A new Milwaukee theater company opens its first season with The Persians, an ancient play about the price of war. Two dollars from every ticket sold directly benefits WarChild, a nonprofit that protects and supports the wellbeing of children impacted by conflict.

When accomplished Milwaukee theater professional Joshua Pohja decided to launch Wisconsin Classic Stage, his new theater company, with the world’s oldest surviving anti-war play in history, The Persians (472 BCE), he had no idea how timely it would be. 

“This groundbreaking ancient tragedy by Aeschylus and adapted with a razor-sharp contemporary edge by Robert Auletta (who transplants the story to the first Gulf War era), The Persians dives headfirst into the human wreckage of war, forcing audiences to confront empathy for the ‘enemy,’ the perils of hubris and the enduring arrogance of empires,” says a March press release from Wisconsin Classic Stage. “Aeschylus reveals war’s brutal truth: victory is hollow when the defeated are humanized.”

Sound familiar?

When the United States and Israel started the Iran War on Feb. 28, code-named “Operation Epic Fury” by the U.S. and “Roaring Lion” by Israel, Wisconsin Classic Stage postponed ticket sales and posted an announcement titled “In Light of Recent Events.” It explained, “Given the gravity of this moment, we are postponing today’s cast announcement and ticket launch by several days. When we share it, it will remain what it was always meant to be: potent, challenging, fiercely human and unafraid to examine the machinery of war and the language that justifies it.” 

Directed by Pohja, The Persians runs Friday, April 24—Sunday, April 26, with performances at 8 p.m. in the historic Calvary Presbyterian Church, 935 W. Wisconsin Avenue. It is recommended for ages 14+ due to themes of war, grief and violence.

General admission is $35; students/artists pay $25. Two dollars from every ticket sold is donated to WAR CHILD, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting, educating and standing up for the rights of children affected by war and armed conflict worldwide.

Tickets are available here.

An interview with producing artistic director Joshua Pohja

Wisconsin Muslim Journal interviewed Wisconsin Classic Stage’s executive artistic producer Joshua Pohja, known for producing and directing anti-war plays, about his new theater company and one of his favorite plays, The Persians, which opens next week. Here are the highlights:

Tell us about your new theater company.

We are a Milwaukee-based theater company, founded in 2025, committed to reimagining the classics through bold Midwestern perspectives, equitable casting, affordable access and fearless community collaboration. We approach classical theatre with a rigor and a modern sensibility that makes great works compelling for contemporary audiences.

The company trains and spotlights local talent while cultivating an ensemble culture. We approach classical texts as living works to be shared with contemporary audiences. We aim to produce inclusive theater that challenges, entertains and inspires.

After our sold-out fundraiser production of Henry V in May, we are now introducing our first full season: The Persians by Aeschylus, Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights by Gertrude Stein and Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov.

You’ve been behind the production of many anti-war plays—Henry V, My Name is Rachel Corrie, Antigone, Hamlet and All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914. What compels you to tell these stories?

Those productions and the conversations around them have stayed with me, especially their insistence that war is never abstract, and that its deepest costs are carried by families.

This production of The Persians is especially meaningful to me and is the foundation for the company. I first encountered it in high school, and I’ve been returning to it ever since. Each decade, the play grows more profound. Aeschylus centers the grief of the defeated Persian enemies, revealing the peril of war and its enduring impacts.

Auletta’s adaptation relocates the action to Iraq during the first Gulf War, creating unsettling parallels for American audiences and refusing the comfort of historical distance. It is a haunting, urgent reminder of what survives long after victory is declared.

Actor Nahjee Robinson rehearses his role in The Persians at Calvary Lutheran Church, 935 W. Wisconsin Ave.

When did you first encounter this play?

It goes back to 1993, when I went to the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. We were invited to the Mark Taper Forum to see a performance of The Persians directed by Peter Sellers, this modern adaptation by Robert Aletta that we are doing now.

The 1993 Gulf War had just happened and there was a level of patriotism in the country I had not seen before. It was a rabid kind of patriotism where no matter what America did, we were right. This play elevated another perspective—that Americans were going to Iraq to get the oil. Half the audience walked out. It was the first time I saw political theatre that made people walk out. 

Maggie Marks (left) as Queen Atossa and Cole Castine (right) as Xerxes rehearse a scene.

Do you expect your Milwaukee audience to walk out?

I have a responsibility not to have them walk out halfway through. People have a choice to stay home and watch Netflix. I want to challenge them, make them think and raise the question about the cost of war. I want everyone to be glad they came. I also have great faith in the younger generation. They understand the concept of American imperialism.

The root of why The Persians is so close to me is because I love Peter Sellers’ direction. I love the play—its spectacle, truth and beauty. Saddam Hussein was a tyrant, but what made him that way? It’s stunning. I can’t wait for you all to see it.

How does it feel to finally be producing and directing The Persians?

I’ve been wanting to do this play for 33 years. When I was in that high school classroom, just sitting by myself, I looked at a National Geographic. I opened it to an article on Iraq. There was a boy with his eye blinded, a bandage over his face and collateral debris still on his neck. I cut that photograph out. It’s in my research folder on The Persians today.

I don’t know what became of him, but he still haunts me. I dedicate this production to that child.

The funeral on March 3, for the victims of the U.S.-Israeli attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran. (Tasnim News Agency/ Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY 4.0)

After the breakdown of talks in Pakistan, the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is more fragile than ever, and now seems likely to give way to a new phase of the war.

The ceasefire and talks have failed to end Israel’s devastating attacks on Lebanon or to negotiate international access to the Strait of Hormuz, now under Iran’s control.

The world must use this pause in the war to push for a permanent ceasefire and peace agreement, but we must also start to assess the true human cost of the war –- something the U.S. is always reluctant to do in its wars, from Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan.

While we always know the exact number of Americans killed in these wars, we never have an accurate tally of how many people the U.S. has killed – not only because it is often hard to get the data, but also because the U.S. systematically downplays civilian casualties and treats their lives as less valuable.

We saw this from the very first day of this war. The U.S. carried out a double-tap strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab, killing 175, mostly young girls.

Trump’s response was to blame Iran: “In my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran,” he said, and later suggested that Iran might have gotten hold of a Tomahawk missile and used it to kill its own people.

No Accurate Figures

Minab is not an isolated case — it is a window into a much broader failure by the U.S. government and media, as well as the Iranian government and international media, to honestly reveal the human toll of this 40-day war.

The Iran Health Ministry’s casualty figures have not been updated in any detail since March 29, when it put Iranian casualties at 2,076 killed and 26,500 wounded, and there is an obvious mismatch between these two numbers.

The ratio between them is much higher than in other wars, or even when compared with the Israeli assault on Lebanon in this war, where Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported 1,830 people killed and 4,927 wounded by April 10, a ratio of 2.7 to 1 between the wounded and the dead.

For further comparison, U.N. figures for civilian casualties in the war in Ukraine are 15,172 and 41,378 wounded, which is also a ratio of 2.7 to 1. These are certainly under-estimates, like civilian casualty counts in every war, but the ratio between deaths and injuries is realistic, unlike that in Tehran’s casualty figures.

If the Iran Health Ministry’s casualty figures were accurate, it would mean that only one person is being killed for every 13 people wounded. But if the figure of 26,500 people wounded was accurate, and the ratio between dead and wounded was similar to what is found in other wars, we would expect that around 10,000 people have probably been killed.

Looking at other sources, the U.K.-based Iran International website, on March 31, reported Iranian military, militia and police casualties of 4,770 killed and 20,880 wounded, but did not divulge its sources.

Two human rights groups, Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) and Hengaw, have also published mortality estimates. HRANA, based in Fairfax, Virginia, in the U.S., is partly funded by the U.S. government, the aggressor in this war. So, its data on war casualties are as suspect as its data for casualties during protests in Iran in December and January that the U.S. used as a pretext for the war.

