Community organizers gathered in Raleigh Thursday for a press conference to raise awareness about what they described as attacks on marginalized communities.
The press conference brought together several local organizations from the Triangle region, including Muslims for Social Justice, People’s Power Lab, Refund Raleigh and Education Justice.
Manzoor Cheema, an organizer with Muslims for Social Justice and People’s Power Lab, said post-9/11 policies, that initially targeted Muslims have since expanded to affect immigrants of all backgrounds.
“Black, brown and Muslim community members are victims of frequent state-based injustices,” said Cheema, who has been active in the Triangle area for 25 years. “If you see an attack against one community member, you have to speak up, because next time it will be replicated to other people.”
The organizations also call for ending U.S. military actions abroad, providing full funding for public services like schools, healthcare and housing.
Speakers also called out recent actions by the Trump administration, which has revoked the visas of more than a dozen international students across North Carolina.
Nique Williams, representing Refund Raleigh, expressed solidarity with Palestinians and condemned what she said was U.S.-funded military operations.
“We should be funding care. We should be funding love. We should be funding the needs of our people, instead of funding genocide and war,” Williams said.
Preserving Palestinian identity through food
The organizers gathered at a new restaurant in Northeast Raleigh called Flip It! where Nahla Ahmad, owner of the seven-month-old restaurant, has made it her mission to educate people about Palestinian culture through food. “I want people to get to know the Palestinian culture, and I want people to know that Palestine existed,” said Ahmad.
Ahmad, who is 63 and has lived in the U.S. for 32 years, said her restaurant isn’t political but rather focused on preserving cultural identity.
The restaurant’s name comes from Maqluba, a traditional Palestinian dish literally meaning “upside down” served by flipping it so “the good stuff in the bottom comes on top.” It symbolizes Ahmad’s mission: turning perceptions about Palestinian culture right-side up. Each plate served, she said, is an invitation to understand a rich heritage she said is often misunderstood.
“We have been struggling for about 80 years just to make sure that people know that we are there. We have our own culture, our own food, our own country, and we are trying to spread the culture, the information about us so we can get as much support as we can.”
For Ahmad, this isn’t just about food. It’s about showing the world that Palestine is not just a place on a map, but a culture with deep roots and enduring spirit, she said. Through every plate of Maqluba turned upside down, Ahmad invites diners to flip their understanding—and truly see Palestine.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Activists demand end to attacks on marginalized communities )
Also on site :