Palestinian American activist Rasmea Odeh was tortured and sexually abused in Israeli prisons 45 years ago. Now, the U.S. government wants to punish her for what she has endured. The Department of Justice is replicating the State Department’s policies of persecuting and prosecuting the Palestinian victims in favor of Israeli aggression.

Odeh, 67, a Chicago resident, is being accused of lying on her citizenship application about a terrorism conviction in an Israeli prison in 1969. However, her prosecution in the United States is a part of a campaign by the intelligence agencies to crack down on Palestinian activism and free speech. The homes of her fellow activists in Chicago were raided for no reason a few months before she was arrested. 

She has become a symbol for dissent across the country. Her pre-trial hearings in Detroit have attracted activists of all ethnicities and backgrounds from across the nation. Her supporters have been holding protests in front of the federal courthouse before every session. However, the minimal presence of the local Arab American community at these rallies is bewildering. 

Dearborn is said to be the capital of Arab America. Hence, our local community should be the spearhead of national Arab American causes. Unfortunately, many local Arabs do not see themselves as a part of a bigger Arab American community that stretches across the United States.

The prosecution of Odeh not only affects every American who supports the Palestinian people but everybody who is concerned about the overreach of government. Her case concerns all of us as Arab Americans. We should show solidarity with her by attending the rallies at her trial. 

Standing with Odeh sends a message to the federal government that we refuse to accept the targeting of our activists, whether they are in Dearborn or Chicago or, say, Albuquerque. It is an occasion to secure the attention of federal officials and raise the issues of surveillance and profiling, as protesters at one of Odeh’s hearings were chanting, “DHS go get lost, out of our communities our of our mosques.” 

Supporting Odeh also exposes the political nature of the charges brought against her. But most importantly, rallying for Odeh in front of the courthouse can affect the outcome of her legal battle and contribute to proving her innocence. Odeh’s defense attorneys have encouraged the protests because they show that she is loved and respected.

Odeh lived through abuse and torture for opposing the occupation. She started a new life in the United States and was a leader in her community and a leading activist for immigrants and women’s rights. She is a role model who deserves our support. 

Her next hearing will be at the federal courthouse in Detroit at 231 W. Lafayette Blvd. on Thursday, Oct. 2. The protest will start at 9 a.m.