The other human rights group, Hengaw, is based in Norway and Iranian Kurdistan. It reports a total of at least 7,650 people killed by the time of the ceasefire on April 8, of whom 6,620 were military personnel and 1,030 were civilians.

If the Iranian government’s figure of 26,500 people wounded is correct, Hengaw’s count of 7,650 war deaths would amount to a ratio of 3.5 people wounded for each person killed, which would be closer to what one would expect by comparison with other wars.

But the Health Ministry’s figure of 26,500 wounded is also suspect. The Pentagon claims that U.S. and Israeli airstrikes have hit more than 13,000 “targets,” so 26,500 injuries would amount to only two people wounded for each target attacked. This suggests that the count of 26,500 people wounded is itself an undercount, and that the true numbers of casualties in Iran, killed and wounded, military and civilian, are therefore likely to be much higher than any of the numbers reported so far.

While it is easy to understand why the U.S. government doesn’t want to talk about casualties, it seems that the Iranian government doesn’t want to either. If, as we suspect, the true casualty figures are much higher than the health ministry has reported, it may be hiding and downplaying them to prevent panic among the population and keep up the country’s morale, especially in light of the recent large protests in the country. That could also explain why it has not updated its casualty report since March 29.

We would encourage all sides, and independent groups, to cooperate in efforts to accurately count the dead and wounded. Why does this matter? In an illegal war, every death is a crime, while every person killed or maimed is somebody’s husband, wife, father, mother, son or daughter. They should all still be alive and whole.

The U.S. armed forces should not be killing or wounding any of them. So some might ask what difference it makes whether they’ve killed 2,000 people, 7,000 or even 70,000.

Decades of Downplaying Mass Casualties

We would say that it is precisely because each life is precious, and because the pain and horror each person suffers in these violent deaths and injuries is so unacceptable, that each one deserves to be counted and considered.

Americans, and their neighbors around the world, need to fully grasp the scale of the mass murder that the U.S. government is committing, so that we can all respond appropriately.

The fact that the U.S. government and institutional media downplay the importance of accurate casualty figures and make no effort to discover them only makes it more urgent to find them, as we and others have tried to do during previous U.S. wars.

In 2006, three years into the extraordinarily violent U.S. military occupation of Iraq, public health experts from Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. and Mustansiriya University in Baghdad conducted the second of two epidemiological studies of mortality in Iraq since the U.S. invasion.

The study was published in the Lancet medical journal, and it estimated that, during just the first three years of war and occupation in Iraq, they had caused about 650,000 deaths, including 600,000 violent killings. That was more than ten times higher than previously published figures, which were based on compilations of western news reports and reports from the occupation government’s health ministry.

The study’s results were disputed by those responsible for the war and the mass casualties it caused, including U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

But leaked emails revealed that the British government’s chief scientific adviser described the study’s methodology as “close to best practice,” and its design as “robust.”

Emails from panicking British officials asked, “Are we really sure the report is likely to be right? That is certainly what the brief implies,” and “…the survey methodology used here cannot be rubbished. It is a tried and tested way of measuring mortality in conflict zones.”

In 2015, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning groups Physicians for Social Responsibility (P.S.R.) and International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (I.P.P.N.W.) published a report titled Body Count: Casualty Figures After 10 Years of the War on Terror.

In discussing the widely varying mortality estimates for the war in Iraq, the report noted, “Despite the furious criticism it attracted, most experts see the second Lancet study of October 2006 as the most solid estimate of the number of casualties, up to the period of its publication.”

No such comprehensive studies were ever conducted in Afghanistan. The U.N. published annual civilian casualty figures, but these were only compilations of civilian casualties confirmed by the U.N. Human Rights Office as it followed up on reports of war crimes and human rights violations reported to its office in Kabul, which excluded any deaths not reported to its office, or that it did not have time to fully investigate.

As is happening with the Iran Health Ministry reports today, the U.N.’s fragmentary reports were uncritically repeated by the world’s media as if they were realistic estimates of total war deaths in Afghanistan.

Finally, in 2019, after 18 years of war and military occupation, Fiona Frazer, the head of the U.N. Human Rights office in Kabul, admitted to the BBC that the U.N.’s reports were not providing a full picture of civilian casualties in Afghanistan.

“United Nations data strongly indicates that more civilians are killed or injured in Afghanistan due to armed conflict than anywhere else on Earth,” Frazer said, but then added, “Although the number of recorded civilian casualties are disturbingly high, due to rigorous methods of verification, the published figures almost certainly do not reflect the true scale of harm.”

Hundreds of thousands of Afghans were also killed fighting as combatants on both sides in that war. The world’s media were surprised when President Ashraf Ghani revealed in January 2019 that 45,000 Afghan government troops had been killed since he took office in September 2014. But the U.S. relied on Afghans to fight other Afghans throughout its failed 20-year war in their country.

Whatever the result of the current ceasefire and negotiations, and for however long the U.S. and Israel keep waging war on Iran, the people of the United States and the world must demand a complete and truthful accounting for the human costs of this war, for which Americans and their government bear the prime moral and legal responsibility.

At best, that should include the same kind of independent, scientifically-based epidemiological study conducted in Iraq in 2006.

But the demand for accountability starts with a skeptical public and media who can tell the difference between partial, fragmentary casualty reports and serious estimates of total deaths in a violent war zone, and who care enough to want to know how many people their armed forces are really killing and maiming in this illegal war.

Medea Benjamin is co-founder of Global Exchange and CODEPINK: Women for Peace. She is the co-author, with Nicolas J.S. Davies, of War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict, available from OR Books in November 2022. Other books include, Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran (2018); Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection (2016); Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control (2013); Don’t Be Afraid Gringo: A Honduran Woman Speaks from the Heart (1989), and with Jodie Evans, Stop the Next War Now (2005).

Nicolas J. S. Davies is an independent journalist and a researcher with CODEPINK. He is the co-author, with Medea Benjamin, of War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict, available from OR Books and the author of Blood On Our Hands: the American Invasion and Destruction of Iraq.

This article is from Common Dreams. 

The views expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those of Consortium News.

A federal court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit alleging US regulators failed to prevent widespread contamination of farmland with toxic PFAS chemicals was based on a “flawed interpretation” of the Clean Water Act, creating “dangerous real-world consequences for public health,” a watchdog group argued in a new court filing.

The appeal from Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) is the latest move in a battle over policy issues surrounding sewage sludge contamination. PEER sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2024 on behalf of two Texas farm families who experienced health problems after their properties were contaminated with PFAS per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals contained in sewage sludge spread as fertilizer on a neighboring property. Johnson County, Texas, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) and the Potomac Riverkeeper Network were also plaintiffs in the suit.

In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged that the EPA’s failure to take action against PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge spread on farmland across the country is enabling the contamination of “millions of acres” of land with PFAS.

Last fall, the US District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed the lawsuit, determining that a provision of the Clean Water Act that requires the EPA to review its sewage sludge regulations every two years does not require the agency to identify or regulate dangerous substances in the sludge by any deadline. As a result, Judge Dabney Friedrich determined that the court did not have jurisdiction to make a ruling in the case.

“This interpretation flies in the face of the language and purpose of Clean Water Act,” PEER attorney  Laura Dumais said in a statement. “The statute has a clear and consistent scheme requiring quick action to protect public health from hazards in sludge, and it was plain error to interpret this provision to let EPA instead act at its leisure – or maybe never.”

Over the 33 years the provision has been in place, the EPA has never used its biennial sewage sludge review process to identify toxic pollutants requiring regulation and to then regulate those harmful chemicals, PEER said in its appeal filed with the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. “Instead, every two years EPA simply gathers information about pollutants in sludge. It treats the question of whether the regulations should be updated as a future step it can take at an undefined and unenforceable time,” PEER wrote.

The Court will likely hear oral arguments in the appeal case later this year, after which it will issue a decision, said Dumais.

When asked for comment about the concerns stated in PEER’s appeal, the EPA said it does not comment on current or pending litigation.

