Today as we observe Indigenous People’s Day in America, we face some troubling contradictions. How many indigenous tribes here in America were decimated by the U.S. Calvary? How many Buffalo soldiers aided the American Government in that genocide?
The United States took indigenous people’s land and killed them. There is historical evidence that British colonizers at Fort Pitt during Pontiac’s war deliberately attempted to infect indigenous people with smallpox by giving them blankets used by colonists at Fort Pitt who had smallpox. Later, during the American Revolution, we see this strategy employed again by the U.S. military. Lastly, this tactic of heinous biological warfare was also used by the Australians against their own indigenous aboriginal population. Sometimes the truth hurts. Taking land, annihilating indigenous people is nothing new and the only thing that has changed is the date on the calendar and the people being targeted.
The City of San Francisco and the land and water surrounding it used to be a paradise for the indigenous Ohlone people. After California entered into the Union in 1850, the state government perpetrated deadly massacres against the indigenous Ohlone people. Many of the leaders of these massacres were rewarded with positions in state and federal government. These massacres have been described as genocide. Today, many are leading a push for cultural and historical recognition of the Ohlone tribe and what they have gone through and had taken from them (source: Wikipedia).
PALESTINIANS & GAZA
Over 42,000 Palestinian human beings have been killed by the Israeli Defense Forces.
Gaza: the land, the buildings, hospitals, schools and mosques have been obliterated by Israeli bombs. There has been a shocking loss of life; innocent women and children. The United States of America has not demanded for, nor have they received any accountability from the State of Israel. Now, Israel has Lebanon in their crosshairs. The State of Israel has said that it has done EVERYTHING to protect innocent life, but the numbers tell an entirely different story. The National Association of Black Journalists were crystal clear when they asked presidential candidate Kamala Harris to define the difference between Israeli defense policy and Israel aggression. Vice President Harris did not answer the question. No one seems willing to address the difficult issues even when these issues could decide the winner of this year’s presidential election.
Let’s look at this from another point. Question: How valuable are the lives of Arab Americans to Donald Trump and J.D. Vance? Do Muslims in the United States believe former president Donald Trump would have anything likened to empathy or compassion in regard to the Palestinian people? Think about that for a moment.
JAMAL KHASHOGGI
On another note, there was once a journalist named Jamal Khashoggi. He was intelligent, fearless, and courageous. Jamal was critical of Saudi Arabia and he paid the ultimate price. Saudi Arabian intelligence officers that worked for Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) chopped Jamal’s body into pieces and disposed of it while his fiancé waited for Jamal outside the Consulate. The administration of Donald Trump did absolutely nothing to hold Saudi Arabia or MBS accountable.
On this Indigenous People’s Day, we have a lot to think about. I am a Muslim; I am a journalist; I identify as a Black/Arab human being. I say this to those in the State of Michigan who have joined the Uncommitted Movement, “Weigh your options carefully. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are far from perfect, but they most certainly have a heart for Muslims, Arabs, Somalians, and so many other groups that are marginalized and ridiculed in America. November 5, 2024, could be the most important choice you make in your lifetime. Chose wisely and be an informed voter.”
Malik Washington is a freelance journalist and Director at Destination: Freedom and Destination Freedom Media Group.
