Muslim US lawmakers pledge to raise Gaza human rights abuses in Congress

Express Tribune

7 days ago

A group of four Muslim members of the US Congress—Andre Carson, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Latifah Simon—along with non-Muslim lawmaker Summer Lee, pledged to bring the issue of grave human rights violations and the alleged genocide of unarmed Palestinian civilians in Gaza to the US Congressional Human Rights Commission.
During a meeting at a local Oakland hotel with a delegation from the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) over the weekend, the lawmakers assured they would push for formal congressional hearings on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and explore all possible avenues to facilitate the delivery of food and medical aid to besieged areas.
The ICNA delegation, led by Dr Asim Asad, included members who traveled from across the United States—Florida, Dallas, Sacramento, and San Jose—to meet both individually and collectively with the lawmakers. The meeting was organised in coordination with the US American Muslim Political Action Committee, whose president, Istefa Zaidi, hosted a reception dinner in honor of the congressional guests. Zaidi also emphasized Muslim unity in his remarks.
The ICNA delegation invited Dr Bilal Piracha, a physician who had returned just three days earlier from Gaza, to brief lawmakers on the worsening situation. Piracha, speaking at the event, delivered an emotional and graphic account of the destruction he witnessed, calling on members of Congress to personally visit the Gaza border and lead convoys of aid trucks into the region.
"This is no longer a time for words but for action," Piracha said. "Let members of Congress be seen, let the world see that we cannot stay silent while genocide unfolds. Even if we are arrested or blocked, the message must be sent: enough is enough."
He also appealed—through a viral social media video—to Pakistan's Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, urging him to leverage his growing rapport with former US President Donald Trump to pressure American leadership into halting what he described as 'the systematic extermination of Palestinians.'
Piracha further urged Pakistan's military to coordinate with Egypt and Jordan to send relief goods—including food and medicine—via C-1 transport planes through the Rafah border crossing.
Describing this as his third medical relief mission to Gaza, Dr Piracha said the current conditions were 'far worse and utterly inhumane' compared to his previous visits. "Continuous bombings, bloodshed, and a flood of injured women, children, and the elderly in hospitals that are barely functioning—this is a humanitarian catastrophe," he said.
He noted that World Central Kitchen, which had been providing one meal per day, ceased operations a week ago. 'Hospitals are out of advanced equipment, essential medicines, and even basic food supplies. People now say, 'Give us bread—even if you shoot us afterward.''
The United Nations' food assistance has also reportedly been halted. According to Piracha, Israeli and American business interests operating under the guise of the "Gaza Foundation" are profiting from the crisis. 'Thousands arrive hungry, but only a few dozen boxes are distributed—and Israeli forces use the rest as bait to carry out mass shootings,' he alleged.
He also revealed that many victims lay unattended as the fear of sniper fire deterred efforts to retrieve bodies. His team, granted access through the World Health Organization and humanitarian group Heroic Heart, included 30 volunteers who worked in extreme conditions.
At its peak, 20 kitchens were operating in Gaza, but due to a lack of funds, only four large kitchens remain, each costing over $120,000 per month. "We are feeding a few thousand families with basic stews made from eggplants and zucchini grown locally in Gaza," Piracha said.
He concluded by saying that the people of Gaza, after 14 days of witnessing despair and devastation, are now left asking: Where is the Muslim Ummah? Where is humanity?