HfHR at the Interfaith Action for Palestine outside the US Capitol

HfHR was part of an interfaith coalition that took on the largest pro-Israel organization in the country

The Interfaith Action for Palestine brought together an interfaith coalition of organizations to counter Christians United for Israel’s (CUFI) Annual Summit, held from July 28-30, 2024, in National Harbor, Maryland, near Washington, DC. CUFI is the largest “pro-Israel” organization in the United States that promotes hawkish, white Christian supremacist, and genocidal policies. This morning, we mobilized in Washington, DC, to disrupt CUFI’s supremacist agenda and to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

A Morning of Prayer

The event began with a powerful interfaith prayer led by Reverend Abhi. Below is the full text of Reverend Abhi's prayer:

Nameless one of many names and beyond all naming who is within, among, and around us, you are our mother, father, relative, and friend. You are our knowledge and wealth. You are our all, oh god of gods. Oh holy one, we pray that you swiftly bring comfort, mercy, peace, and justice to every Palestinian and Israeli. We pray repentance for the complacency and complicity of our government and ourselves. We pray their hearts be changed, dedicating themselves to justice, equity, liberation, and a lasting peace.

We pray for the release of all those held captive in Gaza and in Israel. We pray for all families shattered by the senseless violence. We mourn and grieve the loss of every precious child, parent, partner, and friend. We pray for your healing and holding for everyone who weeps. And we ask that humanitarian aid flows abundantly to meet the immense needs of Gaza, and that the work of rebuilding starts now, not the day after, and persists until a just and lasting peace is achieved.

Oh Spirit of love and life, cover every person here and those witnessing and protesting today. Let their voices be heard and their actions echo across this nation and this world until we see a durable peace with justice in Gaza and Palestine. We pray for safety and protection for everyone in harm's way. We pray for the miraculous gift of imagination that gives all your people deep breath and fresh possibilities. We pray for those with power and privilege to protect those who have none. We pray for those with food to feed those who have none. We pray for those with faith and faithful people to live the best of their traditions out loud. We pray for life. We pray for life. We pray for life.

Hear our prayers for liberation and a permanent and just peace. Om shanti, shanti, shanti. Once again, om shanti, shanti, shanti. Om shanti, shanti, shanti.

Pranay Somayajula's Speech

Following the prayer, Hindus for Human Rights’ (HfHR) Pranay Somayajula, Director of Organizing and Advocacy, delivered a powerful speech in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Below is an excerpt from his speech:

"If we as people of faith say that our traditions teach us love, justice, equality, and liberation, then we got to be serious about that and we can't just say it's enough to call for an end to one war. We have to be serious about saying we demand a free Palestine from The River To The Sea. About demanding a future where every inhabitant of that land, doesn't matter their religion, doesn't matter their ancestry, every inhabitant of that land is free to live together in harmony and dignity. If we don't do that, then we haven't just failed in our activism, we haven't just failed in our organizing, we have betrayed the values of the faith that we claim to hold dear.

I'm a Hindu American. My parents immigrated to this country from India in the 90s, and I was raised in a Hindu family. But I would be lying if I stood here and told you all that I'm a particularly religious person. I know most of the folks that we've heard from today are really inspiring faith leaders in their community. I can't pretend to be that. I don't go to Temple, can't read Sanskrit, I don't really pray, but I'm still a Hindu. And that's because the tradition that I was raised with, the values that I was raised with by my family, by my community members, was rooted in the idea that of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which means the world is one family.

Yesterday on the panel, I don't know if any of y'all were at that panel yesterday where Rabbi Alysa Wise talked about the Jewish idea of Betzelem Elohim, all people made in the image of God. That's the same idea. There is Divinity in all of us. There is equal and inherent Divinity in all of us. And so an attack on the people of Gaza is an attack on me, it's an attack on you, it's an attack on all of us, and it's because it is an attack on the Divinity that exists in all of us.

I don't think that I have to be a very religious person to believe that, and that's why I'm comfortable standing here in front of you all and saying that as a Hindu, my faith and my belief, my spirituality calls me to speak out against what's happening and to call for a free Palestine. I don't know when this will stop. I know it will. I have no choice but to believe that it will, but I know that the day after, I'm going to hit the streets again. I hope you'll all hit the streets again.

I know many folks have traveled here from all over the country, not just in the East Coast, have traveled from all over the place to be here today. So it doesn't have to be in DC. In fact, it shouldn't just be in DC. I hope you'll all hit the streets wherever you are and say that a ceasefire isn't enough, an end to the bombing isn't enough. What we need is an end to apartheid, an end to occupation, an end to settlements, the tearing down of the apartheid wall, and the complete and unequivocal and uncompromising liberation of Palestine and the Palestinian people from The River To The Sea.

Thank you all so much for coming here from far away, for being part of this powerful Interfaith action against CUFI, against religious nationalism, against Christian Zionism. You know, some people say that faith and religion and people of faith and religious people have no role in left activism, have no role in Anti-Imperialist organizing. I don't think that's true. I think faith is such a powerful thing for so many millions of people around the world. And if our faith leaders, our pastors, our imams, our priests, our rabbis aren't willing to speak out for what is right, aren't willing to use their platforms to address their congregations, address their communities to demand justice and liberation, if they can't do that, then how are we ever going to win millions of people over to the cause of justice?

So thank you all to all of the faith leaders who have been here today. It's been really powerful and humbling to hear from you all. And yeah, let's keep fighting. Thank you all so much. Free Palestine."

Unity in Action

The event was a powerful demonstration of unity and resolve. Participants from diverse faith backgrounds joined hands to stand against injustice and oppression, sending a clear message that love, justice, and equality are universal values that must be upheld.

A Call to Continue the Fight

As Pranay emphasized, the struggle for justice and liberation is ongoing. We must continue to hit the streets, raise our voices, and demand an end to the injustices faced by the Palestinian people. This is a moral and spiritual imperative.

Thank you to everyone who traveled from near and far to be part of this impactful Interfaith Action for Palestine. Together, we will keep fighting for a just and free world.

#FreePalestine #InterfaithAction #HfHR #Justice #Solidarity