About 60% of sewage sludge from US wastewater treatment plants is spread on farm fields each year, according to the EPA, with almost 70 million acres of farmland across the country may be contaminated with these chemicals, according to the Environmental Working Group. Although the sludge is treated to remove pathogens, there are no national requirements to test it for PFAS.

Some states have taken action, with an April 2025 report by the Environmental Council of the States finding ten states had issued guidance for at least one PFAS chemical in sewage sludge. Other states have more recently made moves to curb this source of contamination.

A Maryland Senate committee on March 12 voted to advance a bill that would set enforceable limits for PFAS in sewage sludge applied to farmland. And last week, Virginia passed bills that would  prevent the use of sewage sludge with levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) above a certain threshold, starting in 2027.

So-called “forever chemicals” are highly persistent in the environment and the bodies of animals and humans, with PFAS present in the blood of nearly all people in the US. Exposure to PFAS has been linked with a variety of health problems, including high cholesterol, decreased immune response to vaccines, and some cancers.

Recent research suggests that two newer types of PFAS are linked to accelerated aging in middle-aged men, while a study published this week found that children exposed to high levels of PFAS – especially PFOA – had lower bone density as teenagers.

Featured image by Getty Images/Unsplash+.

Making it happen

When Rizeq reached out to Michael Rogers, vice president of student engagement and community, she found he had the same idea. V.P. Rogers, who has been at MATC for two years, began searching for a prominent speaker on Arab heritage last year, but wasn’t able to land one. When he and Rizeq spoke earlier this year, he told her he already had a phenomenal keynote speaker in mind.

“This is the first time we are formally acknowledging and celebrating Arab American Heritage month as a college,” Rogers noted. “It’s a great opportunity to do something for the first time, something we can continue to build upon. I think it’s a great opportunity not only to provide an opportunity for people to learn about a culture, but also to dispel myths and stereotypes in this specific instance for Arab American culture and heritage.

“With MATC being one of the most diverse educational institutions in the Midwest, with 55% students of color and equity as a strategic priority for the college, we should be leading these conversations,” he said. “This event is an opportunity to deepen our commitment to our diverse student body.” 

While Rogers garnered support from the administration and booked Dr. Nadine Naber as the keynote speaker, Rizeq reached out across campus to faculty, staff and students. She was pleased with the response. 

Equon Burrows, Ph.D., MATC dean of student experience, pledged his support. A committee of staff members and student workers will help people find and check into each event, Rizeq said. Executive Administrative Assistant Jolene Arnold has been her right-hand woman, helping with planning, paperwork and phone calls.

Rizeq also reached out to people who have hosted Arab American cultural events for other institutions for ideas. She scheduled a coffee with Rajwa Abukhamireh, a staff member at Greendale Middle School, where they had an impressive celebration. Rizeq started dreaming of all the things she could do at MATC.

She wanted it to be a mix of learning and fun. Henna tattoos, dabka dancing and Arabic food would be mixed with informative lectures. “I know people are interested in our culture. I know students are curious,” Rizeq said. “We are an educational institution, so why not provide extra platforms for Arab voices that address the curiosity of the students?”

As plans developed, Rizeq’s anticipation grew. “I’m super excited for this. I’m super excited for every event!” she said.

Arab American Heritage Month at MATC

MATC’s celebration of Arab American Heritage month features fun, food, art and opportunities to learn more about Arab culture, with events held across all five MATC campuses. All events are opened to the public, including:

Featured keynote address

Nadine Naber, Ph.D., will deliver a keynote address, Arab Americans: Beyond Invisibility and Stereotypes, Wednesday, April 15, 10:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Room M605, at MATC’s downtown campus. 

Dr. Naber, a University of Illinois Chicago professor and United Nations expert, recognized for her work in liberation movements for diverse communities, speaks nationwide on some of the most urgent issues of our times: racism and Arab Americans, global feminism, women of color-led activist movements, motherhood and crises in higher education.  

Her talk is free and open to the public. Registration is required. It will be followed by a complimentary halal Arabic lunch. Register here.

Art by Palestinian American artist Amal Azzam on display

Artist Amal Azzam is well-known by the Milwaukee Muslim community. The daughter of Palestinian refugees, “her work reflects the layers of trauma, freedom and misconceptions she carries in her identity,” says her bio on the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences & Letters, where she is a contributor. In 2019, she co-founded Fanana Banana, an influential local arts organization. 

Her work is being displayed in MATC’s downtown campus in Room M605 for audience members to view before and after the keynote speech by Dr. Naber.

Beyond Words: How Arabic Language Shapes Culture and Mind

MATC faculty members Omar Da san, Ph.D., and Asma Masri, Ph.D., will host a virtual presentation about the influence of Arabic language on culture and thought, Monday, April 13, from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. After you register, you will receive a link to participate online.  Register here.

In an interview with the Wisconsin Muslim Journal, Dr. Da san gave a preview of the many aspects of Arabic language and its influence that may be discussed. They will gauge the interest of the audience on a variety of topics through interactive discussion, he said.

Among them are the importance of Arabic, a language spoken by more than 400 million people that is the official language in 22 countries and is the language of the Quran; its origins; the art of Arabic calligraphy; how Arabic has influenced English, Spanish, Persian, Turkish and other languages; how it has influenced cultures; types of Arabic (classical, modern standard, dialectical, etc.); how it works (written from right to left, phonetic, etc.); everyday expressions and more.

Dr. Da san began his career at the University of Jordan, where he earned his doctorate in Arabic language and literature. He has been teaching Arabic language and literature since 1998, first to native speakers in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Since 2016, he has taught Arabic in Milwaukee to non-native speakers at MATC and the School of Continuing Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has contributed as a co-author to several academic books taught at the university level.

He hopes their audience will gain an appreciation for Arabic and the diversity of cultures where it is used, as well as its historical role “in holding the legacy of the ancient Greek and Persian civilizations and spreading them in Europe,” he said.

He hopes the audience will be “open-minded and also open their hearts” to the possibility of learning Arabic, he said. “Arabic is not as difficult as people think.

“Of course, some sounds are hard to pronounce for some English speakers, but when it comes to the alphabet, how we write a thing is how we say it.”

Dabka Dancing Demo & Workshop

Talented dabka dancer and choreographer Mohammad Darawsha of Folklore Dabka will offer two dabka demonstrations and workshops. Darawsha danced with and choreographed the acclaimed Palestinian Wishah Dance Group before moving to the United States. He is now based in Chicago, where he offers workshops and dance instruction. 

Dabka is a traditional Levantine folk line dance characterized by synchronized stomping, hopping, and holding hands or shoulders. Originating from Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Iraq, and performed at weddings, festivals and celebrations, it symbolizes community and resilience.

• Dabka Dancing (Demo & Participation): Tuesday, April 14, 2026, from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM at Oak Creek – Cafeteria.
• Dabka Dancing (Demo & Participation): Thursday, April 16, 2026, from 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM at Downtown – Student Lounge (S-3).

All are welcome. No experience required. Please register here.

Henna & Chai Events

Henna is a plant-based dye used for over 5,000 years to create temporary tattoos on the skin, hair and nails. In Muslim cultures, it symbolizes “barakah” (blessings), good luck and prosperity, and is traditionally applied during joyous celebrations such as weddings and Eid, an important Muslim holiday. 

Chai from Qahwah House will be served at the Oak Creek and Downtown Milwaukee campuses. 

• Henna (only henna): Tuesday, April 14, from 11:30 AM 1 1:00 PM at West Allis – 107
• Henna, Chai, and More: Tuesday, April 21, 2026, from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM at Downtown – Student Lounge
• Henna (only henna):  Tuesday, April 21, 2026 from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM at Mequon –  Cafeteria
• Henna, Chai, and More: Thursday, April 23, 2026, from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM at Oak Creek – Cafeteria

Please register for henna, henna and chai, and dabkah events here.

