Jumana Al-Qawasmi
Overview
Jumana Al-Qawasmi has glorified violence and shown support for terrorists as the founder and director of Watan, a Palestinian-themed “creative platform and storefront.”She was the president of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at Loyola University (Loyola) in 2012-2013. She was also a member of SJP at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Al-Qawasmi is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. She was involved in BDS initiatives on the Loyola campus and as a Loyola alumna, Al-Qawasmi supported a March 2015 Loyola Divest campaign. She was also an organizer of the November 2014 divestment campaign at UCLA.
As of April 2019, Al-Qawasmi was a member of the Facebook group Loyola Muslim Student Association (MSA). She was also a member of the Facebook group of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) and she is affiliated with American Muslims for Palestine (AMP).
As of April 2019, Al-Qawasmi’s LinkedIn page said she was the Founder & Director at Watan, from “Jan 2015 - Present.”
Al-Qawasmi was a graduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2014. She graduated from Loyola in 2013, with a bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature.
Glorifying Violence
As of May 2019, a pin on Watan’s website featured a map of Israel surrounded by a Palestinian Keffiyeh and an AK-47 assault rifle.As of the same date, another pin on Watan’s website showed a masked man covering his face with a Palestinian Keffiyeh, holding a Palestinian flag in one hand and a rock in the other, called the “Resistance Pin.”
On August 30, 2016, Watan’s Instagram page posted for sale a number of pins glorifying violence.
That same day, a post on Watan’s Instagram page showed a pin of a gun-wielding man covering his face with a Palestinian Keffiyeh that says “LIBERATION.”
On May 11, 2016, a post on Watan’s Instagram page featured showed a pin that featured a gun-wielding Palestinian with the phrase “Revolution until Victory.”
Support for Terrorists
As of May 2019, available for purchase on Watan’s website is a print and sticker that “pays homage to” Ghassan Kanafani.Kanafani was a leading member and spokesperson for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) during the terrorist organization’s early years. Kanafani announced the PFLP’s responsibility for the Lod Airport Massacre of May 1972 and was linked to the airport attackers. The attack killed 26 people and wounded 80 others.
On April 8, 2018, Al-Qawasmi shared a video on Instagram of Kanafani and wrote: “Happy 82nd birthday to a Palestinian great, Ghassan Kanafani. May we always engage with your work, your principles, your example and leave you as a hallowed, unquestioned icon. ❤️ #Watan #WatanStudio#WatanPalestine #Palestine#Palestinian #Arab #handmade
On October 16, 2015, Al-Qawasmi posted a graphic of Rasmea Odeh on Instagram and wrote: “Be sure to donate to her defense fund.”
Odeh was a key military operative [00:02:08]with the terrorist group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). In 1969, Odeh masterminded a PFLP bombing that killed two college students in a Jerusalem supermarket. Odeh also attempted to bomb the British consulate.
Odeh confessed, in a highly detailed account, the day following her arrest. In a 2004 documentary, one of Odeh’s co-conspirators directly implicated [00:10:53] Odeh as the mastermind.
In 1970, an Israeli court tried and convicted Odeh for her involvement in both bombings and sentenced her to life imprisonment. However, Odeh was released 10 years later, in a prisoner swap and emigrated to the United States.
On November 10, 2014, a Michigan federal jury convicted Odeh for immigration fraud because she failed to disclose her prior conviction and life sentence on her immigration application. On March 12, 2015, she was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
In 2017, after an appeal and a lengthy court battle, Odeh admitted to immigration fraud, was stripped of her U.S. citizenship, deported to Jordan and banned from re-entering the U.S.
Anti-Israel Activism
According to the National SJP website, the conference aimed to strengthen “collaborative efforts within all regions to pass BDS” and envision “pathways to achieving sanctions in the future.”
Al-Qawasmi designed the header and banner for the first issue of National SJP’s 2017 newsletter and graphics for the second issue of National SJP’s 2017 newsletter.
Al-Qawasmi and Watan held “a pop-up shop” at the 2016 National SJP Conference.
On December 31, 2016, Al-Qawasmi indicated on Instagram that groups such as SJP, PYM, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) and AMP were a “catalyst for our [Watan’s] formation.”
On November 27, 2016, Al-Qawasmi appeared in a photo on Watan’s Instagram account from a Watan booth at that year’s national American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) convention.
Watan’s booth featured various art and products for sale and the Instagram post said: “Thank you for such a cute weekend at the AMP conference!..Here's to conquering new challenges and to figuring our part in our collective liberation. ❤️ And we can't wait to see all of you at our grand opening on Dec. 17th! 😉”
On December 22, 2015, a post on Watan’s Instagram page featured a graphic that said: “Find Watan at the MAS ICNA Convention at the Souk Booths (A32-34).”
