TOLEDO – Jewish political scientist and longtime activist in support of the Palestinian people, Norman Finkelstein, gave the keynote address during the United Muslims Association of Toledo (UMAT) 30th Annual Dinner.
Dr. S. Maseeh Rehman, the president of UMAT and an allergist/immunologist, spoke about the history of UMAT and the dinner.
“For us, there are at least 35 different nationalities who live here [in Greater Toledo], and the idea of the organization [UMAT] was to connect with them,” he said. “They have different languages; they have different cultures; they have different traditions; they have different cuisines. We got to know them, to know each other, to connect each other, and then to work for the betterment of the city, of the town, and of the country.”
The other objective Rehman mentioned was to reach out to their non-Muslim friends, so they can learn about Muslim traditions, values and culture.
“We have to take responsibility. We have to define ourselves rather than others,” Rehman said.
Civic engagement was an open part of the dinner, and members of both the Republican and Democratic parties were present to give their respective pitches to the attendees. UMAT said they seek to remain neutral, but to provide a space for open discussion. Derek Merrin, who is running for Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, spoke, and Abdul El-Sayed, who is running in Michigan for U.S. Senate, recorded a video addressing attendees of the dinner.
Part of the open discussion revolved around the words from the famous Finkelstein, who mapped where the United States was concerning issues of Israel, Palestine and Gaza, and how freely people could exercise their first amendment rights in regards to publicly opposing Israel in the United States.
A tired Finkelstein asked if he should continue with his lecture, but was halted for time restraints and began shaking hands and signing his latest book, Gaza’s Gravediggers.
When Rehman was asked how he felt about both candidates for Ohio’s 9th Congressional District not calling what is going on in Gaza a genocide, he admitted that he was disappointed, but that “yes, we are disappointed that this is not being addressed, but that’s what I say to everybody. That doesn’t mean that you should get discouraged. Your vote-it’s a civic obligation. Go and vote. Go and express yourself,” he said. “We live in America.”
A more in-depth story on the event is forthcoming.