Shawarma House Food Truck will visit all five MATC campuses throughout the month of April, Arab American Heritage Month, giving MATC faculty, staff and students the opportunity to taste sandwiches that are popular street food in Arab countries. Shawarma sandwiches are usually made with rotisserie chicken, beef or lamb, cut into thin slices and marinated in Shawarma spices.

Milwaukee Area Technical College will host Arab American Heritage Month events at all five campuses in Greater Milwaukee.

A supportive community

“Given the diversity of our students, it only makes sense that the events that we host accurately reflect our student body,” Rogers said. “We have a large population of Arab American students at our Oak Creek campus; we should definitely take the time to acknowledge and celebrate Arab American heritage.

“I believe there are a lot of stereotypes and misinformation about Arab American culture,” he added. “This will be a good opportunity to expand knowledge about it throughout our campus community.”

“We are proud MATC is such a diverse institution,” Dean Equon Burrows added. “We’re proud our students chose us as their educational institution. And we don’t take that lightly. We want to make sure everyone feels welcomed and represented here.

“As an institution, we love to focus on how to do what we do better,” he said. “We always want to improve the quality of engagement for our students.”

“I knew this would be a great opportunity and platform to highlight our amazing heritage and our contributions throughout history,” Rizeq exclaimed.

“I’m looking forward to celebrating my heritage with my colleagues and students. Most importantly, I hope that anyone who participates will learn at least a few new things about Arabs in general. From North Africa to the Gulf, from our different dialects and food recipes, clothing and traditions—you will discover beauty in the diversity of this vast culture.”

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands during a press conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec. 29, 2025. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Americans have increasingly negative views of Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

• 60% of U.S. adults have an unfavorable view of Israel, up from 53% last year.
• 59% have little or no confidence in Netanyahu to do the right thing regarding world affairs – up from 52% last year.
• In both political parties, majorities of adults under the age of 50 now rate Israel and Netanyahu negatively.

The survey was conducted March 23-29 among 3,507 U.S. adults. It was fielded about a month into the U.S.- and Israeli-led war in Iran. The sections below take a closer look at the results of the survey.

For more on American views of the war in Iran, read “Gas Prices Are Americans’ Top Concern in Iran War.”

Americans’ views of Israel

Six-in-ten Americans have a very or somewhat unfavorable view of Israel, up 7 percentage points since last year and nearly 20 points since 2022. The share of U.S. adults with a very unfavorable view of Israel (28%) has also increased 9 points since last year – and nearly tripled from 10% in 2022.

Eight-in-ten Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents currently have an unfavorable view of Israel, up from 69% last year and 53% in 2022. Democrats under 50 are slightly more likely than older Democrats to say they have a very unfavorable view of Israel (47% vs. 39%).

More Republicans and Republican leaners have a favorable than unfavorable view of Israel (58% vs. 41%). Still, the share of Republicans with a negative view has ticked up since last year, driven by those under 50. Today, 57% of Republicans ages 18 to 49 have an unfavorable opinion of Israel, up from 50% last year. Large majorities of Republicans 50 and older continue to view Israel positively.

Views of Israel also differ substantially among U.S. religious groups that are large enough to analyze. Jewish Americans and White evangelical Protestants have mostly positive views of Israel, at 64% and 65%, respectively.

Favorable views of Israel are much less common among White nonevangelical Protestants (39%), Catholics (35%), Black Protestants (33%) and the religiously unaffiliated (22%) – that is, people who say they are atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.” Among Muslim Americans, only 4% see Israel positively.

Americans’ confidence in Netanyahu on world affairs

More than half of Americans (55%) lack confidence in President Donald Trump to make good decisions when it comes to the relationship between the U.S. and Israel. Opinions haven’t shifted much since August 2025, when we last asked this question.

Still, Americans are slightly more confident in Trump’s approach to the U.S.-Israel relationship than they are in him to make good decisions about many other foreign policy issues asked about, including U.S. policy toward Iran (35%). (For more, read “Confidence in Trump’s ability to make good decisions about U.S. policy toward Iran has declined among both Republicans and Democrats.”)

Around three-quarters of Republicans (73%) – but only 16% of Democrats – have confidence in Trump to make good decisions about the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Notably, Republicans under 30 are much less likely than those 65 and older to have confidence in Trump’s handling of the U.S.-Israeli relationship (52% vs. 93%). Democrats, by contrast, are much more united in their views on this question.

Importance of Israel-Hamas conflict to Americans

Registration for Wisconsin’s first ever Muslim Women’s Leadership Conference is open until April 16. 

The Muslim Women’s Coalition’s inaugural leadership conference, the first leadership conference in Wisconsin tailored for Muslim women, will be held Sunday, April 19, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., at Alverno College Conference Center, 3400 S. 43rd St., Milwaukee. 

“Its title— Rooted in Faith, Rising in Leadership, Muslim Women Driving Change—says it all,” conference organizer Hadiyyah Clark, MWC’s director of strategy and community affairs, told Wisconsin Muslim Journal in an interview last week. “Everything we do as Muslim women should be grounded and rooted in our way of growing and evolving. This is how true success happens.”

“MWC is an organization all about helping Muslim women reach their potential,” said MWC founder and executive director Janan Najeeb. “This conference aims to inspire Muslim women with courage and provide them with tools they need to be leaders, whether that means running for public office, engaging in activism or starting a business or organization,” she said.

Keynote speaker Shaykha Ieasha Prime, an internationally acclaimed, Islamically trained educator and activist will speak about faith as a catalyst for action.  

In addition to “an awesome keynote speaker, we will have panels that include women who have built civic organizations and businesses, and started new initiatives,” Najeeb said.

“We’ll learn how they did it and what motivated them. We want the conference to encourage and enable women who have that interest to go to the next level.”

Registration for the day-long conference is open through April 16. It includes a halal breakfast and lunch, and entertainment. There will also be a marketplace, featuring local vendors from women-owned businesses. 

General admission is $50. VIP admission is $120. Tables of eight are also available in both general and VIP levels. Register here.

Why Muslim women’s leadership matters

“We’re living in a time with rampant anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab sentiment and policies coming from the (Trump) administration,” Najeeb noted. “At the end of the day, we need to be the ones to promote our voices and take our place in society. 

“It’s incredibly important for Muslim women, and Muslims in general, to engage in policy-making and community leadership of all kinds. Political engagement and activism are not just civic duties; it’s a religious duty to work for justice and human rights,” Najeeb said.

“What I love about this conference is its aim to help Muslim women turn their skills, passions and gifts into impact,” Clark added. “Whether they are young adults, professionals, emerging or established community leaders, or stay-at-home moms, this conference will help them increase their impact.”

Clark is also looking forward to celebrating successful Muslim women in Greater Milwaukee. “The leadership panels will showcase and shine a light on amazing women who are change makers,” she said. “We have been very intentional in creating leadership panels that include representation from the different communities in Greater Milwaukee, panels that represent the beauty, diversity and greatness we have here. I’m looking forward to that bridging aspect of the conference and creating impact from our collective gifts.”

An exceptional keynote

Keynote speaker Ieasha Prime will be making her first appearance in Milwaukee, Clark said. “The international female scholar, activist for social justice, humanitarian, educator, wife, mother and all-round powerful woman is the epitome of what it looks like to be a strong Muslim woman. We are so honored she will serve as our keynote speaker.”

Prime is an African American revert who is currently living in The Gambia, West Africa, Clark said.

Prime converted to Islam more than 20 years ago after being a youth ambassador to Morocco and Senegal. She studied Arabic and Quran at the Fajr Institute in Naperville, Illinois, and general Islamic studies in Cairo, Egypt.

Then she moved to Hadramaut, Yemen and enrolled in Dar al Zahra, an Islamic University for Women, where she studied Aqeedah (Islamic theology), Quran, hadith (the teachings and example of Prophet Mohammad), Arabic, Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), Islamic law, purification of the heart and other religious studies. 

She is the executive director of Yan Taro Project. a charitable organization that works to provide education, orphan care and solar powered water systems to communities in The Gambia.

And Prime is “a proud wife and mother of three children,” her website says.