The post was about Watan’s booth at the Muslim American Society (MSA) and Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) convention. Watan’s Instagram post said: “In anticipation of the MAS ICNA convention, I'd like to make sure as many people as possible know that Watan will be at the convention (@thesoukkc's booths).”
As of 2014, Watan’s site featured a resources page that served as a database to provide fliers, print outs, and other pieces to help SJP promote “Palestine-related” events. Watan’s site has sold pins with the logo of the General Union of Palestine Students (GUPS).
Al-Qawasmi designed the UCLA divest logo for SJP UCLA’s 2014 divestment campaign. The pin is the inspiration for “divest pins” that are sold on her site.
Al-Qawasmi was the president of SJP Loyola in 2012 to 2013 and a member of SJP at UCLA in 2014.
On December 4, 2012, Al-Qawasmi co-authored an opinion piece published in the Loyola’s student newspaper, the Loyola Pheonix, titled: “Palestine remains repressed.”
In the article, Al-Qawasmi referred to Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense (OPD) “attacks” as part of “a larger system of occupation and repression of Palestinians.”
Israel launched OPD to stop Hamas rocket attacks on Israeli civilians from Gaza. Over the course of eight days in November 2012, Palestinian terrorist groups fired more than 1,500 rockets at Israel. The majority struck Israel, damaging homes, schools and other civilian areas. Human Rights Watch noted: “Palestinian armed groups made clear in their statements that harming civilians was their aim.”
BDS Activism
On April 29, 2016, Watan’s Instagram page featured a pin that said: “Divest.” Watan’s Instagram post said that: “A donation from every pin purchase will go to @sjpatucla and @sjployola!”On April 6, 2016, Watan’s Instagram page featured a post that said: ”Keep up with the University of Chicago divestment campaign via #uofcdivest! Exciting to see what these dedicated folks accomplish on campus. 😊”
On February 6, 2016, Watan’s Instagram page featured a pin that said: “Divest” and also said that “proceeds goes to SJP Loyola and SJP-UCLA.”
On March 24, 2015, Al-Qawasmi, as a 2013 Loyola alumna, posted an endorsement on Facebook and posed in a photo campaign for the May 2015 “Loyola Divest” resolution holding a sign that said: “Why I support #LoyolaDivest.”
The Loyola Divest resolution, which called upon the university to boycott Israeli corporations, was supported by the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Chicago. After an initial tie vote, the resolution passed on March 24, 2015.
In response to the resolution, former Loyola University President Michael J. Garanzini wrote an open letter, titled: “Endorsing a Community of Dialogue,” to the student body.
Garanzini’s letter decried the divestment resolution as a divisive and ineffective way to conduct discourse about the situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
On March 9, 2015, CODEPINK tagged Al-Qawasmi on Facebook and said: ‘Introducing our fabulous new sticker we pasted all over the REMAX convention for #ShutDownREMAX designed by incredible Palestinian-American artist Jumana Al-Qawasmi, who runs the online shop ‘Watan.’”
The Al-Qawasmi designed stickers were part of CODEPINK’s boycott campaign targeting American international real-estate group RE/MAX due to its investments in Israel.
On November 13, 2014, Al- Qawasmi appeared in a UCLA Divest Facebook campaign, holding a sign that said: “Will we be another footnote in the history books of Palestinians, blamed for prolonging their suffering? If not NOW, then WHEN?"#UCLADivest #WeDivest #ItsTime.”
On March 24, 2014, Al-Qawasmi supported a similar divestment resolution which was vetoed by the student body president. A statement was then issued by the university asserting that it would not adopt the student’s divestment proposal.
On November 19, 2012, Al-Qawasmi promoted BDS when she was a featured speaker at a rally called: “Chicago stands with Gaza!” during Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense (OPD).
On October 4, 2012, Al-Qawasmi co-wrote, produced and directed a Loyola SJP video titled: “The Time is Now: Divesting from the Occupation” for the Campus MovieFest (CMF) Film Festival. The movie promoted the boycott of TIAA-CREF, a pension provider used by Loyola, due to TIAA-CREF’s investment in Israeli companies.
In a May 29, 2012, post to the Loyola MSA Facebook page, Al- Qawasmi shared a Chicago Divests Petition and wrote: “Along with the Muslim Chaplaincy, here's another thing you guys should sign! Support Chicago Divests, a group that aims to support Palestine by getting TIAA-CREF along with other companies to divest and stop supporting Israel and its illegal occupation. I personally do this (i.e. raising awareness for Palestine, etc.) not because I'm Palestinian but because I'm Muslim and therefore am dedicated to serving humanity for the sake of Allah (swt).”
