{"id":2066105,"date":"2023-10-13T10:33:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-13T14:33:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-school-board-member-opposes-moment-of-silence-for-victims-of-hamas-attack\/"},"modified":"2023-10-13T10:34:59","modified_gmt":"2023-10-13T14:34:59","slug":"virginia-school-board-member-opposes-moment-of-silence-for-victims-of-hamas-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-school-board-member-opposes-moment-of-silence-for-victims-of-hamas-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia School Board Member Against Moment of Silence for Hamas Attack Victims"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fvirginia-school-board-member-opposes-moment-of-silence-for-victims-of-hamas-attack%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2066105&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Fairfax County\u2062 School\u200c Board Member Opposes Moment of \u2062Silence for Hamas Attack Victims<\/h2>\n<p>In a controversial move, Fairfax County School Board member Abrar Omeish, who previously opposed a resolution honoring the\u2062 victims of\u2064 the 9\/11 attacks, has\u200b now opposed \u2062a moment of silence for the victims of the Hamas attacks.<\/p>\n<p>Omeish&#8217;s father, Esam Omeish, has\u2064 a\u200d controversial history as the former director of the\u2063 Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Falls Church, Virginia. This mosque hired\u2064 Anwar al-Awlaki as its imam, who was \u2062later \u200bordered\u200c to be killed by a drone strike by President Barack Obama. The \u200cmosque was also attended by\u200b two \u2062of the 9\/11 hijackers and the shooter in the 2009 \u2064attack on Fort Hood, Texas.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It might seem simple,&#8221; \u200cOmeish stated. &#8220;Aggressors \u200cattacking families in a state, seeking vengeance.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Omeish further \u2062criticized the idea of \u200b&#8221;humanizing&#8221; the 1300 Israelis murdered by Hamas, arguing that \u2063biases often lead us\u200c to sympathize with\u2064 those \u2064who look more like us. However, she failed to acknowledge the diverse physical appearances of Israelis, including those from Ethiopia, Thailand, various\u200d Arab nations, Europe, and \u200dJews \u2062who have lived\u200c there for centuries.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;But doing so \u2063obscures the root of the violence,&#8221; she continued, referring to the Hamas attack as an &#8220;escalation.&#8221; \u2063She emphasized the importance of\u200b addressing problems, acknowledging realities, and allowing diverse voices to be \u200bheard to prevent\u2062 such escalations. She also\u2062 dismissed calls for peace, claiming that true peace requires justice.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Fairfax County School Board member Abrar Omeish opposes a moment of \u2064silence for\u200b victims of the Hamas \u200cattacks<\/p>\n<p>Her father is Esam\u2064 Omeish. He is the former\u200b president of a group identified as the \u201covert\u2064 arm\u201d of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood.<\/p>\n<p>Esam also served on the board of Dar al\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/DBdpPzEG4V\">pic.twitter.com\/DBdpPzEG4V<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 End Wokeness\u200c (@EndWokeness)\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EndWokeness\/status\/1712639236388602230?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 13, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In \u20642021, Omeish opposed a\u2063 school\u2064 board resolution calling for a moment of silence to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of 9\/11. She argued that the resolution failed to address the &#8220;state-sponsored\u200c traumas&#8221; experienced by Muslims.<\/p>\n<p>Omeish expressed \u200dher trust in\u2063 the \u2064Fairfax County Public School&#8217;s \u2063equity team to address these concerns and incorporate them\u200d into their broader anti-racist and anti-bias\u2064 work.<\/p>\n<p>Decuir, an\u200c advisor to the equity team, produced a video for the Virginia Department of Education, instructing\u2062 educators on how to teach \u200babout\u200c 9\/11. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-school-board-member-opposes-moment-of-silence-for-victims-of-hamas-attack\/\" title=\"Virginia School Board Member Against Moment of Silence for Hamas Attack Victims\">video emphasized avoiding false assumptions<\/a> of Muslim\u2062 responsibility and rejecting American exceptionalism.<\/p>\n<p>In\u2062 a graduation speech, Omeish warned a predominantly immigrant class\u200c of high schoolers \u2062about the presence of &#8220;white supremacy&#8221; in the\u2064 world and\u200b encouraged them to remember their &#8220;jihad&#8221; while rejecting objectivity and neutrality. She also gained attention for not placing her hand \u2063over her heart during the pledge of allegiance at another graduation ceremony.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/school-board-member-abrar-omeish-whose-father-led-september-11-hijackers-mosque-opposes-resolution-honoring-victims\">School\u200b Board Member \u2063Whose \u2064Father Led\u2064 9\/11 Hijackers\u2019 Mosque Opposes\u200b Resolution Honoring Victims<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Luke Rosiak contributed to \u200bthis\u200b story.<\/em><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How\u2064 does Omeish&#8217;s opposition to a moment of silence for \u200bthe victims of the Hamas attacks affect the perception of her stance on the Israeli-Palestinian \u2063conflict?