'Muslim Women for Harris' Disbands After Palestinian Speaker Slot Denied at DNC

By / / Gov & Politics / 4 minutes of reading



All this week at the Democrat National Convention (DNC), the theme has been all about “joy” and “unity.” But that was as orchestrated as everything else about the convention. The Democrat Party is not nearly as united as they want you to think, and to prove that, all you had to do was look at what was going on outside the United Center as anti-Israel, pro-Hamas supporters marched in the streets of Chicago. There is a widening rift among Democrats over the issue, and now, it may have cost Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris some votes.

A group called Muslim Women for Harris-Walz has disbanded itself over Palestinian Americans not being given a speaking slot at the convention. The “Uncommitted Movement” had asked the Harris campaign for speaking time for a Palestinian American at the convention but was denied. The group formed during the Democrat primaries and urged progressive Democrat voters to vote “uncommitted” instead of voting for then-candidate President Joe Biden. Uncommitted has also been pushing Democrat leaders, including Vice President Harris, to not only negotiate a permanent cease-fire in Gaza but also to implement an arms embargo against Israel. 

A statement on the Muslim Women for Harris-Walz Instagram page reads, in part:

“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.”

On Wednesday night, several delegates from the group held a sit-in outside the convention, saying they would remain there until Harris’s campaign allowed a Palestinian American speaker to take the stage. However, that did not happen. In a move that may reveal just how badly the Democrat Party wants to straddle the fence on the issue, Waleed Shahid, a group founding member, said that the Democrat Party had offered meetings between the group and senior Harris campaign officials but not a speaking slot. Shahid continued, saying that the campaign stated that they would not allow the group to “define the biggest moment of the vice president’s political life.” Is it that easy to upstage Kamala Harris?

The convention featured speeches from Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son is a hostage in Gaza, and Israeli-Americans Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, whose son is also a hostage. Polin and Goldberg called for a cease-fire and “an end to ‘the suffering of the innocent people in Gaza.”’ the show of support from Polin and Goldberg prompted further statements on the Muslim Women for Harris-Walz social media page, stating:

“The family of the Israeli Hostage that was on the stage tonight, has shown more empathy towards Palestinian Americans and Palestinians, than our candidate or the DNC.

The Israel-Hamas war is a clear dividing line between pro-Israel Democrats and the younger, more progressive wing of the Party. That divide is being seen in decisions over who speaks at the convention. The United Auto Workers (UAW) tweeted a statement, saying: 

“If we want the war in Gaza to end, we can’t put our heads in the sand or ignore the voices of the Palestinian Americans in the Democratic Party. If we want to win this election, the Democratic Party must allow a Palestinian American speaker to be heard from the DNC stage tonight.

Squad members Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) grumbled about the lack of a Palestinian speaker, saying, “We shouldn’t have to beg our own party … to be heard.” But Brianna Wu, executive director of something called the Rebellion political action committee, agreed with not having a Palestinian speak, saying on X, “Not giving them a platform to hijack our convention is so obviously the correct play. Welcome to politics. We do what we have to do to win.” Jewish Press.com summed up Harris’ own fence-sitting, referencing her acceptance speech Thursday night, “she (Harris) supports Israel’s right to defend itself, but they shouldn’t kill so many Arabs who are plotting to destroy it.”

The Muslim Women for Harris-Walz continued their social media statement, saying, “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.” Is that a veiled message to Kamala Harris that she can expect a return visit on the campaign trail from Muslim Women for Harris-Walz?





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