Condemning Muslim-Jewish Dialogue
MLI "invites North American Muslim leaders to explore how Jews understand Judaism, Israel and North American Jewish identity through a Zionist lens," and to expand their understanding of Jewish “ethics, faith, and practice.” According to MLI founder Imam Abdullah Antepli, “MLI aims to put mainstream North American Jewry in conversation with their Muslim counterparts.”
The letter Al-Qawasmi signed shunned the engagement of Muslim Americans with Israel or other institutions unless they “promote Palestinian liberation and comply with Palestinian demands.”
The letter Al-Qawasmi signed shunned the engagement of Muslim Americans with Israel or other institutions unless they “promote Palestinian liberation and comply with Palestinian demands.”
The letter further pledged “to not give a platform to any MLI participant to speak about their experiences at our community centers, places of worship, and campuses and call on a complete boycott of MLI.”
SJP
SJP is a student organization engaged in anti-Israel activity on North American college and university campuses.
The first chapter of SJP was founded in 2001 at the University of California at Berkeley by Professor Hatem Bazian. Bazian has spread classic anti-Semitism, reportedly promoted religious anti-Semitism and defended the Hamas terror group. In 2004, Bazian called for “intifada” in America.
SJP organizes anti-Israel campaigns, including running annual Israel Apartheid Weeks, often in collaboration with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and Muslim Students Association (MSA) campus chapters.
SJP has been a major force in pushing the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement on campuses. Chapters have initiated dozens of BDS resolutions in student governments, which have been proposed on or around Jewish holidays, a time when many Jewish students are off-campus.
SJP activists have reportedly physically assaulted, intimidated and harassed Jewish students, disrupted pro-Israel campus events and demonized pro-Israel campus organizations.
Chapters have often endorsed and campaigned for numerous terrorists and whitewashed terrorism.
BDS
The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement was founded by Omar Barghouti in 2005 to challenge “international support for Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism.” BDS is an allegedly “Palestinian-led movement,” although leading BDS activists have admitted [00:01:01] this is not true.
One of the demands of BDS includes [point 3] what is generally known as the “right of return,” a demand discredited as a way to eliminate Israel. Barghouti said the “right of return” is a means to “end Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.”
Barghouti has said that BDS “aims to turn Israel into a pariah state, as South Africa once was.”
In his activism, Barghouti has also said [00:05:55] regarding Israel: “Definitely, most definitely, we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine. No…rational Palestinian, not a sellout Palestinian, will ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine.”
The movement has been linked to numerous terrorist organizations and received a public endorsement from Hamas in 2017.
BDS initiatives include calling on institutions and individuals to divest from Israeli-affiliated companies, promoting academic and cultural boycotts of Israel, and organizing anti-Israel rallies, protests and campaigns.
The movement’s most notable achievement has been the infiltration of university campuses through lobbying for “BDS resolutions.” In these cases, student governments and student groups, backed by their own anti-Israel members and affiliates, have proposed resolutions on some form of boycott of, or divestment from, Israel and Israeli-affiliated entities.
Boycott resolutions, although non-binding, have been passed by student governments on numerous North American campuses.
BDS activity is often aggressive and disruptive. It has been noted that universities that pass BDS resolutions see a marked increase in anti-Semitic incidents on campus. On one campus, when the student government debated a BDS resolution, reports emerged of violent threats against those opposing it.
Social Media and Weblinks
- Status:
- Professional
- University:
- California-Los-Angeles,
- more...
- Loyola
- Organizations:
- AMP,
- BDS,
- more...
- Related Profiles:
- Sarah Rahimi,
- Jemima Pierre,
- Randa Wahbe,
- Michael Cooperson,
- Gil Hochberg,
- Noor Eid,
- Faria Tahir,
- Safwan Hamdi Ibrahim,
- Sarah Haley,
- Lila Suboh,
- Alaa Abuadas,
- Manjot Singh,
- Negeen Sadeghi-Movahed,
- Aamir Mufti,
- Suleiman Hodali,
- Ayesha Khan,
- Akhil Gupta,
- Gabriel Piterberg,
- Rahim Kurwa,
- Susan Slyomovics,
- Saree Makdisi,
- Sofia-Moreno Haq,
- Robin D.G. Kelley,
- Karen Brodkin,
- Fabienne Roth,
- Agata Palma,
- Lisa-Marie Mendez,
- Eitan Peled,
- Nashiha Alam,
- Nadine Darwish,
- Nariman Shehaiber,
- Judith Wittner,
- Ryan Sorrell,
- Rania Salem,
- Danish Murtaza
- Last Modified:
- 06/23/2025