OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – A local fundraiser for Palestinian refugees in Gaza is catching criticism. Some feel the main attraction sympathizes with terrorists.
“There are people in the Gaza Strip who are going through a crisis,” said Mohammed Atwa, whose family lives in Gaza.
His brother’s house suffered damage from Israeli bombs, Atwa said. Though Israel targets Hamas terrorists, Palestinians live without clean water in Gaza and a blockade prevents them from getting medical supplies.
“It’s our job here to help them at least with medical supplies,” Atwa said.
To do so, the Kansas City chapter of the Muslim American Society organized a fundraiser in Overland Park Thursday night. They invited British Parliament member George Galloway. Through the American group Inter-Religious Foundation of Christian Organizations, Galloway is organizing a convoy to carry supplies into Gaza.
“We have to keep in mind he’s a friend of terrorist and dictators,” said Rick Hellman, editor of the Jewish Chronicle.
Galloway’s involvement upset Rick Hellman so much, he penned an article titled “Sympathy for the Devil.”
In it, Hellman displays quotes from Galloway urging revolution until victory. Hellman called Galloway’s visit human rights hypocrisy.
“George Galloway is the worst sort of leftist and pretender to be concerned about human rights when he is really a defender of the worst sort of terrorist group in Hamas and the world’s worst dictator in Iran’s Ahmadinejad,” Hellman said.
Galloway shrugged off criticism, calling it a political distraction.
“It’s simply absurd, but it’s also offensive,” Galloway said.
Atwa agrees.
“We’re going to support people,” Atwa said. “It doesn’t matter what politics is. I don’t care about politics. We care about human lives and that’s what we are doing, we are saving human lives.”
