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New-York based Palestinian activist Rajab Abdulhaq said in a May 25, 2024 lecture at MAS Staten Island Islamic Center that it is true that Iran and Hizbullah committed crimes and oppression in Syria and Iraq, but Iran is the only nation that supports the Palestinian resistance. He added that what Iran is doing and Hizbullah's operations in northern Israel are appreciated by the Palestinians. Abdulhaq said that demonizing Iran and Hizbullah only serves Israel, the United Staes, and Saudi Arabia, however, they will be held accountable for their misdeeds. Regarding October 7, Abdulhaq claimed that Hamas and the resistance in Gaza only target soldiers, not civilians, and that all Israelis are combatants. He added that Israeli claims that women were raped and that 40 children were killed on October 7 have been proven to be false. The lecture, which was advertised to "brothers and sisters over the age of 14" on the Islamic Center's social media pages, was streamed live on its YouTube account.
It is worth noting that Rajab Abdulhaq was a speaker at a panel on resistance at the People's Conference for Palestine in Detroit, joining the conference remotely via video call. On April 26, he delivered a Friday sermon at the Columbia University Encampment. Rajab Abdulhaq is the co-founder of Al-Quds News Network and the former executive director of Majlis Ash-Shura – Islamic Leadership Council of New York.
Rajab Abdulhaq: "We know that Iran and Hizbullah were involved, unfortunately, in committing a lot of oppression against Syrian people during the Syrian uprising and revolution. That definitely happened and is something we cannot forget, and people who were responsible for those crimes should be held accountable, 100 percent. In Islam, we don't support people blindly. For example, the resistance in Gaza, today everybody is standing with them, down the line if they start killing their own people, we will stand up against them."
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"Number one, they didn't kill [Israeli] civilians. Number two, Israel is a settler-colonial project, so that every single part of that state is a combatant by definition, and according to international law, people who are under occupation have the right to defend themselves. We don't know exactly what happened on October 7, but there are a lot of reports that Israelis themselves killed their own citizens. Hamas and the Palestinian resistance made it clear that they are only targeting soldiers. And their history has shown they don't lie about what they do. So, it is obvious... I would believe what they say over what Israeli propaganda says. Israeli propaganda says that they raped women and killed over 40 children, but there is zero evidence about that."
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"Iran committed crimes in Syria, we agree. Iran committed crimes in Iraq, we agree. But at the same time, it is the only nation that has been supporting the Palestinian struggle and specifically the Palestinian resistance."
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"Who does it serve if we now start undermining and demonizing Iran? Israel and the foreign policy of America. Now, I'm not saying that we need to turn a blind eye... not just me but others... don't turn a blind eye on Iran, and say, Iran is amazing, and we support it all the way – nobody says that. But people are saying what Iran is doing is appreciated. People are also saying that Hizbullah's involvement in Lebanon is also appreciated, because they are lifting a little bit of that cruelty off of Gaza."
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"We have to be shrewd. We can't be dumb Muslims. Who just believe everything they say. Okay, come here, yes, Iran made mistakes... Who's against Iran? America, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. America has been killing... forget about 1492, when they killed I don't know how many millions of natives."
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"Why would we have a problem with Iran that has never done anything to us – as a matter of fact, it is supporting the Palestinian resistance today – and go and undermine and demonize them? It will only benefit Israel. Now, again, as I mentioned, we don't forget or forgive what they did in Syria and Iraq. That is something they need to be held accountable for."
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