Just the beginning

Conference organizers are eager to establish an annual conference that uniquely addresses the needs of Muslim women leaders, they said.

“This will be our first annual women’s leadership conference,” said Najeeb. “I am really excited about having a very engaged audience and learning from them about the needs of Muslim women leaders. They will inform us so our conference will grow and be better every year.”

Debris at the historical monument Golestan Palace after it was damaged in strikes, Tehran, Iran, on 3 March (Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via Reuters)

Iran’s history is layered with conquest, cultural renewal and craftsmanship – all of which can be seen in its remarkable heritage sites. 

The iconic turquoise domes of Isfahan and the intricate interiors of mosques and palaces across the country are internationally renowned. 

Iran’s architectural heritage can be divided roughly into two eras. The first is the pre-Islamic period, which included Iranian empires such as the Achaemenids and Sassanids, and the second involves a succession of Islamic empires and states, starting with the Rashidun caliphate and ending with the Qajar state until the early 20th century.

Iran has 29 sites recognised as World Heritage Sites by Unesco – the tenth most sites in the world. But these sites have come under attack over the past two and a half weeks by Israel and the US. 

From Isfahan to Tehran to Khorramabad, Israeli and US strikes have devastated Iranian landmarks, including several inscribed by Unesco. 

As the war drags on and the precedent is set, more heritage sites are at risk, with one Iranian official describing the attacks as a “declaration of war on a civilisation”.

Middle East Eye takes a look at the sites that have been damaged so far.

Golestan Palace 

On 1 March, a day into the conflict, a strike damaged Golestan Palace – the only Unesco World Heritage Site in Tehran. 

The blast from a missile strike nearby blew out the palace’s windows and damaged the iconic mirrors and glasswork in the complex, according to images published by Iranian media. 

Seyyed Ahmad Alavi, head of Tehran’s tourism and heritage committee, said the blast had also damaged historic Orsi doors and lifted sections of tarmac within the grounds.

Golestan Palace was originally built during the Safavid period in the 14th century. 

Most of its current features and ornaments date from the 19th century during the Qajar era, when it became the seat of the dynasty’s government. The Qajars made Tehran the country’s capital in 1786. 

It consists of eight palace structures, most of which now serve as museums, as well as a garden complex surrounded by a gated wall. 

Chehel Sotoun Palace

A string of key heritage sites in Isfahan were damaged by US-Israeli attacks, including the Chehel Sotoun Palace (Forty Columns). 

Pictures published by Iranian media showed broken doors, smashed windows and debris scattered throughout the palace.

The site, commissioned by Abbas I, the Safavid shah often known as Abbas the Great, is famed for its frescoes depicting battle scenes and royal receptions.  

Footage online showed a large crack down the middle of a 17th-century fresco depicting Safavid Shah Tahmasp welcoming Mughal ruler Humayun to Iran.

The gardens of the palace are part of nine historic gardens in Iran that have together been inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site. 

Ali Qapu Palace

Near Chehel Sotoun, the Ali Qapu palace was also damaged. 

Local media reported that the doors and windows of the complex had been shattered. 

Ali Qapu is inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage site as part of a collection of sites in the Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan. 

The palace was first opened in 1597. 

The six-storey building has elaborate ceilings with intricate inlay work, as well as a number of paintings and frescoes. 

Jameh Mosque 

A historic mosque in Isfahan was damaged too. A blast on 9 March sent turquoise tiles in the Jameh Mosque crashing to the ground, The New York Times reported. 

It cited photographs from Iran’s ministry of culture and heritage, which showed plumes of smoke rising behind the mosque. 

US-Israeli strikes within the boundaries of the Naqsh-e-Jahan Square Unseco World Heritage Site in Isfahan damaged the historic Jameh Mosque (Tasnim News Agency)

A mosque was first built on the site in the late eighth century during the Abbasid era. It was rebuilt a century later, with new additions and renovations over more than a millennium. 

It is considered to be one of the most important examples of Persian and Islamic architecture. 

Royal Precinct (Dawlat Khaneh)

As well as the two palaces and the historic mosque, several other sites in the Royal Precinct, known as Dawlat Khaneh, were reportedly damaged too. 

According to an art newspaper, citing local media, the 17th-century Rakeb-Khaneh pavilion (House of the Jockey) was also damaged. 

Ashraf Hall, a residential structure from the Safavid court, was also impacted. 

As was Teymouri Hall, a building from the Timurid-era which later became Iran’s Natural History Museum. 

Falak-ol-Aflak castle 

The Falak ol-Aflak citadel in the Khorramabad area of Lorestan province was also damaged. The site dates back to the Sassanian period (between the third and seventh centuries).

Iranian authorities said that Israeli air strikes struck the vicinity of the hilltop castle on 8 March.

The strikes targeted Lorestan’s cultural heritage department, destroying the building.

The Falak-ol-Aflak hilltop castle in Khorramabad, in the Lorestan province (Wikimedia/Flickr/Leoboudv)

The blast also damaged the site’s archaeology and anthropology museums, a local official said, as well as the citadel’s barracks, regimental buildings and other structures. 

“Fortunately, the main structure of Falak-ol-Aflak Castle was not damaged,” said Ata Hassanpour, the head of Lorestan’s cultural heritage department. 

The EPA stopped valuing the lives it could save​​, setting up a deregulatory disaster that will be hazardous to your health. 

For the past year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has bowed time and time again to the demands of fossil fuel lobbyists, abandoning its core mission to protect Americans from deadly pollution in our air, water, and land.

Stunning and cynical new developments in recent days demonstrate just how far the Trump’s administration’s EPA is willing to go to just plain ignore the harms from soot, smog and greenhouse gases on our health — as it focuses instead on what it can do to help polluters.

The Trump EPA took that denial a giant step further by repealing all greenhouse-gas standards for cars and trucks and the landmark endangerment finding, which is a science-based determination that greenhouse gas pollution threatens public health and welfare.

In addition, buried deep in its explanation for a rule on gas turbines was a stunning reversal of something it had been doing for 45 years: quantifying the health costs of suffering caused by air pollution. Instead, in its future analyses of the costs and benefits of air pollution controls, it will only consider the costs incurred by industry for cleaning up their act – not the very real human benefits of clean air.

In simpler terms: EPA is saying that your life literally doesn’t count. Nor, in fact, does the life – or health – of anyone you care about. The indifference extends from the dead to the living: EPA will no longer account for the costly suffering caused by illnesses like asthma attacks, heart disease, lung cancer or kidney damage.

One law – the Clean Air Act – has added nearly a year and a half to the average American lifespan and helps prevent more than 350,000 early deaths each year, making it the most successful public health safeguard in our nation’s history. It keeps dangerous pollution out of the air we breathe by deploying a toolbox of science, policy, and enforcement to monitor, evaluate, and cut lethal pollution from coast to coast.

Yes, that’s right: Our lives will be, on average, 17 months longer all because of one law. The health gains from cleaning up soot and smog have delivered trillions of dollars in economic benefits to our nation.

As a health scientist and former EPA staffer working on the health science and data that underpin the Clean Air Act, I know that there is mountains of evidence confirming that efforts to clean up our air are sensible, moral, and hugely cost-effective, with the benefits outweighing costs by a factor of more than thirty to one. This is an issue that shouldn’t even be up for debate.

When it comes to air pollution, there’s unfortunately far more than reaches the eye. Microscopic soot particles are too small for us to see (just a fraction of a grain of sand in size), but they’re also the most dangerous form of pollution. That’s because if we inhale them, they can reach deep into our lungs and enter our bloodstream. From there, they can travel to every organ in the body, inflicting grave damage on their way. Soot pollution causes our arteries to harden, deposits carcinogens in our lungs, and interferes with our brain signals.

We’re all in harm’s way, and the more we look for evidence of harm from this type of air pollution, the more suffering we find– in the young and the old, in expecting mothers and the developing fetus, in those living with chronic disease, and those not. In just the past few years, health scientists have implicated soot exposures in a grim list of additional health problems like diabetes, Alzheimer’s Disease, pregnancy complications, and depression.

