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WASHINGTON(FinalCall.com)–More than 150 Muslim men, women and children gathered at Washington’s “Freedom Plaza” April 4 to pray and raise their voices for justice and peace, and to oppose the American invasion of Iraq.
Muslim Voices for Justice and Peace is a new coalition of Muslim activists, imams and leaders in the National Capital area. They organized a “Salat-ul-Jummah” prayer service on the 35th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“We thoroughly denounce the obscene use of billions of U.S. tax dollars to cause death and destruction in Iraq, when that money is needed here at home for health care, education and jobs,” organizer Hodari Abdul-Ali told reporters before the prayer.
“We hereby add our voices to the millions of anti-war protesters across the country and around the world demanding the immediate withdrawal of American troops from Iraq and the entire region,” he said.
The coalition announced a boycott of Chevron Oil, “one of the many oil companies profiting from this war for oil and empire.” They also plan to boycott broadcast network NBC, owned by defense contractor General Electric, “for personifying the unfair coverage of the war and the anti-war movement.”
The Muslim leaders promised they would continue to participate in upcoming protest rallies and demonstrations taking place daily around the country and the world, including a protest march organized by International ANSWER on April 12, and another rally and march called for by Black Voices for Peace on April 26.
Muslim Voices for Justice and Peace also voiced support for Atlanta’s Imam Jamil Al-Amin (formerly known as H. Rap Brown), whom they insist was unfairly convicted of murdering a Georgia deputy sheriff in 2001.
–Askia Muhammad