The Virginia Coalition for Human Rights strongly supports Fairfax County School Board Member Abrar Omeish and opposes any attempts to defame or silence her from speaking out for the rights of Palestinians and Arab and Muslim Americans.
Read More"I've been so lucky to know someone with such a pure heart," Le said. "I have never met someone as committed to equity as Ms. Abrar Omeish. She stands up for every student in this county "regardless of their race, nationality, sexual orientation, gender or able-bodiedness."
"She inspires us to keep fighting, to keep fighting against systems of oppression in which have tied us down for too long," Le said.
Read MoreWe have seen a degradation in public discourse over the past few decades and it is disappointing to see many people unwilling to listen to each other. The few who are trying to spark outrage and cause divide without ever having a cordial discussion and an open mind, are not helping anyone. If you still doubt this op-ed, I encourage you to just sit down with Abrar over a lunch and have a discussion.
Read MoreAs a Fairfax County parent, I applaud any School Board member who will join the chorus against such injustice wherever it is found. Palestinian children are just as deserving of a future as our children, and any policy based on justice must not ignore their plight.
Read MoreTargeting Arab Americans with accusations of bigotry or deadly antisemitism simply because of political criticisms of the Israeli government is a form of Arab baiting—a decades-old tactic used to exclude Arab American voices from civic spaces and to silence advocacy for Palestinian human rights.
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