Dirty air is not just bad for our health, it’s bad for our economy. Indeed, because soot so gravely injures older people living with heart disease and other illnesses, it costs Medicare, Medicaid, and other taxpayer-supported health programs billions of dollars a year.

This issue remains a serious problem in our country, contributing to at least 50,000 early deaths each year. While that grim statistic is on par with the annual death tolls from gun violence or traffic accidents, it’s likely an underestimate. That’s because there are so many harms of air pollution that we’re still just beginning to understand.

In making these claims, Trump’s EPA argues that there is too much “uncertainty” about the true societal costs of the health problems caused by air pollution, and even suggests that some level of pollution may be safe to breathe. In truth, the substantial health costs of air pollution are firmly established by medical experts and economists. The EPA’s decision is Orwellian in its design: Are deaths from pollution making it hard to justify giving a coal plant or refinery a free pass to spew soot into the air? Well, simply remove the body count from your calculus. Voila! Problem solved.

The Trump EPA has now made its policy crystal clear: It is in the business of protecting polluters, not the public.

And just as it is ignoring the harms of air pollution, the Trump administration is doing the same thing with climate change. With millions of Americans facing health threats from stronger storms, hotter heat waves and more dangerous wildfires, the Trump EPA is trying to pretend it’s all a hoax, ignore its human costs, and claim there’s nothing to be done about it. Once again, oil billionaires and coal plant owners can celebrate on their yachts, but the rest of us will pay the price.

There’s much that still divides our country, but poll after poll shows that there is  overwhelming public support for curtailing the pollution that significantly shortens the lifespans of our kids and grandparents.

We all want to breathe clean air, and in fact it is our legal right to do so. Only when we see through the smoke, stand up for ourselves and everyone that we care about, and halt the Trump administration’s poisonous agenda will we all be able to breathe a little easier.

(Opinion columns published in The New Lede represent the views of the individual(s) authoring the columns and not necessarily the perspectives of TNL editors.)

Featured image by Getty Images for Unsplash +.

Photos by Cherrie Hanson

Hundreds of people came in support of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee president Salah Sarsour, who was taken out of state Monday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. 

Cars filled the almost 500 spaces of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee’s Salam School parking lot, then spilled into the lots of adjacent businesses in the late afternoon yesterday as hundreds of people arrived to show support for ISM president Salah Sarsour, who was taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Monday and is being held in Indiana.

Milwaukee Turners legal observers stood outside. They “document law enforcement encounters with civilians to make sure that civilians’ rights are being respected, defending our constitutional right to free speech and assembly,” Milwaukee Turners’ website explains. In the lobby, Milwaukee4Palestine members handed out information sheets on “Ice & Your Rights,” with information in English and Arabic.

Inside the gym ISM uses for community events, supporters filled chairs that stretched in rows across the wide floor. Others stood, squeezed in the back of the room or lined along the periphery. Many held signs—some printed in white lettering against a blue background, others handwritten on cardboard—that said, “Free Salah Sarsour.” The diverse crowd of Greater Milwaukee faith and community leaders, activists, elected officials, Muslim community members and concerned citizens showed up for an afternoon press conference that was planned in the late morning and first announced at 11:19 a.m. on social media.

Greater Milwaukee faith and community leaders, activists, elected officials, Muslim community members and concerned citizens filled the Islamic Society of Milwaukee Community Center.

The absence of Sarsour himself felt tangible. The five-year ISM president and long-time leader of the Greater Milwaukee Muslim community attended practically every ISM gathering, interfaith event, protest for Palestinian rights and fundraiser for refugee services, student scholarships, mosques and local Muslim organizations. He joined Milwaukee’s Rohingya community to celebrate the academic success of their children and joined the Muslim Women’s Coalition in encouraging the ISM to be a major sponsor of the City of Milwaukee’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration.

Yesterday, the crowd showed up for him.

Unitarian, Buddhist, Catholic, Jewish, Lutheran and Muslim faith leaders came in a broad show of support for Salah Sarsour and his family.

Communities stand with Salah Sarsour

Leaders and members of multiple local and statewide faith, political activism and civic groups attended the press conference and posted statements of support online, including imams and leaders from Greater Milwaukee’s mosques, Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, Muslim Women’s Coalition, Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope, Arab and Muslim Women’s Research and Resource Institute, Jewish Voice for Peace, the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine, Wisconsin Christians for Justice in Palestine, Peace Action Wisconsin, Milwaukee Turners, Milwaukee4Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, AFD Local 212, Indivisible MKE, Voces de la Frontera and others.

Elected officials in attendance included Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, State Representative Francesca Hong and alders from several cities and towns in and around Milwaukee County.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley greets Janan Najeeb, Muslim Women’s Coalition’s executive director.

National organizations have also expressed support for Sarsour. A letter signed by prominent national Muslim organizations called Sarsour “a beloved community leader … a father, a grandfather, a dear husband, and a kind and principled role model for countless people in Milwaukee and beyond … a pillar of the community and a law-abiding Milwaukee business owner.” It condemned “this abduction and usurpation of our community leader’s rights” that left his family “scrambling to determine his whereabouts and his condition.” It was signed by the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, Muslim Legal Fund of America, American Muslims for Palestine, the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations, the Council on American-Islamic Relations,  Muslim American Society, Islamophobia Studies Center, Palestine Center for Public Policy, Islamophobia Studies Journal and the Northern California Islamic Council.

Since Monday, Atta has constantly fielded calls from around the nation from people concerned about Sarsour. “The reason people from around the United States are calling is because Salah has helped people all over the States,” Atta added.

Left to right, Rev. Dennis Jacobson, a founder of Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope and Rev. Joseph Jackson, Jr., vice president of MICAH

Missed at home

A dozen journalists sat or stood in front, flanking several TV cameras on tri-stands, recording the event on cell phones and jotting notes as leaders from the Milwaukee community explained what Sarsour means to them.

“Salah Sarsour is a person who people in and outside our community view as being a great leader—a Muslim leader, a Palestinian leader, an activist, a family man, a humanitarian, a philanthropist,” Atta said, adding with a smile, “He’s also known as a big Teddy Bear because he is loved by so many.

“Salah Sarsour has been living here for over 32 years, helping the community here, being active here, being active for Palestine, being active for the Muslim community, being active for (the Milwaukee) community,” Atta said. “Any time anyone needed assistance, everyone knows—everyone—Salah was always at the forefront. He was always there.”

Salah Sarsour’s family joined his eldest son Kareem, who said his father is “a person we need to celebrate.”

Sarsour and his wife have six children and nine grandchildren. Atta called them and Sarsour’s siblings to the front and asked Kareem, his oldest son, to tell the crowd about his father.  

From an early age, his father was nicknamed “Abu Kareem,” he said. “It means ‘a generous person.’ He didn’t believe in taking, only giving … My dad was unable to finish school but he made sure that “every single one of his kids had a college degree. … He pushed so hard for that.

“He was a person you would call if you had a problem, if you felt down or sad and wanted someone to cheer you up, or if you wanted to hear a joke,” Kareem said. “He was that person you could always count on. He didn’t see people by their mistakes, but he saw what they can do and what they can accomplish.”

“He’s a person we need to celebrate,” Kareem said. He described his father as “strong, courageous and a believer, a pillar for our family and the community. The way he cared for his mom is a role model for us.

“He told us that character defines who you are … He said the words ‘give up’ are not in our dictionary. We will keep fighting for him until justice prevails, until he’s reunited with his family, his grandkids and the new grandkid who’s coming next week or so.”

Community leaders speak up

ISM Imam Rami Bleibel said, Salah Sarsour is walking the path of prophets—Joseph, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad—being persecuted unjustly “because they became the voice for the voiceless. Salah stood with the vulnerable, regardless of their faith or their background.”