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  &#8220;ata-width=&#8221;500&#8221; data-dnt=&#8221;true&#8221;><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I am not anti-Semitic for criticizing Israeli violence and demanding justice\u2062 just like I&#8217;m not anti-American for \u200bcriticizing US violence and demanding\u200c justice. Justice knows no nationality. Justice knows no religion. Justice \u200dknows no race.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Abrar \u2064Omeish (@AbrarOmeish)\u2062 May 13, 2021<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In response to the criticism she has received \u200cfor her stance, Omeish took to Twitter \u2062to\u200c defend herself, stating that she is not anti-Semitic for criticizing Israeli violence and demanding justice. She argued that justice knows no nationality, religion, or race.<\/p>\n<p>While it is important to recognize the\u200b need for justice and the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian\u200c conflict, Omeish&#8217;s \u2062opposition to a \u2064moment of silence for the \u2063victims of the Hamas \u200dattacks raises concerns. A\u200b moment of silence \u200dis a simple act of respect and condolence\u2062 for the lives lost in an act of violence.\u200d By opposing it, Omeish seems to undermine the suffering of those affected by the attacks.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, her previous opposition to a resolution honoring\u2064 the victims of \u200dthe 9\/11 attacks raises questions about her stance on terrorism and violence in general. It\u200b is important for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/44-san-francisco-schools-to-see-name-changes\/\" title=\"44 San Francisco schools to see name changes\">school board member<\/a> to have a\u200c solid stance against acts \u200dof terrorism, regardless of their origin or\u2062 motivation. By opposing\u2062 both moments of silence, Omeish \u200dgives the impression that she\u2063 might be unwilling to condemn acts of\u2062 violence carried out by certain groups\u2064 or individuals.<\/p>\n<p>The role\u200c of a\u200c school board member is to promote a safe and inclusive environment for all \u2063students. By opposing moments of \u2064silence\u2064 for victims, Omeish fails to\u2062 fulfill this \u200dresponsibility. Moments of silence\u2063 allow students to reflect and mourn the loss of innocent lives,\u200b regardless \u200cof\u200c their background or nationality. It is through these \u2063moments that empathy and understanding can be fostered among students, promoting a more harmonious\u200d society.<\/p>\n<p>In\u2064 a diverse\u200b community like\u2063 Fairfax County, it is crucial for school\u200b board members to be\u2062 impartial and open-minded. \u200cEvery \u2062individual, regardless of their beliefs or background, deserves to be treated with empathy and respect.\u200d By dismissing\u200d the significance of moments \u2063of \u200dsilence and refusing to acknowledge the diversity among the Israeli victims, Omeish&#8217;s actions and statements appear to\u200b be biased and divisive.<\/p>\n<p>As a\u200d public figure and representative of the \u200cschool board, Omeish has a responsibility to uphold the values of fairness and inclusivity. It is \u2064essential for her\u200b to consider the \u200bimpact of her actions and statements on the\u2063 community she serves. In the interest of promoting\u2064 unity and understanding, it is necessary for her to\u200c demonstrate empathy and \u2064compassion for all victims of violence, regardless of their nationality or affiliation.<\/p>\n<p>The role of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/director-of-research-at-govt-accountability-institute-fbi-corruption-goes-all-the-way-to-the-top\/\" title=\"GAI Research Director: FBI Corruption Reaches Top Levels\">school board\u2062 member<\/a> is not only to enact policies but also to set a positive example for students\u2064 in the community. By opposing moments of silence\u200b for \u200cvictims\u2063 of acts of violence, Omeish sends a message \u2064that undermines the\u2064 importance of compassion and empathy in times of crisis. It\u2064 is \u2064crucial \u2063for \u2064school board members to prioritize the \u2063welfare and well-being of students, and this includes\u2062 recognizing and honoring the victims\u2064 of violence.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, \u2062the\u200c Fairfax County School Board must\u200d carefully consider the actions\u200c and statements made by\u200d its\u200b members. \u2062The promotion of inclusivity \u200band empathy should serve as guiding principles in the decision-making process. It is \u2063important to remember that the actions\u200d of one board member do not represent the entire board, but they do have an impact on the community at large. In order to foster a \u2063safe and inclusive environment for all students, it is essential for board members\u200d to prioritize \u200dcompassion and \u200dunderstanding.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fairfax County School Board member Abrar Omeish, known for opposing a resolution honoring 9\/11 victims, also opposed a moment of silence for victims of Hamas attacks. Her father, Esam Omeish, served as director of the Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Falls Church, Virginia, which employed controversial individuals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":2066106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2066105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2066105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/60"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2066105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2066105\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2066106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2066105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2066105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2066105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}