CHICAGO – A Muslim group backing Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election announced Wednesday that it will disband over her campaign’s alleged refusal to allow a Palestinian speaker on stage at the Democratic National Convention.
The decision by Muslim Women for Harris-Walz to withdraw support for the vice president comes after Uncommitted Movement delegates staged a sit-in protest outside the primary DNC venue Wednesday night – leading several Democratic lawmakers to criticize convention organizers for “making a tragic mistake.”
“We cannot in good conscience, continue Muslim Women for Harris-Walz, in light of this new information from the Uncommitted movement, that VP Harris’ team declined their request to have a Palestinian American speaker take the stage at the DNC,” Muslim Women for Harris-Walz said in a statement.
The Harris campaign had not confirmed or denied the claim as of 7 p.m.
They declined to offer comment when asked by the Associated Press.
The Post has also reached out to the Harris team.
The group argued that Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin – whose son Hersh Goldberg-Polin is being held by Hamas in Gaza – showed “more empathy towards Palestinian Americans and Palestinians” in their emotional Wednesday night convention address “than our candidate or the DNC has.”
“This is a terrible message to send to Democrats,” Muslim Women for Harris-Walz said.
“Palestinians have the right to speak about Palestine.”
The group said it was praying that the DNC and Harris would have a change of heart Thursday.
“We pray that the DNC and VP Harris team makes the right decision before this convention is over. For the sake of each of us.”
The Uncommitted Movement has 30 delegates in Chicago for the DNC.
They were gained when voters in states – including Michigan and Minnesota – refused to cast ballots for President Biden in the Democratic primaries earlier this, opting to vote “uncommitted” over the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s war against Hamas.
“The Dem party is making a tragic mistake in 2024,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) wrote on X, arguing that by not allowing an Uncommitted delegate to speak on stage, Democrats are “perpetuating this erasure of the Palestinian story & voice.”
Far-left “Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who addressed Democratic delegates at the United Center on Monday, also backed the call from the uncommitteds.
“Just as we must honor the humanity of hostages, so too must we center the humanity of the 40,000 Palestinians killed under Israeli bombardment,” she tweeted.
“To deny that story is to participate in the dehumanization of Palestinians.”
“The DNC must change course and affirm our shared humanity.”
While the movement claimed Democrats denied demands to invite a Palestinian American to speak, Sikh from Los Angeles gave the final benediction on the DNC’s third night while wearing a keffiyeh – a garment associated with Palestinians and commonly seen at protests against Israel.
At an earlier blessing, Pastor William Hall called for “peace in Palestine, peace for Palestinians and peace for Israelis” – but notably did not call for peace in Israel.
But Georgia state Rep. Ruwa Romman, who is Palestinian American and was denied the opportunity to deliver a speech at the convention, warned that Democratic leaders are taking the Muslim vote for granted.
“There are 76,000 registered Muslim voters in [Georgia]. There are 55,000 Arabs that live in the state. Are you really going to tell me that it doesn’t matter?” she said at the sit-in outside the United Center.
“Are you really going to tell me that we can deliver a win come November without them?”
The public spat between the Uncommitted Movement and the DNC highlights the intensity of the disunity within the Democratic Party when it comes to Israel’s war against Hamas.
Biden and Harris have both been routinely heckled by anti-Israel protesters since the war broke out last October, and the convention has been marred by violent clashes between pro-Palestinian protesters and police.
The Harris campaign said that it is “glad” the uncommitted vote is being represented at the convention, despite not giving the group a speaking slot.
“We’re absolutely not taking their votes for granted. As it relates to uncommitted delegates at this convention, I think we’re proud and glad that they’re here,” Harris campaign communications director Michael Tyler told reporters.
“We’ve worked engagement throughout the convention, and we’re proud of the fact that we held a panel conversation with members of the uncommitted movement,” he added.
