Put in perspective
During the citizens comments portion of the meeting, five speakers from Pearland’s Muslim community talked about negative experiences they’ve had as Muslims living in Pearland and Texas following the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas.
Pearland resident and lawyer Salmina Tarek said she felt alienated by Gov. Greg Abbott’s public statements, which expressed support for Israel in its war with Hamas but did not condemn Palestinian civilian casualties in Gaza.
Abbott voiced “unwavering support” for Israel in an Oct. 9 news release following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which killed Israeli civilians.
On Oct. 20, the governor issued another news release that encouraged Texas educators to use resources about the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict and antisemitism compiled by the Texas Education Agency to “to increase awareness and understanding of the Israel-Hamas war and root causes of conflict in the region.”
In their own words
Pearland resident and runner Ahmed Mansour, who hopes to represent Pearland in marathons to be held in Tokyo and London next year, said on the morning of Oct. 20, his teenage daughter, who wears a hijab, called her parents to pick her up while running in a Shadow Creek Ranch neighborhood after a pickup truck slowly followed her as she ran.
“You can sense how terrified she was at that moment,” Mansour said. “It was her first time feeling unsafe and insecure. We picked her up and she straightforwardly told me she no longer feels safe running outdoors alone.”
Both Tarek and Mansour expressed concern for their own children following news of the 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy who was stabbed to death on Oct. 14 in the Chicago area. Detectives investigating the crime determined the killer targeted the boy and his family because they were Muslim, and due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, according to a Will County Sheriff's Office news release.
Small-business owner Dalia Kasseb, who has run for Pearland City Council twice, said she knew members of the Pearland community who had collectively lost over 100 family members in Gaza due to the siege and bombs dropped by Israel.
“Understand our sorrows and support our community in this heightened era of Islamophobia,” Kasseb said. “I'm asking you to fight for your constituents by not accepting a one-sided bullying of the American Palestinian people caused by the media and approved by Gov. Abbott.”
One more thing
Since the war broke out between Israel and Hamas, the Pearland Police Department has increased its presence near Jewish and Islamic community centers and places of worship, PPD Public Information Officer Chad Rogers said.
“Hatred is just not welcome here,” Mayor Kevin Cole said before adding the city is committed to ensuring the safety of every member of the Pearland community “despite disagreements on politics.”
