Hundreds gather in Dearborn to mark Palestinian expulsion, protest killing of journalist
Hundreds gathered at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the expulsion of thousands from their homes in Palestine.
The Nakba, which translates to "catastrophe" in Arabic, refers to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in 1948. This year's anniversary came days after well-known Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh with Al Jazeera was killed while covering an Israeli army raid on the Jenin refugee camp.
In Dearborn, political and religious leaders took to the microphone before hundreds of attendees, including generations of displaced Palestinians impacted by the displacement.
"Unfortunately, it feels like we convene more often than ever now, condemning killing or assassination or murder, because what happened in Palestine was certainly an assassination," said Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, referring to the killing of Abu Akleh, who was 51 at the time of her death. "I am proud to be standing with all of you, whether we have a stage or whether we don't, we will always continue to stand strong with Palestine until we have a free Palestine with the right to self-determination."
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In a statement Wednesday, Qatar-based news organization Al Jazeera said Israeli occupation forces assassinated Abu Akleh. An initial investigation into the shooting by the Israeli army found that it was unclear whether Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli fire, but multiple eyewitness accounts from other journalists at the scene said the shooting didn't come from the Palestinian side.
Abu Akleh was one of the most prominent and recognizable names in Arab journalism. She is the 55th Palestinian member of the press to be killed by the Israeli army while performing their job since 2000, according to Al Jazeera.
Calls for an independent investigation into the shooting have echoed nationally and globally, including from journalism protection groups and the White House. Israel receives $3.8 billion in military aid from the United States, according to The New York Times.
A thorough and cooperative investigation into the shooting is the only feasible pathway forward, said Rabbi Asher Lopatin, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee, in metro Detroit.
"The truth is, the only way we're going to get to a better place and to peace is by working together by shared society," Lopatin told the Free Press Sunday evening. "Through the process of Israel and Palestinians working together, I think we'll come to a better place and hopefully really learn how to do these kinds of things. Whoever killed her, whichever side killed her, by accident or whatever it was, won't happen again. I really believe from tragedy can come something better, some light if we work together."
Among those calling for an objective investigation is U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who represents Michigan's 13th Congressional District and is of Palestinian descent.
"It doesn't matter, until the end of the day, even if I'm the only one that votes against the $3.8 billion of unconditional aid," Tlaib said. "This is our money, our money that is putting tethers on children in Jerusalem, that is caging children and detaining them, that is killing, not only (Abu Akleh), but people before her.
"The fact of the matter is, we cannot be silent because we have the facts on our hands...I'm not afraid, I'd rather lose an election than turn my back to this kind of violence and oppression."
Sunday's demonstration was one of many taking place nationwide in remembrance of the Nakba and Abu Akleh. A scholarship fund dedicated to Abu Akleh's legacy and to inspire young aspiring journalism students, particularly Palestinian women, has been established.
Contact Miriam Marini: mmarini@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Hundreds commemorate Palestinian expulsion amid grief for journalist