Bishop Paul Erickson of the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America drew applause by saying, “If we’ve learned anything over the centuries, it’s that we cannot let fear silence us. We must stand firm, we must stand together and we must raise our voices until the dignity of all is respected! We must embrace the truth that none of us is free until all of us are free!”

Islamic Society of Milwaukee Imam Rami Bleibel applauds the words of Bishop Paul Erickson of the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

“We know when they come for Salah Sarsour, they come for all of us,” said Rachel Ida Buff, Ph.D., a professor of immigration history and a co-founder of the Milwaukee Chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, who also represented Voces de la Frontera and the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine. “Immigrants are bearing the brunt of a wave of brutal repression. This administration, with its devastating and unpopular policies in the United States and around the world, wants to silence all authentic voices of resistance.

“Salah is active in the movement for the liberation of Palestine. His advocacy for the cause is the true cause of his arrest and detention because this administration tolerates no dissent. His detention is intended to scare him, to scare all of us, to silence the voices of resistance, but we are not afraid.”

“We know when they come for Salah Sarsour, they come for all of us,”  said Rachel Ida Buff, Ph.D., a professor of immigration history and a co-founder of the Milwaukee Chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace.

“I have known Brother Salah for years,” said Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance and Wisconsin Muslim Civic Foundation executive director Fauzia Qureshi. “I have seen him show up for families in crises, for young people who need a chance, for neighbors who needed someone in their corner … He’s the kind of man this country claims to celebrate.

“On Monday, more than 10 ICE agents snatched Brother Salah, a lawful permanent resident who has lived here in Milwaukee for more than 30 years. There is no evidence he has done anything wrong. They took him out of state and left his family terrified. 

“This was not a routine immigration enforcement action. This was a targeted, politically motivated arrest designed to send a message to every Palestinian, every Muslim, every immigrant in the city—be silent or you’re next … They took him because he is a visible, effective leader. They thought arresting him would make us feel smaller. Instead, it has made us louder! Just look at this group (here today).”

WMWC and WMCF executive director Fauzia Qureshi (left) and Alan Chavoya with Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (right) share a few words.

Janan Najeeb, founder and executive director of the Muslim Women’s Coalition, called Sarsour “a political prisoner,” noting that “Mr. Sarsour’s abduction came on the heels of Gov. Evers ignoring his massive Democratic base and voting with the ‘Israel First’ and ‘Israel at all Costs’ Republicans and pro-Netanyahu Jews who pushed for the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance bill), which applies a broad definition of antisemitism. It targets people who criticize Israel, essentially denying First Amendment rights to American citizens who criticize Israel.”

MWC joins local and national organizations, elected officials and faith communities in calling for Sarsour’s release, she said. “This administration and its bully ICE agents will not destroy our democracy, nor will they silence us when it comes to Palestine or any other genocide or illegal wars they impose.”

Othman Atta, executive director of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, answers questions from the press.

Concerns about the case 

“The U.S. government (is) attacking an upright, honest, religious, helpful individual, a family man, a man who cares about others, a man who was proud of what he was able to accomplish, a man who raised his kids and now his grandkids, a man who was helping the community excel and expand, and do things for so many people,” Atta said. “And he was targeted for one thing, because he dared to stand up to the Israeli government.”

On X.com/ICEgov, ICE posted a photo of Sarsour and wrote it had “arrested a Jordanian national with a prior conviction of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the homes of Israeli Forces. He lied on his immigration application and became a green card holder under President Clinton. This terrorist will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.”

Atta and ISM board member and treasurer Munjed Ahmad, both attorneys, said ICE’s case against Sarsour is not accurate. Atta noted that Sarsour “was held without charges as a minor in Occupied Palestine and he was interrogated for more than 80 days in a row, which included being placed in painful stress positions and other forms of torture. He was given many documents to sign, all in Hebrew. Due to the torture, he signed things that he did not understand.” The U.S. government knew about that case before granting him a green card, he added. 

“What’s happening is an affront to our constitution,” declared Ahmad. “I didn’t become a lawyer just to become a lawyer. I became a lawyer because I believed in the Constitution. 

“There’s a pattern of infringement on Constitutional rights by this government,” he continued. “This is no different (than other cases), but far more reaching. There has not been a person who has been arrested, persecuted, abducted and kidnapped by the government that has such a high profile, not just in Milwaukee but in the United States. 

But “Americans have woken up and know what is happening, that our government is doing the bidding of a foreign government while they are undermining the rights of every single American. We cannot let this government get away with it. We cannot let America turn into a fascist country.”

Attorney Munjed Ahmad said Salah Sarsour makes everyone feel like they are his best friend.

Additional event photos courtesy of Renad Abdel Studios

Leqaa Kordia.Photograph: Amir Hamja/The Guardian

A Palestinian woman who was released last month after spending a year in a Texas immigration detention center told the Guardian in an exclusive interview that she sees “a lot of similarities” between the treatment of people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and that of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.

Leqaa Kordia, who was detained by ICE following her arrest at a protest against Israel’s war in Gaza, says that she will continue to speak up about the rights of Palestinians, but that she now also sees it as her duty to denounce the “human tragedy” of immigration detention in the US.

“When I took to the streets, I was defending my rights, and my family’s rights, and calling for freedom for myself and freedom for my family,” Kordia said of her participation in an April 2024 pro-Palestinian protest outside Columbia University, where she was arrested along with dozens of others. The charges against her were dropped the following day. More than 200 members of her extended family were killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza and Kordia didn’t see herself as an activist, she says, but rather “just a Palestinian girl, protesting her family being killed”.

“Now, I’ll advocate on behalf of the ladies I left behind,” she said, referring to the women with whom she shared an overcrowded dorm at the Prairieland detention center in Alvarado, Texas. “I was advocating on behalf of my family in Palestine, and now I’m advocating on behalf of my family here in America … Now I have a bigger family.”

Kordia spoke with the Guardian at a Palestinian cafe in Paterson, New Jersey, home to one of the largest Palestinian-American communities in the country, two weeks after returning home – after an immigration judge for the third time ruled that she posed no threat and ordered her release on bond. Her release followed mounting pressure from legislators and human rights groups, and came after her 6 February hospitalisation for a seizure she had while in detention.

Kordia has been living in the US for nearly a decade after leaving the West Bank, where she grew up with her father, to reunite with her mother, who is a US citizen. She has a pending green card application via her mother and no criminal record.

Leqaa Kordia waves to supporters after being released from the Prairieland detention center in Alvarado, Texas, on 16 March. Photograph: Tony Gutierrez/AP

She was arrested around the same time as Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi – both Palestinian and Columbia University students – whose detention a federal judge in Boston ruled was unconstitutional and intentionally designed to chill speech.

Her time in ICE custody has brought back many memories of her childhood in Palestine, Kordia says.

When she was nine years old, during the second intifada, she woke up one day to a group of Israeli soldiers in her bedroom, pointing guns at her.

Palestinians in the occupied territory were living under curfew, and snipers had been stationed on the family’s rooftop for days, while tanks lined the streets outside their home. Like many children there, she was used to checkpoints, raids and daily humiliations. Once, she had watched soldiers knock her brother unconscious. But the night soldiers barged into her bedroom was uniquely terrifying. “As soon as I opened my eyes I saw that soldier laughing – literally laughing – and pointing his rifle in my face,” she said.

She found echoes of that moment in Texas, where she said guards would ignore detainees when they asked for help, told them to “shut up” – and frequently laughed at them.

Describing the indignities of life in detention would take “days”, she said, before rattling off a list of them, from the fact that she spent weeks sleeping on a “paper-thin” mattress on the floor as too many women crowded into the center, to the complete disregard of her religious rights, to the medical neglect that led to her hospitalization.

The DHS did not respond to a request for comment

The detention center was always cold, she said, and when she and others complained, guards told them it was to protect them from “germs”. Women who asked for water during hours-long intake processing were directed to a water fountain attached to a toilet seat. When the showers in the center broke down, guards responded to complaints by saying, “It is what it is,” Kordia recalled. Drinking water would sometimes have “things swimming in it”. The food – served at 4am, 10am and 4pm – was often uneatable. Detainees referred to it as “dog food”, but those who refused it risked being put on “suicide watch” in isolation.

