazan people for the most part supported this act. When I see clips of the propaganda that Gazan children hear about Israel and Jews in their classrooms, while being told their land is being occupied by Israel- and they mean from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean- I am just somewhat grateful for this Muslim leader to have said the quiet part out loud.

[dalton99a]

18. The Council on American-Islamic Relations is a Hamas PR organization.

An Islamist public relations firm posing as a civil-rights lobby
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_on_American%E2%80%93Islamic_Relations

[LeftInTX]

22. With "friends" like this, who needs enemies?

CAIR is only promoting Islamophobia and possibly some scary truths?

[Kennah]

24. This will convey the message that Palestinians and Hamas are one in the same

[TexasDem69]

26. I feel like I read somewhere that Palestinians elected Hamas

And largely support their actions. Could be wrong.

[Kennah]

27. Hamas won 44% of the vote, 74 seats, 440K of 991K votes cast

[TexasDem69]

28. 44% is similar to Trump's support in the US

[LeftishBrit]

31. And most Gazans now were not old enough to vote in 2006

Close to half of them aren't old enough to vote now.

[Aussie105]

25. When words that are spoken should best be left unspoken . . .

No one benefits.

Nasty piece of work, this 'leader'.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

29. This view will hurt CAIR

[LetMyPeopleVote]

30. CAIR has been removed from panel on antisemitism

Link to tweet

/photo/1

[LeftishBrit]

32. Murdering kibbutzniks, music fans and children is not 'breaking a siege'.

[MistakenLamb]

33. and people have the absurd delusions Democrats should give these people the time of day