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Arab-American organisers on Thursday are "shocked" that Democratic Party leadership rejected its request for a Palestinian-American speaker at the Democratic National Convention amid Israel's war in Gaza.
"We're shocked by the decision not to include a Palestinian American from the stage," Michigan "uncommitted" delegate Abbas Alawieh told The National.
The uncommitted voter movement began during the Democratic primary season, out of frustration with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris's stance after a deadly Hamas-led October 7 attack on Israel and amid a growing civilian death toll in Gaza.
The movement requested that Democrats vote uncommitted or leave their ballots blank to show support for a ceasefire. More than 30 delegates went to the convention in Chicago, Illinois, to represent 700,000 people who voted uncommitted.
Those delegates asked the DNC to have a Palestinian-American voice, uncommitted delegate, Arab-American community member or doctor who worked in Gaza speak on stage to highlight the issue.
On Wednesday evening, Mr Alawieh said he was told by DNC organisers that it would not be allowed. He and other members held an overnight sit-in to press for the decision to be reversed.
"Of course, that request of ours, we felt was a very reasonable request, and it was actually our secondary request. Our primary request is for the Vice President and the President to stop sending weapons that are killing civilians," he said.
After the decision was announced, Democratic elected leaders, political organisations, actors and labour groups, as well as people who have family as hostages held in Gaza, issued calls for a Palestinian-American voice to be included on stage.
The parents of an American hostage held by militant groups in Gaza spoke on Wednesday, demanding the release of captives and an end to the war in Gaza.
Uncommitted delegates and Democrats said that in addition to the hostage parents, there should be a Palestinian American to speak on suffering and humanity.
"The scandal is that there are forces within Democratic Party leadership who do not want us to talk about Palestinian human rights, but that's not sustainable," Mr Alawieh said to reporters. "This is a watershed moment."
Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Greg Cesar, Ayanna Pressley were among those to express support for the movement after the DNC decision.
"I think that we've given them a lot of opportunities to engage in this process at the convention," Ian Sams, a senior campaign adviser for Ms Harris, told CNN. There was a Palestinians for Human Rights panel on Monday.
The decision frustrated many because Chicago is home to what is estimated as the largest Palestinian population in the US, and the city saw a young Palestinian-American boy murdered in an Islamophobic assault weeks after the Hamas attack.
"This has been a disastrous decision by the Democratic leadership to deny a bare minimum ask that we asked for weeks ago before the convention," organiser Layla Elabed said during the final night of the convention.
Georgia state representative Ruwa Romman, the first Muslim and Palestinian woman elected for office in the south-eastern state, was often named as a possible speaker. She has endorsed Ms Harris.
Mother Jones published a prepared text of what would have been Ms Romman's speech, had the DNC accepted the request. Ms Romman read her speech to a crowd outside the United Centre arena.
"For 320 days, we’ve stood together, demanding to enforce our laws on friend and foe alike to reach a ceasefire, end the killing of Palestinians, free all the Israeli and Palestinian hostages, and to begin the difficult work of building a path to collective peace and safety," the text read.
More than 40,200 people in Gaza have been killed, health officials say, as Israeli military operations continue and a humanitarian crisis worsens in the Palestinian enclave. "That's how we achieve a ceasefire," Mr Alawieh said to The National.
"We support a ceasefire, and we think the way to achieve a ceasefire is to stop sending weapons, and so that's where we are now," he said, referring to the group's demand for a US arms embargo on Israel.
Polls since December have shown a high majority of Democrats support a ceasefire. It is yet to be seen if the Harris campaign and DNC's decision could endanger voter support among Arab Americans.
The uncommitted movement has insisted that it is against Republican candidate Donald Trump but wants to meet Ms Harris or hear a plan from her about how she would handle Gaza.
"We're, of course, continuing to engage with the group and make sure that the Vice President's position on this issue is heard and that their voices are heard," Mr Sams said to CNN.
Organisers announced they set a deadline for Ms Harris to meet with them by September 15.
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
The low down
Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark
Rating: 2/5
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