“People can literally grow crazy in those places,” she said. She described women breaking down and experiencing panic attacks under the eyes of indifferent guards.

Leqaa Kordia: ‘The word “detention center” sounds nice. It’s not nice. It’s a jail.’ Photograph: Amir Hamja/The Guardian

There were pregnant women at the center as well as sick and elderly ones – guards were equally dismissive of their requests for help. “They just didn’t care,” Kordia said. She described the frequent shuffling of detainees from one center to the other – often causing them to miss their court hearings – as “human trafficking”.

“The word ‘detention center’ sounds nice,” she added. “It’s not nice. It’s a jail.”

For all the current talk about ICE, Kordia believes that the general public doesn’t have an understanding of what conditions in immigration detention are like. She herself thought she was an informed person – “It turns out I didn’t know,” she said.

But despite their harrowing experiences, women in detention built deep bonds across life experiences and language barriers.

They exchanged relatives’ numbers so that if someone was transferred or deported they could notify each other’s families. When Kordia was hospitalized, her family only learned of it from a fellow detainee; they spent three days trying to get ICE to tell them where they had taken her. Kordia described countless other gestures of solidarity in detention. When she was sick, other women would cook with the centre’s microwave and bring it to her; when someone had a birthday, they celebrated with items from the commissary. When she collapsed and had a seizure in February, a fellow detainee insisted with guards that they take her hijab with her to the hospital.

“I was sent far away from my community in New Jersey, all the way to Texas, for them to isolate me,” she said. Instead, she found a tight-knit community. “When somebody cries, everybody cries, when somebody laughs, everybody laughs.”

She also took her detention as an “opportunity” to talk to fellow detainees and any guards who would listen about the plight of Palestinians. Some already knew about it; others learned of it from her for the first time. She had a copy of a book by the Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer, who was killed early in the war in an Israeli strike, that detainees who spoke English passed around and eagerly read.

“We all came from countries where we know what war is. We know what struggle is, we know what poverty is, so it wasn’t hard for them to relate,” she said.

Kordia said the daily “humiliation” and “stripping people of their dignity” she had known in Palestine was an experience anyone in immigration detention could understand. “They don’t call you by name, they call you ‘subject’, or by number,” she said of ICE guards and Israeli soldiers alike.

When she left Palestine for the US in 2016, Kordia thought that America was all about “freedom”. “Everybody can say whatever they want and do whatever they want,” she recalled thinking. “I really used to believe that.”

Before her detention, she was working as a server at a Palestinian restaurant in Paterson, with dreams of opening a cafe of her own. Now she’s not sure what she’ll do; an immigration court has granted her temporary protection but the administration is continuing to seek her deportation.

But while she still doesn’t see herself as an activist, she now sees “no choice” but to speak about her experience.

“The least I can do is talk about what those I left behind are facing every day,” she said.

Five Muslim candidates are on ballots in Wisconsin’s April 7 nonpartisan elections; all won endorsements from the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance. 

WMCA is an organization that works to empower the Wisconsin Muslim community in political and civic engagement. 

Since its founding in 2019, WMCA has endorsed candidates, hosted forums, worked to educate voters on the electoral process, conducted national fundraisers and engaged with elected officials across the state. Its database identifies 30,000 active Wisconsin Muslim voters from an estimated 70,000 Muslims in the state.

Muslim candidates on the April 7 ballots in Wisconsin are:

• Maqsood Khan, M.D., a two-term member of the Franklin School Board, is running to represent District 9 on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors.
• Huma Ahsan, an attorney, former appellate judge, and founder and principal of Madison Immigration Law, is running for Dane County Circuit Court Judge, Branch 1.
• Monis Khan, a founding board member of the Muslim Caucus of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, is running unopposed for a seat on the Ozaukee County Board of Supervisors.
• Yousef Hasan, an incumbent, is running to continue to serve as Franklin Alder for District 3.
• Faisal Ahmad, an incumbent, is running to continue to serve on the Barron City Council as alderman for District 3.

“We are proud to support leaders in our community who are stepping up to serve and make a difference,” WMCA Executive Director Fauzia Qureshi told the Wisconsin Muslim Journal in an interview this week. “Representation matters. When our communities are engaged, informed and present in the civic process, we all move forward together.” 

In addition to the five Muslim candidates, Qureshi highlighted WMCA’s endorsement of Judge Chris Taylor, who is running for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. This statewide position will be on everyone’s ballot, she noted.

“Our Supreme Court makes decisions that shape our daily lives for years, sometimes for generations,” Qureshi explained.

“It has the final say in how laws are interpreted and whether they are Constitutional or not, issues like redistricting, voting rights, civil rights, any Constitutional right would go through the Supreme Court.”

How WMCA endorses candidates

WMCA endorsed dozens of candidates, both Muslims and non-Muslims, in races across the state. See WMCA’s full list of endorsements for the April 7th elections here. 

WMCA does not endorse candidates based solely on faith or religious background, Qureshi explained. WMCA endorses candidates, Muslims and non-Muslims, who align with the organization’s values, no matter their political affiliation or faith. 

To be endorsed by WMCA, candidates fill out a survey that asks questions about issues that matter to Wisconsin Muslims. Their responses are evaluated in a three-step process by WMCA’s staff, strategy committee and board. 

Why vote April 7?

“We want to make sure that folks are active and stay engaged in every single election,” said Qureshi. “That’s the way we make our voices heard.”

That said, the non-partisan elections are particularly important, she said. “They center the conversation on people’s qualifications and real impacts rather than party affiliation. Voters have the opportunity to choose candidates based on their values and experience, and how they’ll serve the community.

“And many of these roles, like judges, school board members, county supervisors and common council members make decisions that directly affect our daily lives—from education to public safety.”

Since the number of voters in these local elections is small, your vote matters that much more, she added. “Sometimes an election is decided by a few hundred or even by a couple of dozen votes. In this election, your vote is actually very critical.”

In related news:

• Despite active lobbying since September against the IHRA Bill by WMCA and other organizations, it was recently signed into law. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism “has been widely criticized by civil rights organizations for its potential to conflate legitimate political speech with antisemitism, particularly in relation to advocacy around Palestinian human rights,” a WMCA press release said. It warned that “this bill would have a chilling effect across college campuses and communities statewide.”

WMCA, a registered lobbying organization, lobbied both the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate. When the Senate passed the legislation, WMCA condemned its decision to advance the bill without a recorded roll call vote, “raising serious concerns about transparency, accountability and democratic integrity,” its press release said.

Qureshi said she was shocked, angry and disappointed by Gov. Evers’ decision to sign the bill, codifying it into law.

• Promoted a bill to recognize the Eid holiday

WMCA gained bipartisan support for a bill to recognize the Eid holiday statewide. “We think it will be passed in the January 2027 session. “It had a number of sponsors and co-authors,” Qureshi said. “Having Eid recognized, even though it won’t be an official day off, will make it easier for students or employees to be able to attend Eid prayers, or for schools to schedule exams, graduations and other events on the Eid.”

• WMCA and WMCF have recently moved into an office in Franklin.

They are preparing for an open house and grand opening. The date will be announced soon, Qureshi said. Prior to opening this office, “we were basically hybrid. We would have in-person meetings in a shared co-working space at No Studios. This will be our first real office.”

• Amplifying Muslim Voices at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UWM

Wisconsin Muslim Civic Foundation, a partner organization with WMCA, is holding competitions this spring for students, testing their civic knowledge, particularly the duties of nonpartisan positions elected in the spring. The online competition allows students to join from their phones when they know the answer. Prizes are given to first, second and third places. The university competitions are held in conjunction with the campus Muslim Student Associations.

The first civic competition was held at Salam School in January for high school students. A second was held in Green Bay. Another high school competition is being planned for Brookfield.