Shakeel Syed
Overview
Shakeel Syed has used an anti-Semitic slur, expressed support for the Hamas terror organization and demonized Israel.Syed is a national board member of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. He is also affiliated with Al-Awda — the Palestinian Right to Return Coalition (Al-Awda).
As of June 2019, Syed was listed as the Executive Director of the Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development (OCCORD), as well as a board member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Death Penalty Focus. In 2018, he wasreportedly a board member of the Public Law Center (PLC) in Orange County, California.
Using an Anti-Semitic Slur
On August 14, 2014, Syed tweeted: “Grown up Zios scared of Jewish Boys.”The term "Zio" is a common derogatory reference to Zionists, as well as an often-used anti-Semitic slur among white supremacists.
Syed’s tweet linked to a BBC article about a South African Jewish youth leader facing backlash for his apparent support of Palestinian over Israeli interests during Israel’s Operation Protective Edge (OPE).
Israel commenced Operation Protective Edge (OPE) in July 2014, to stop rocket fire targeting Israeli civilians and to destroy Hamas attack tunnels.
On October 16, 2014, Syed tweeted: “Zios preach to Muslims & Christians & they are buying it.” His tweet linked to a blog post condemning the Muslim Leadership Initiative (MLI).
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.”
On September 13, 2018, Syed tweeted “With U 1001% my dear Sr Mary
In his tweet, Syed shared another tweet that said: “I support #BDS I detest Zionism. I despise Israel. If Trump and his ziobuds decide I am a criminal for supporting Palestine and boycotting the terrorist Apartheid Zionist state then they can lock me up. #StopGazaGenocide #DumpIsrael.”
Defending Hamas
On July 24, 2014, Syed tweeted: “Hey Amos - U r DEAD WRONG. I would ‘create Hamas’ in West Bank to Save Israel -”Syed also included a link to an article titled: “To Save Gaza, Destroy Hamas.”
Syed retweeted an April 23, 2016 tweet from the Hamas English language Twitter account that said: “Hamas warns against continuous strangulation of Gaza http://hamas.ps/en/post/386/.”
The link in the tweet led to an article on the Hamas website that said: “Israeli premier Netanyahu had recently decided to prevent the entry of cement shipments to the besieged Gaza Strip, thwarting reconstruction efforts and increasing the humanitarian suffering of the population in Gaza.”
Hamas has diverted Israeli cement shipments intended for civilian construction purposes to build underground attack tunnels into Israel and smuggling tunnels into Egypt.
Demonizing Israel
On July 19, 2018, Syed tweeted: “I appreciate the alternate options but NAH, I will stick with Apartheid as it’s most accurate.”In his tweet, Syed embedded a tweet from disgraced professor Steven Salaita that said: “Lots of Zionists find the term ‘apartheid’ upsetting, so make an effort to also call Israel ethnocratic, colonialist, undemocratic, imperialist, and genocidal.”
On March 17, 2018, Syed tweeted: “Another Nail in the almost ready to be buried coffin of the Apartheid State
Syed retweeted a November 4, 2017 tweet referring to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers as “murderous thugs who kill people and steal land with impunity.”
Syed retweeted an August 7, 2017 tweet that said: “The gravest crimes against humanity are apartheid & genocide. They are both being committed in the name of Zionism.”
Syed retweeted a February 14, 2017 tweet from the anti-Israel Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) organization which said that if U.S. President Donald Trump would move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, it “cements US as Israel’s partner in ethnic cleansing.”
Syed retweeted a November 16, 2016 JVP tweet alleging that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “‘normalizes’ white supremacy and fascist ideas.”
On March 16, 2016, Syed tweeted: “Agree with, but reminding the US State of the Palestinian genocide by the apartheid israel.” His tweet linked to a story titled: “Local Armenians, Assyrians praise John Kerry for calling actions by ISIS genocide.”
On January 9, 2015, Syed tweeted in support of using the hashtag “#JSIL.”
The hashtag “#JSIL” means “Jewish State in the Levant” and is used as a way of comparing Israel to the Islamic State (ISIS), also known as the Islamic State in the Levant (ISIL).
On July 30, 2014, Syed tweeted: “Good to c POTUS sued - how about trying him for aiding abetting #Gaza genocide.”
On the same day, Syed tweeted: “Benyamin Bin Laden” and linked to a story titled: “Palestinian Human Rights Lawyer Raji Sourani Likens Netanyahu to Bin Laden for Killing Civilians.”
On the same day, Syed implied in a tweet that Israel “butchers” Palestinian children.
Anti-Israel Activism
On August 23, 2014, Syed spoke [00:01:02] at a BDS demonstration that AMP co-organized attempting to stop an Israeli container ship from docking in the Port of Los Angeles. The rally was called “Block the Boat.”On the same day, Syed tweeted twice from the demonstration, including one tweet that said: “LA port picket in progress. Zim Haifa isn't welcome here. #BlockTheBoatLA.”
On April 18, 2016, Syed appeared in a Facebook photo posted by fellow AMP board member Salah Sarsour, who wrote: “In my way back from DC, I was so honored to meet in our new AMP building with my amazing brothers, a very focus [sic] team who continue the work for our just cause Palestine ❤️”
On December 10, 2017, Syed reportedly spoke an an Al-Awda rally protesting U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and to relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
In May 2018, Syed spoke at Al-Awda’s 13th annual conference.
AMP
American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) was founded by UC Berkeley Professor Hatem Bazian as a vehicle to generate mainstream support in the United States for the Palestinian national cause.
On its website, the organization lists Bazian as the chairman of its national board and describes itself as “a national education and grassroots-based organization, dedicated to educating the American public about Palestine and its rich cultural, historical and religious heritage.”
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has accused AMP of promoting “extreme anti-Israel views and has at times provided a platform for anti-Semitism under the guise of educating Americans” about Palestinians. The ADL further stated that AMP is directly involved in campus-based anti-Israel activity through Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
Prior to founding the AMP in 2006, Dr. Bazian created SJP together with fellow UC Berkeley Professor Snehal Shingavi in 2001. The close working relationship between AMP and SJP has been documented several times over the years by several organizations, including NGO Monitor and StandWithUs.
In addition to providing financial, public relations and legal assistance to SJP, AMP has also been accused of having connections to Hamas. The AMP national board includes former members of both the Islamic Association of Palestine (IAP) and Holy Land Foundation (HLF), both of which were found liable for aiding and abetting Hamas. The IAP was founded by Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook, a senior member of Hamas.
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.
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